How to Find the Perfect Jeans

You either love them or you hate them. “All I wear is jeans!”, “I live in my jeans!” “I hate jeans! I never wear them and they look terrible on me.” “They sag, they’re too short, they’re too tight, I have a muffin top…” Yada, yada, yada! In all of my years of personal styling, I have heard it all! From a hopeless devotion to jeans to an absolute hatred for them. And I get it. Jeans are hard to shop for. It’s the dreaded task for many. It’s time consuming, it’s depressing and it can even be worse than swimsuit shopping for a lot of people. But, oh, when you find the right pair, it’s a sweet, sweet thing!

So why are jeans so hard to shop for you ask?, Because jeans are personal, cut differently by every maker, made differently by every maker but finding the perfect pair of jeans is possible! If you’re on the quest for the perfect jeans, take these few tips into consideration and you’ll be singing the praises of your favorite jeans in no time!

The first thing to keep in mind is that you need to be patient. Finding jeans will take time. Sometimes a lot of time, so be prepared and know the kinds of jeans that you will need to find.  Are you looking for boyfriend jeans, mom jeans, high waisted jeans? Having an idea will keep you from sifting through the things that you don’t want or need.

Remember that size is nothing but a number.  A lot of women get stuck on the sizes of their clothes. Most women actually. I have only had a very small handful of clients who realize this and actually owned clothes from an xx small to an xx large and felt fine about it. But this is a very slim number of women. Every designer has a different cut, a different amount of stretch and a different blend to their material, so keep that in mind and not the number of the size you think you are or think you should be. When you find a cut of a jean that you like, try a few different sizes in that cut by the same maker and try not to think about the number on the tag. It should honestly mean nothing to you.

Take into consideration your actual measurements for your waist, rise (this is the length of the jeans, from the crotch right up to the waistband) and length. Have a someone in your home measure you or go to a local tailor to have your measurements taken. Don’t forget to take into consideration the type of shoes you will be wearing with the jeans. If you plan on wearing heels, measure your length to the ground with your heels on. Same goes for sneakers and flats.

Having to measure yourself without the any help? It’s possible! First, find a pair of a jeans that you all already own, that fit and that you love. These will probably be your favorite jeans. Hang them or lay them flat. Grab a soft measuring tape, like a cloth or plastic one, (it needs to be flexible) and measure the rise on the pants. That would be the top of the waistband to the crotch. Next measure your waist. The best way to measure is measuring tape to skin, so try not to measure through your clothes. Measure the narrowest part of your waist. Next go back to the pants and measure the length of the jeans from the crotch seam to the hem.

Be sure to write all of the measurements down and have them handy when shopping. I would recommend taking a measuring tape with you when shopping in person if you can and measuring the jeans you pick before even heading into the dressing room. This will weed out a lot of the jeans that won’t’ fit, leaving your with jeans that will actually fit your body better when you try them on.

If you’re shopping online, make sure you read the measurements and compare them to your own, as well as reading the reviews. Also take a look at blend of denim. Spandex will stretch. I always advice clients to get whatever they are ordering in a few sizes to try on at home and send back the ones that don’t fit. Think of your online cart or shopping bag as your dressing room and use the opportunity to try a few sizes. And remember that jeans do stretch, so if you’re on the fence about a size, go with the smaller size.

Photo from SheKNows

Next, take into consideration your body shape. Are you petite? Are you an hourglass? Are you a pear?

An hourglass or curvy shape can basically wear anything. Skinny jeans are easy to wear as they will hug your curves, elongate your legs and accent your hips. Girlfriend jeans, which are a more feminine version of the boyfriend jean, is more of a classic fit, they sit higher on the waist with the rise right at your natural belly button, and a little tighter and higher on the hip to hug your curves, with a tapered slim straight leg fit and not a skinny fit. It offers a more flattering shape than a baggy boyfriend jean.

If you’re a pear shape, and tend to carry your weight on your bottom half, look for jeans that are a mid to high rise, in a wider leg or bootcut that starts to flair out at the knee.  Go for a darker wash or a trouser cut jean to give you a balanced look. Try to avoid a full wide leg pant. This will hide the shape of your leg and give you an overall wider appearance on your bottom half, which you don’t want to do. Proportion is everything!

If you’re petite, look for a smaller inseam. Most inseams tend to fall between a 28-30cm, and typically a 26cm will fit you, but make sure to have your measurement done first. Look for a mid to high rise in the jeans, a slimmer cut and you could also wear a crop jean to avoided the dreaded excess material at your feet. All of these things will give you an overall the appearance of being taller.

If you have a flat backside and want the appearance of a bigger booty, look for jeans that are high waisted, fit you properly in the waist and have smaller back pockets. That will give the illusion of a bigger backside. Don’t go for really large pockets, because that will have the opposite effect. To give the illusion of a rounder butt, look for pockets that are placed slightly higher on the cheek. They will make the butt look more lifted. Also look for a lighter wash or white jeans and that will give the appearance of a bigger bottom as well. Spanx with a butt lifter or padding is always a good idea, as well as doing a few squats before you put your jeans on. Squatting low and squeezing your cheeks a few times when you come up from the squat will plump up your bum as well before you head out the door.

And if you need help on recommendation for jeans, let me know, I’d be happy to recommend some of my favorites.