Finding jeans that suit your body can be difficult, but it becomes much easier once you know your body type and what each cut does. The goal throughout is to balance proportions. The sections below cover the five body types, the jean cuts and rises that work for each, and a few common mistakes to avoid.
Know Your Body Type, Jean Cuts and Rises
There are five body types: rectangle, pear (also called triangle), inverted triangle, hourglass and apple (also called round). The cuts covered here are skinny, slim, straight leg, boyfriend, boot cut, flared and wide leg. Rise comes in three types. Low rise sits about two inches below the navel, mid-rise sits just below it, and high rise sits at or above it.
Few people fit one type perfectly. A rectangle may lean toward a pear, and weight changes can shift your type over time, so it helps to read about all five. Treat this as a general guideline, not a strict rule.
Jeans for a Rectangle Body Type
A rectangle has similar chest, waist and hip measurements, with no well-defined waist and often a lean, athletic build. The aim is to add curves by adding volume as the leg goes down, and volume comes from extra fabric. That makes wide leg and boot cut jeans the most flattering choices.
Straight leg jeans follow the natural lines of the body, while slim and skinny jeans follow the leg and create an illusion of curves. If you go for less fabric, wear something bulky on top to balance proportions. Always choose high rise or mid-rise, since low rise plays down hip curves. Back pockets add fullness to the bottom, and faded lines and whiskering around the waist and hips add shape. Avoid baggy or boyfriend jeans, low rise and very fluid cuts like bell bottoms, which add boxiness. Anne Hathaway and Deepika Padukone are good examples, often seen in boot cut and wide leg jeans.
Jeans for a Pear Body Type
A pear shape has narrow shoulders, a defined waist and fuller hips and thighs. The goal is to draw attention away from the hips. Straight leg jeans keep the bottom half neutral, and wide leg or boot cut jeans work well too.
Skip details like whiskering and faded lines, which draw attention to the hips. Dark wash denim helps pull attention away from the wider area, and light wash is best avoided if possible. Choose mid-rise or high rise. If you carry weight in the lower hips and thighs, go for high rise, and if you carry it higher on the hips, go for mid-rise. Avoid skinny and slim fits. Jennifer Lopez shows the difference between low rise skinny jeans and high-waisted wide leg or boot cut styles.
Jeans for an Inverted Triangle Body Type
An inverted triangle has broad shoulders with narrow hips and a waist that is not well defined. The goal is to draw attention away from the shoulders by adding volume to the lower half while still defining the waist. Boot cut and wide leg jeans do this, and baggy or boyfriend jeans also work here because the hips are narrower than the shoulders. Cropped jeans are flattering too.
Details such as whiskering, front and back pockets, faded lines and light wash denim draw attention to the bottom half. Avoid skinny and slim fits and low rise, which highlight narrow hips, and you may also skip dark wash, though that is advice and not a rule. Cindy Crawford and Angelina Jolie are examples. If you love skinny jeans, balance them with an untucked, oversized shirt to add volume at the hips.
Jeans for an Hourglass Body Type
An hourglass is the most balanced type, with matching shoulder and hip measurements and a defined waist. Almost anything looks good, so the key is to keep cuts simple and clean. Choose mid-rise or high rise, because low rise makes the hips look wide, blurs the waist and can make you look shorter.
Slim, straight, skinny, boot cut, wide leg, mom, boyfriend and tapered jeans can all work. Priyanka Chopra is a good example, since everything she wears seems suited to her shape. Wrong styling can still hide an hourglass figure, so keep the proportions in mind.
Jeans for an Apple Body Type
An apple or round shape carries weight around the midsection, often with a full bust, slimmer arms and legs and little waist definition. The goal is to draw attention away from the midsection and balance it with extra fabric at the bottom. Wide leg, boot cut and flared jeans do this, and straight leg keeps things neutral. Baggy and boyfriend jeans can work as well.
Dark wash denim is best, because details are less visible and it pulls attention from the wider area. Avoid details like whiskering and faded lines. Always choose mid-rise, never low rise, since it helps define the waist, and a wide waistband helps define the waist and keep the midriff in place. Skinny jeans are not ideal, but if you wear them, keep your shirt untucked and slightly oversized. Oprah Winfrey and Melissa McCarthy are examples of women who have embraced their shapes.
Whatever your body type, balancing proportions lets you wear any jeans you like. A good place to start is to identify your type, choose one cut and rise from the matching section, and see how it changes the way your outfits sit.