From left to right: Mother’s wide-leg jeans, a high-rise, slim option from Everlane and a low-rise style from AG.
By Janet Kelly
SOME THINGS never change. One of those is that a great pair of jeans is a wardrobe non-negotiable. Now that the weather is showing signs of cooling, I’m assessing my denim needs, considering my past hits and misses. My favorite Mother straight-leg jeans are bagging out at the knees (methinks the result of too much washing); another pair of Mother’s has too-flared a leg and is also too big at the waist. My faded black Levis are kind of meh, strictly for home office wear. I did, however, strike gold last season with a “high-rise, ‘90s fit” from Gap.
Finding the most flattering jeans for your figure is challenging—kind of like finding the right mate, but instead of kissing a lot of frogs, you have to try on a lot of styles—straight leg, wide leg, slim leg, flare, barrel leg and, yes, skinnies are still around. And then there’s the question of rise: High-rise styles that hit an inch or two above the belly button have been popular for a while now. Most versatile are mid-rises that hit at or just below the belly button; low-rises (not as extreme as in past versions) sit just below the hips. All jeans stretch, but 100% cotton denim (also called rigid denim) has the least amount of give. Denim made with 1-2% of a stretch fabric will have some give. For a lot of stretch, look for 3% or more. When deciding on wash, the rule of thumb is darker washes are dressier than lighter ones.
Finally, as I’ve written previously and which bears repeating is this: The deciding factor in buying jeans is how good they make your rear end look. To achieve that, the bottom of the back pocket should hit right where you rear cheek and your thigh meet.
Got all that? Below are 10 silhouettes to consider.
Dodger High-Rise Ankle Wide-Leg Jeans
Soft-Tech Classic Slim Boot-Cut Jeans
A high-rise waist, balanced by a boot cut, gives the illusion of legs that go on forever.
Barrel-leg jeans can look clownish. These—from Madewell—don’t. They’re cut to sit at the waist. Those darts? They’re there for making the pants contour to the body. A button fly is not for everyone, though.
These are Gap jeans I bought—in a lighter color—last fall. The vibe is vintage, but a little bit of stretch ensures comfort all day long.
These Everlane jeans will appeal to grown-up girls without a lot of curves. Add volume on top with a jacket or slouchy sweater. In addition to black, they’re available in five other colors.
Low-rise jeans have made a comeback, but today’s variation, which hits right at or just below the hips—doesn’t sit as crazy low as you may remember. Cover up any hint of a bare midriff with a turtleneck and vest or a T-shirt and sweater. These from AG are now selling for $157.50, reduced from $225 at Bloomingdale’s.
Lou High-Rise Barrel-Leg Jeans
I think this style (also available in black) from Universal Standard will flatter a bunch of different figures. Keep the top trim.
Claudia Slim-Fit Cropped Jeans
I’m not a great fan of jeans that widen a lot from the knee to the ankle, but what makes it work here is the subtle flare and cropped leg. Besides the throwback color, aptly named collegiate blue, they come in three other hues.
Val ‘90s Mid-Rise Straight Jeans Reformation
Fitted at the waist and slouchy in the thighs and legs, these remind me of an old pair of “boyfriend” jeans I loved from 7 for All Mankind. Note to self: they’re made of non-stretch denim. (Reviews on the Anthropologie site suggest sizing down.)
Thank you for not posting expensive jeans with tears and holes. I have always been amazed that some women buy these!
These look best on teenagers, methinks.
I think on those of us who are height challenged, slim and straight legs are best. The wide legged ones are nice, too, so long as not too wide. Gap and Madewell seem to have good options. I recently tried on a pair of barrel legged jeans and was horrified. Took them right off.
I have not tried on any barrel-leg jeans. The ones with exaggerated legs do look kind of clown-like, though.
Janet
You’ve solved a mystery that has intrigued me since I began buying blue jeans back in the 1960’s: the most flattering pocket placement.
Since reading this column on Substack, I’ve been noticing nothing but pocket placement on rear ends everywhere!
Another fun fashion lesson – thank you!!!
Xo