The Perfect Jeans - How To Tell The Right Fit For Your Body Shape

Jeans are a staple in many women’s wardrobe. What do you look out for when buying a pair? Is it the fit? the colour? the brand? All these pointers are important but the key thing to look out for is what style suits your body type.

Below are the most common body types and what you need to look out for when buying a pair of jeans.

Top Heavy

This body type is also referred to as the apple. We would rather not classify women as fruits….at least not in this blog post. These are the features to look out for when buying a pair of jeans:

• A wide leg/a boot cut or a flare at the bottom, this will help balance out your top half.
• A straight leg on the  jeans will also work well for your body type
• Whiskered jeans are a good choice for you. Whiskering in jeans refers to the lighter bleached crease lines around the front pockets and hips of some washes of jeans.

Whiskered jeans

• If you have an ample tummy, wear mid rise or high rise jeans. The rise is the length from the crotch to the waistband. High rise jeans are the opposite of low rise jeans aka low riders. They can also be loosely referred to as high waist or low waist jeans. High /medium rise jeans are good because they hold the tummy in. Jeans with thick waist bands also hold the tummy in.
• Avoid low rise jeans because this creates a muffin top where a soft belly pops over the top of the waist band. In Kenyanese, we would probably call it a love handle.
• You can wear low rise jeans, if you do not have an ample tummy.
• Low rise jeans will lengthen a short torso and may add curves to your bottom.

Bottom Heavy

Commonly referred to as pear shape. These are the features to look out for:

• Jeans with a stretch effect, these will create a corset effect that will work well for you.
• If you are short, a straight leg jeans is best. Avoid a flared bottom because this will make you look shorter.
• If you are tall or of average height, opt for a pair with a slight flare or a straight leg cut. Avoid wide flares at the bottom because this might look sloppy
• Opt for jeans with a high or medium rise if you have an ample tummy. You can opt for low rise jeans if you are able to eliminate the muffin top/love handle effect by either tucking in your top or wearing a loose fitting top.
• Avoid whiskered jeans as in the image above. Whiskering on jeans will draw attention to your bottom half.
• Go for a dark wash or a dark colour of jeans, this will create a slimming effect around your bottom half. But if your aim is to show off your curves, feel free to go with a lighter wash or colour of jeans.
• Avoid skinny jeans unless your aim is to show off your curves. Skinny jeans will play up your curves. Flared bottoms/boot cuts will also have the same effect of accentuating your curves.
• Chances are you have trouble finding jeans that fit you perfectly around your waist. If that is the case, you can always have a tailor adjust the waist to fit you perfectly. You can also look out for jeans that have a contoured waist band. This will reduce gaping at the back. You can tell a contoured waist band by checking to see if there’s a seam in the waist band that indicates the waistband was cut on a curve and sewn together instead of being on one piece of fabric.

 Enviably Slim

You are not too curvy and are generally slim&you probably have a relatively flat tummy. 

You are very lucky and most jeans styles would work well with your body type. The key is to wear fitting jeans not baggy jeans. Anything that is too wide at the bottom will overwhelm your frame. If you opt for a boot cut, keep the flare at a minimum.

You are also one of the very few who can comfortably get away with wearing boyfriend jeans. Boyfriend jeans are the opposite of skinny jeans. They are loose and relaxed.

Outfit suggestion: Wear your boyfriend jeans folded up, slip in a pair of heels and wear a fitting top or loose fitting top.

Hour glass figure

You are the envy of many. Your hips and bust are almost of equal size and you possess a narrow waist. The features to look out for when buying a pair of jeans is:

• Look out for jeans with a contoured waist band. This will reduce gaping at the back. You can tell a contoured waist band by checking to see if there’s a seam in the waist band that indicates the waistband was cut on a curve and sewn together instead of being on one piece of fabric.
• Look for jeans that are cut higher in the back than the front. This will ensure that the back does not ride too low when you sit or bend.
• To flatter hips best, choose a tapered leg instead of a skinny one.
• You can opt for a straight leg or a boot leg. If you are short, opt for a minimal boot cut not a very flared one.
• Whiskered jeans are a good choice for you as well.

Other points to consider:

• If you do not have an ample backside, you can go for fun detailed pockets that include noticeable stitching, crystals and flaps.
• If you have an ample backside and your main aim is to minimize it, go for large pockets at the back that do not have too much detail. 

I hope these tips will make shopping for jeans easier!

Feel free to write to us if you have any questions.

How To Choose Clothes That Will Make You Look Slimmer

No matter your size, you can achieve a slim look by choosing your wardrobe wisely. Clever dressing can give the illusion of less pounds. The cut, colour and design of your outfit is important when making your wardrobe choice.

The Design and Cut

If your problem is your midriff and you would like to camouflage that tummy that you wish could melt. Wear outfits that define your waist .Nipped waist jackets that are smaller at the waist and then gradually flare out are a good choice. If you are not top heavy, an empire waist dress or top will work well because this will only skim over your belly without hugging it. Wrap tops, belted tops and tops that have ruching at the front will also hide that bulge. Avoid wearing baggy tops because this will only make you look bigger. The key here is to ensure that whatever you choose to wear is not too tight or too baggy.

Ruched top

If you are bottom heavy and would love to camouflage your hips. The best cut for trousers is those that either fall straight from the widest part of your hips or ones that have a slight flare at the bottom. This cut balances out your hips and creates a slimming effect. Avoid an excessive flare at the bottom and too much detail on the trouser because this will draw attention to your hips. Tapered and skinny pants are not very flattering if you are bottom heavy unless your aim is to show off your curves. Pleated trousers are also not a good choice because the pleats can easily stretch across your hips and this will further accentuate your hips. A line skirts and dresses are your best friend if you are bottom heavy. These work well to balance out your hips.

If your problem  is your arms and your aim is to draw less attention to them, avoid sleeveless tops worn without anything over them. Your best bet is cap sleeves, long and three quarter sleeves.

A variety of the cap sleeve

Colour and Pattern

Dark colours are perfect for creating a slimming effect with black being the best choice of them all. A little or long black dress is a must have for every woman. Accessorize your black dress so that it does not look too bland and you will look less heavy. If you are a full figured woman, wear medium to large accessories. Small accessories will make you look heavier. In this case, accessories include jewellery, handbags and belts.

For very many decades now, fashion gurus have advised women to wear vertical stripes if their aim is to create a slimming effect but new research conducted by psychologists at UK’s York University shows that horizontal stripes make you look thinner. Our advice is simple: experiment. Wear either stripes and be your own judge on what makes you look slimmer.