How To Pick Jeans For Your Body Type

by Tyler Wise March 07, 2022

Creating your perfect wardrobe means finding clothing items that best complement your style and that you feel most comfortable wearing. With different cuts, fabrics and looks, you can find the best pieces of clothing that fit your body and make you feel great.

Jeans are one of the most common garments that women need help searching for because of the various fit and design options available for these pants. They pair nicely with multiple tops and can be dressed up or down easily to match the occasion, making them a staple in any woman's closet. Additionally, now that there are more options for inclusive sizing and various cuts, you can go into jean shopping knowing you'll have plenty of options to browse through.

However, if you're planning to search for the best pair of jeans, it's helpful to learn everything about jean styles and how they look on different body types. Check out how you can find a pair of jeans you'll always want to wear.

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How to Choose Jeans for Your Body Shape

The first thing you should do before going jean shopping is to consider your body shape and what styles you like best on your body. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, making each woman unique and beautiful. Many of these shapes and sizes can be categorized into common silhouettes that can help you understand how certain jeans will fit you. These common female body shapes include:

Hourglass shape: An hourglass shape has a well-defined waist and proportionate upper body and lower body. The hips and bust areas don't have to be identical in size, but the visual shape the body creates will resemble an hourglass. Women may also have a top hourglass shape or a bottom hourglass shape, meaning that one part of their body has slightly larger measurements than the other.
Pear shape: A pear or triangle shape has a larger lower body and a smaller upper body. The hips and legs area is accentuated thanks to the narrow waist and bust. Another variation of the pear shape figure is the spoon, which is similar to the pear but with a wider waist.
Rectangle shape: A rectangle-shaped body has similar measurements for the hips, waist and shoulder area. This figure can also be called a banana shape or an athletic-shaped body.
Apple shape: A apple shape has a larger shoulder or bust area compared to the lower body. This shape is also labeled as the inverted triangle shape.

In addition to considering your body type, you will also want to think about different characteristics of the jeans themselves, such as the rise, fit and wash. All of these aspects can affect the look and level of comfort of the jeans on your body.

Jean Rise

Jeans are available in three rises — low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise. Trends continue to change on what rise is in-style, but sometimes it's best to go with the rise that you feel comfortable in and looks best on your body.

Here are the differences between each level of jean rise:

Low-rise: These jeans typically sit around 2 to 3 inches below the navel and fit right at your hips. Low-rise jeans are great for pear, hourglass and rectangle-shaped body types.
Mid-rise: Mid-rise jeans are the most versatile rise out of the three. The waist ends up just below the navel, and this style is typically comfortable and flattering for all body types. It's also easy to pair with any top.
High-rise: High-rise jeans are known as the classic style for denim. The waist sits right at or just above the navel. This retro look is great for hourglass shapes, athletic shapes and anyone who wants to show off their waist.

Jean Fit

The fit of your jeans helps you show off your style and dress your body to look its best. With fits that are classics to ones currently trending, you'll have an array of options to try on and see what you think looks best on your body type as a female. You can always mix up your style and choose different fits to expand your wardrobe.

Check out these five different jean fits:

Boyfriend: Boyfriend jeans have a more relaxed or slouchy structure. You can find this fit in a variety of cuts depending on your style preference. Select a relaxed cut if you want a baggy look or choose a slimmer cut if you are looking for something a bit dressier. Boyfriend jeans are the best jeans for no hips and look nice on an apple or athletic-shaped body.
Bootcut: Bootcut jeans are fitted at the thigh and open more from the knee to the heel. These have a similar look to flare jeans, but the cut is less defined. People with pear or hourglass body shapes can look great in a pair of bootcut jeans.
Straight-leg: If you want a slim-cut pair of jeans that has more legroom than skinny jeans, straight-leg jeans are a nice fit choice. Athletic, hourglass or apple body types can rock a pair of straight-leg jeans.
Skinny: Skinny jeans are the slimmest cut jean and fit snug from your waist to your ankle. Their name has no relation to the body types that can pull this style off — skinny jeans look great on all body types. You can find skinny jeans in different materials and washes that look best on your body.
Flare: Flare jeans have a distinct shape from the knee to the ankle that resembles a bell. Women with hourglass or pear-shaped bodies can look great in flare jeans.

Jean Wash

The wash of your jeans can make a small difference in how the jeans look on you, but it's mostly up to your personal preference on what wash you buy. The different jean washes include:

Dark wash: People typically see darker washes as a more flattering look and can help dress up any outfit.
Light or medium wash: Light or medium wash jeans are great for any time of the year and look nice on any body type. A helpful tip to remember is the lighter the wash, the more dressed-down an outfit may look.
Colored: You can let your personality shine with a pair of colored jeans. From olive green to bright orange, or even a bold leopard print, you can find jeans in a variety of colors to create outfits that will make you feel amazing.

Find the Best Jeans for Your Body Type at Perfectly Priscilla

Find your new favorite pair of jeans from Perfectly Priscilla. Browse through our wide selection of jeans to find the pair that is perfect for your body and your closet.