Finding the best fitting jeans to truly flatter your shape can feel like an impossible task.
In this article we highlight some of the best fitting jeans for your body type.
Have you found the best fitting jeans yet?
Most of you are probably still searching for THE pair of jeans for you.
But, if you have found the best fitting jeans – the perfect pair of denim to tuck your tummy in, give your bum shape and make your legs look shapelier than ever – then tell us what your favorite brand and style is, along with what your body type is in the comments at the bottom.
You my also like to check my guidelines on how to wear jeans over 40
The problem is that jeans look very different depending on who is wearing them.
The brand, style, cut, length and wash which looks amazing on your stylish friend may look less than fabulous on you.
A lot of that is down to body type.
If you are struggling to figure out what your body shape is, this guide will help find your body type
Thinking about which shapes and styles will suit your own body type can really help you to narrow down which jeans styles to opt for. And if you’re struggling to pinpoint your body type, focus on what you are trying to achieve and which areas of your body you want to play up or play down,
Best jeans for women of all body types
Best jeans for the pear shape
If you have a pear shape, then your hips and thighs are likely to be your widest point, while your shoulders will be narrower.
One of the major problems you are likely to face is that your jeans may fit your hips but not your waist.
The key is to look for a contoured cut for the perfect fit. Rather than being cut straight across at the waistline, jeans should follow your natural curves.
For more advice check our article on dressing the pear shape body
Bootcut jeans
Bootcut jeans can be a great look for you as the width on the bottom of the legs will balance out your shape nicely.
Black jeans
As a pear shape you may want to opt for a darker wash denim because using a darker shade on your bottom half and a lighter shade on top will also help to balance out your figure and ensure you don’t look too bottom-heavy.
Opt for blacks, darker blues and deeper shades such as burgundies and olive greens.
Paige transcend bootcut jeans – KUT from the Kloth stretch bootleg jeans
Best jeans for the apple shape
When you have an apple shape, you are likely to have no defined waist and weight will tend to settle around your belly area.
If you would like to downplay your tummy and are concerned about a muffin top, then it’s best to avoid low rise styles.
For more ideas check our article on how to hide your belly.
Choose a pair of jeans which has a firm, but comfortable, fabric in the tummy area as this will help to suck you in.
On the plus side, you are likely to have slim hips and thighs which you will want to highlight.
Choose jeans which are tailored and either straight legged or flared. Trouser jean styles will look great on you.
Find out what are the best tummy control jeans in stores now.
NYDJ Marilyn jeans – Hudson jeans
Best jeans for the inverted triangle
If you are an inverted triangle shape, then your shoulders will be wider than your hips.
You are likely to want to balance out your body shape. To do this, you will be looking to downplay your shoulders and increase the look of width on your bottom half.
Wide or bootleg jeans will work well for you.
Jennifer Baker looks magnificent in her wide leg jeans below.
Cropped wide leg jeans – Palazzo jeans
To know more about dressing for this shape check our tips for dressing the inverted triangle.
White jeans
You might also want to invest in a pair of white jeans if you don’t already have some in your closet.
Just as the pear shape can look at balancing out the figure by dressing in darker colors on the bottom, you can do the same by dressing in paler colors on your bottom half.
These Levis jeans are very popular on amazon and are a great basis for many outfits.
Best jeans for the hourglass
If you have an hourglass body shape, then you have a body type that is often seen as the most ideal.
Your hips and shoulders will be a similar width, but you will have a defined waist so that your figure curves in and out.
Want more tips check our tips for the hourglass figure.
Best jeans for curvy women
You might face the same problems as the pear shape when it comes to finding a perfectly-fitting pair of jeans. If your jeans fit around the hips, you may find they are too big at the waist.
Hourglass figures will look lovely in stretch denim jeans to keep your tummy in and accentuate your curves.
Many jeans now come in curvy styles which taper in at the waist to make sure you get a good fit. The placement of back pockets can also make a difference.
Because your body is proportionate, you will suit any jeans style you want to wear. Marilyn Monroe always looked fantastic in a range of styles from boyfriend jeans to cropped skinnies.
As with all elements of dressing, it is really about playing up what you love and downplaying the parts of your body you aren’t so keen on.
If you love having a curvy bottom, then you could opt for pockets with embellishments, or if you want to downplay this area, you could choose jeans with wide, plain pockets on the back.
Avoid any styles which are cut too low on the waistband.
Madewell curvy jeans – Joe’s honey curvy bootcut jeans
Best jeans for the rectangle body shape
If you have a rectangle body type, then your hips and shoulders will be a similar width and you will have no defined waist.
Your bottom tends to be flat so you can choose whether or not you want to add extra shape with your jeans.
