Photo par almyki via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)The right jeans do not depend on the trend of the moment but on your silhouette. The same cut can flatter one body shape and weigh down another. Two factors do all the work: the rise and the leg shape. Once you know which ones suit your body, you stop buying at random.
The jeans cuts to know
Before pairing, you have to name. Five cuts keep coming up in store:
- Skinny: tight from hips to ankle
- Slim: fitted but less tight at the bottom
- Straight: same width from thigh to ankle
- Bootcut / flare: fitted on top, flared below the knee
- Mom / boyfriend: high rise, wide leg tapering towards the ankle
The rise comes in low, mid and high. A high rise marks the waist and lengthens the legs, which is why it suits almost every body shape.
Body shape A: balancing the bottom
Hips wider than shoulders. You want a leg that does not grip the thighs and a flare that rebalances downward.
Bootcut and flare are your best allies: they offset the hips by widening the ankle, which aligns the silhouette. Straight high-rise works too. Favour even, dark washes on the hips, with no small back pockets or light details that widen. Skinny plays up the top-bottom contrast, so avoid it unless worn under a long tunic.
Body shape V: giving the hips volume
Wide shoulders, narrow hips. The opposite aim to shape A.
Cuts that add substance at the bottom balance the frame: flare, bootcut, mom jeans with marked back pockets, light washes on the thighs. A high rise helps draw a curve. A very dark skinny, on the other hand, slims the bottom further and deepens the gap with the shoulders.
Body shape H: creating a curve
Straight silhouette, undefined waist. The jeans suggest hips and a waist.
The high-rise mom jean is perfect: it shapes the bottom and nips in the waist. The relaxed boyfriend plays on volume without chasing a curve, another option that suits H shapes. Avoid low rises that break the line and lengthen the torso at the legs’ expense.
Body shape X: anything goes
Balanced shoulders and hips, slim waist. The freest shape for denim.
Skinny and slim high-rise hug the curves without distorting them. Straight high-rise gives a more current look. The only mistake would be drowning the slim waist under jeans that are too loose with a low rise, which erase the main asset.
Body shape O: lengthening the leg
Volumes on the middle, often slim legs. You free up the legs and avoid pressure at the waist.
Straight and bootcut in a mid rise (not too tight on the stomach) lengthen without compressing. A fabric with a little elastane gives comfort without gaping. Dark, plain washes slim the figure. Steer clear of very high stiff rises that mark the stomach and of skinnies that contrast too much with the top.
The summary table
| Body shape | Recommended cut | Rise |
|---|---|---|
| A | Bootcut, flare, straight | High |
| V | Flare, mom, bootcut | High |
| H | Mom, boyfriend | High |
| X | Skinny, slim, straight | High |
| O | Straight, bootcut | Mid |
One last useful habit in the fitting room: look at yourself in profile, not just from the front. It is in profile that you see whether the waist gapes at the back, whether the hem falls at the right height, whether the cut follows the leg. Jeans that look perfect from the front but pucker at the side end up at the bottom of the wardrobe.