Dressing for your shape simply means knowing which styles give you the visual effect that you prefer best. If you disagree with what others call the perfect shape of jeans for you, then it’s not the perfect shape of jeans for you. Fashion is about being empowered.
If you currently feel like you never look as good in jeans as you hope, or as well as you see others wearing jeans look, then you simply might not have found the right style for you (yet). It’s also very important to remember that even with the right style shape, how those jeans will look on you depends on things such as fabric, cut, and even embellishes.
To start your journey, however, you need to know the right shape, and this guide can help:
The Common Body Shapes
To start, you need to know what your body shape is. All shapes are beautiful, and each one comes with dressing challenges. Hourglass shapes, for example, often find they look frumpy in loose-fitted clothes, casual-wear, or streetwear because their bust and hip measurements are so dramatic and their waist isn’t defined.
You can use the shape method (hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle, inverted triangle) or the Kibbe body type method, to help you understand your shape and what your strengths are, and what challenges you will face with dressing.
Choosing Jeans: Understanding Each Shape’s Pros and Cons
How the legs of jeans sit on you needs to suit your personal preference. The best way to figure out the option that you like best is to go to a store that carries all types of jean shapes, and try them on for yourself. Look in the mirror, and in pictures so you can fully see the impact of the shape.
- Skinny Jeans – These look great for those with long, thin legs, but are a challenge for those who don’t want their legs so defined.
- Straight Leg – A classic shape that offers a streamlined look and works to balance the hips, but can look oversized on those with bigger thighs.
- Bootcut Jeans – Jeans with a slight flare, which works to elongate the legs, but doesn’t suit those with shorter legs as well.
- Boyfriend Jeans – A comfortable style that offers an effortless look, but is less structured.
- Flared Jeans – A more dramatic flare for personal style.
- Wide Leg Jeans – a more dramatic straight-cut that hides your lower half’s shape to elongate your frame.
Next Up: Rise
The next big shape consideration you’ll want to make is the rise. Every type of jean comes with every option of rise. You can get high-rise boyfriend jeans, for example, mid-rise, or even low-rise, depending on the type of look and feel you find most comfortable and most representative of your personal style.
The right rise for you will boil down again to your upper body shape, and also your personal preference. Those with long torsos, for example, may prefer a high rise as it balances out their proportions. Those with a dramatic hip-to-waist ratio may prefer low-rise, since it is more comfortable and reduces bulk around the midsection. Mid-rise is then a good middle ground.
Once again, you’ll want to try on jeans to see which rise suits you best. Don’t forget to consider how the jeans look and feel when you stand, sit, bend, and do other regular tasks. Finding the shape that makes you feel the best is immediately going to serve you better as a style staple than following what’s popular and trending.