You are lucky in that you have one of the easiest body types to dress as you can choose to emphasize your lack of curves, or you can choose to add curves with the clothes you wear.
Skinny jeans
You can really wear any jeans style you want. If you want to play up your rectangular figure, then you could opt for skinnies.
I like these ones from Lucky Brand.
Cropped jeans from Lucky Brand
Crop flare jeans
But if you want to add curves then you can choose slightly flared jeans to create some shape.
Cropped flares can also be a good option for you as they create another line across your calves, which can help to break up the angular look of your body.
Mid to low rise styles will usually work best for you. Look for pockets on the hips and bottom if you want to create a look of curves. If you have pockets which are set wider apart on the bottom, this can make you look curvier.
Le Bardot patch pocket crop jeans – Veronica Beard flared jeans
What are the best fitting jeans you have ever found? Let me know in the comments below.
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Feature image: @justifyingjen
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Hi I am a pear shaped slim from shoulder to waist I tend to gain weight around my thighs and butt and legs you wouldn’t recommend skinny jeans what jeans would suit me better
Please check our article on how to dress for the pear shape body type for guidelines.
So what’s the solution for those of us who can not afford $100 for a pair of jeans, or any other kind of trouser? Us poor gals would like jeans to fit us too. Any suggestions?
You can find good fitting jeans in any shop. You just have to try a lot of them on and find the brand and style that works for you. Good luck in your search 🙂
I’m a medium-tall hourglass, and I just found an amazing fit and great overall look at 7 For All Mankind. The Dojo fit is described as a trouser jean, but is more of a flared style. They’re rather expensive, but I’m willing to have only one pair at a time given how well they fit!
I’m always looking for jeans without a front zipper and bottom. Having a tummy these are the best for not adding bulk where it’s not needed. Can’t recommend any particular brand but French dressing has some.
Love the article and really appreciate everyone’s feedback providing other Jean brands. Being more of a cylinder (lol-cross between apple and rectangle) and 6 ft. tall jeans are a challenge. Thank You!
I’m also petite, 5′ 1.5″ and am large breasted 32 DDD with larger hips (41″)…seeking comfort and give in the fabric…usually 10P…would love to hear styles for petite women.
One major problem I never see addressed is trying to find petite jeans that actually Got those of us with figures. Being short does not always equate with skinny.
Melanie shared some great feedback on jeans for the curvy petite above. Will try and address this is future articles.
As a curvy hourglass, I can’t recommend Good American jeans highly enough. They are beautiful quality and fit both my waist and my hips and tush, while keeping everything looking smooth and contained. They have wonderful stretch without looking like stretch jeans, and I think they’re much cooler than many other similar brands. They are high-waist, which, like the previous poster, I now realize I absolutely NEED–both mid-rise and low-rise are terrible for my soft belly. I plan to only buy high-rise jeans from now on.
Thanks for the feedback Arielle!
As a petite but curvy pear/hourglass woman who is on the short side even for petites clothing, I have a terrible time ever finding any pants — jeans or otherwise — that aren’t too long in the rise. (Proportionately I am also shorter from waist to crotch but a little longer in the legs than many other women of similar height.) What this means is that my pants might look okay in front but will sag a little in the butt and hang “wrinkly” on the back of my thighs, even though I have a curvy bottom that should fill out pants nicely. Alas, this is a fit issue that cannot be fixed by any alterations– it HAS to be accounted for when the garment pieces are cut. It would seem my best bet for good fit, then, is custom-made slacks and jeans, but I don’t know where I could even get the latter. If anyone else knows, please SHARE!
I used to slavishly follow the wider-leg rule to camouflage my “wider hips and thicker thighs” and make myself look leaner and taller, but I recently decided, after taking off 20 pounds in my late 50s, that lots of much rounder/thicker young women wear “jeggings” these days with no self-consciousness, and at a relatively trim petite size 6, I was thoroughly tired of the tyranny of trouser-and-bootcut-only. So now I also wear boyfriend and “jegging” style jeans too, which are much better for showing off cute flats and loafers. Talbot’s is my mainstay for curvy fit petite jeans and slacks of all styles (caveat emptor: their high-waisted, tummy-taming stretch “jeggings” seem to run bigger than other jeans– I need a 4 in those even though I can’t get into 4s in other styles). Sure I don’t look as tall or as thin, but I look up-to-date and friends and family tell me I look great in my snuggier jeggings. (I’m also toning my thighs and midriff on a rowing machine, which helps.) After I reach my goal weight, maybe I’ll try some more expensive NYDJ petite jeans, about which I’ve read great things.
Thanks so much for your feedback and recommendations Melanie!
I love reading your style advice. I am very tall (6ft1) and I now buy jeans from Next Direct. The XLong are perfect for me and I buy a boot cut. They also stock XXLong. They deliver to most of Europe, should you have any other readers living there.
Thanks for the recommendation Fi!
I have found a brand called Democracy. They offer straight, boot leg and skinny jean styles. I’m in love with them. I have more of an apple shape with a little extra in the middle. These work well for me. Super reasonably priced too. I also do well with slim jeans from White House Black Market.
Thanks for the recommendation Mary!
As an hour glass with a high waist, the low rise trend was a killer! I think I gave up buying any jeans until I could easily find regular waisted ones. I like flared or boot and fitted jegging styles as long as the waist is high enough so I don’t feel like my butt crack is showing LOL.
Now that high and mid rise are big in style it may be good to buy several pairs!
It would be really helpful to see advice on how jeans and (trousers) should fit. A lot of women have flat bums so fabric pools underneath. Then there’s the camel toe and the crease lines at the front of jeans/trousers. How should they fit exactly?
The fit really depends on the model of the jeans. Most jeans should fit snugly around the bum and hips but boyfriend jeans can be roomier. Women with flat bums can benefit from stretchy style jeans.
The crease lines are usually caused by a bad fit. That’s why it’s good to try different pairs as every pair of jeans will fit slightly different. For me (who also has a flat bum) Paige has been really good but they’re not the cheapest jeans.
Article Very Helpful! Trying to find boot-cut, curvy, dark rinsed, non distressed material is like pulling teeth in a Hog! Everything out there in stores is Skinny this and Skinny that. Good luck in trying to find workable jeans that do not cost an arm and a leg. -vemd
Great to read you found this helpful. If you find the perfect jeans for you let me know!
Hello Sylvia,
I always look forward to your blogs but lately, I’ve noticed some differences in the tone and feel of your vlog compared to one or two years ago. Here’s one example: many of the models in your featured reports look younger than 40. The article on jeans is a case in point: look at the skinny bodies of these women! The prepubescent girls modeling “cropped leg pants” do not fit your demographic. Based on your common-sense advice, I’m surprised you would recommend The Le Bardot patch pocket jeans for middle-aged women with less than perfect bodies. The buttons would accentuate the negative. Sorry to be so blunt, but this style looks bad even on these under-nourished looking models. Likewise, the women modeling jeans for “pear shaped” are stick thin and very young, not at all your target audience. The women modeling jeans for “inverted triangle” made me want to LOL. I mean, really? Sylvia, I’m not some nut job on a rant or a mean-spirited critic looking for attention. I’m just wondering if you had any say in the photos used; there is a big disconnect between your advice and the pictures. I appreciate the section where readers send you before and after photos; these are helpful and realistic. I hope you can restore some common-sense normalcy to your website.
You’re not the first one to write to me about this which is why I devoted a complete article to address this question. You can read it https://40plusstyle.com/fabulous-40-plus-women/
Thanks, Sylvia, for providing an explanation of the models used in your posts. I hope others take the time to read it.
You have to check out French dressing jeans. They have different styles according to your body shape. They have 2 styles of high waisted jeans. I have been wearing them for the past 15 years. I never wore jeans before, as I could never find any to fit me. These are the best! Designed in Canada for Real women.
Christine, I saw your suggestion for French Dressing Jeans, ordered a pair and received them today! They fit my rectangle with a few lumps body very well! Thank You for your input.
As an hourglass with very wide shoulders, I have the issues of both hourglass and inverted triangle shapes. While I wear a 2 or 4 in pants, I am usually a 6 in tops to accommodate my wide shoulders and muscular back. For me the best look is high waist flares. I also like wide leg jeans and kick crops. The width balances out my shoulders. With flares I have to pay attention to inseam length – at 5’7″ I’m a bit tall for regular length and a bit short for tall. I’ll buy tall and then shorten to get the perfect length for heels, boots or sneakers. Gap sells an inseam called ‘long’ which works well for me. My favorite jeans are J Crew and Gap. I love white jeans, and also have two pairs in ecru. The off-white color works well in winter, in fact I am wearing a pair right now.
Thanks for the detailed feedback and your recommendations Julia!
The cropped jeans from Lucky Brand that you recommend for straight body type isn’t skinny jeans but cropped sweet straight jeans (older style from previous seasons). I have a lot of Sweet Straight jeans from Lucky and they work fairly well for my straight/inverted triangle type of body. The best skinny jeans from Lucky are: Stella (low rise), Ava (mid rise), Bridgette (high rise). One of my favorites is super low fitting flare jeans (Lil Maggie from Lucky) and slim boot from AG (very soft). Shopping for Lucky jeans is better done in the stores that carry those (Amazon don’t have premium Lucky jeans just outlet versions or old/discontinued styles).
Thanks for the detailed feedback Lana!