Jeans have always been my number one wardrobe staple.
For as long as I can remember I’ve loved jeans. Soft jeans, skinny jeans, flared jeans, jean jackets, denim skirts, jean shorts, dark rinse, black jeans, white jeans [are a must for summer!] and all the jeans in between. At last count, I had over 40 pairs in my closet.
Clearly I have a thing for jeans.
So when Mark’s reached out asking if I’d go jeans shopping and tell you guys about it, I said
YES.
OF COURSE.
Without being asked twice.
So they’ve got some tips that I couldn’t possibly have come with on my own here, and then I’ll share my shopping picks and pics with you below!
3 EASY STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JEAN FOR YOUR BODY TYPE
Shopping for jeans can be a very time consuming and stressful task. There are hundreds/ thousands of options in the market and shopping in this sea of indigo can be overwhelming… to say the least. You can both reduce time and stress by following a few simple steps. When starting your search, don’t get hung up on the leg silhouettes or washes right away… these decisions will come later.
KEY is to start from the waist and work your way down. Once you have determined your BODY TYPE, you can then easily determine the FIT that best flatters your waist, hips and thighs perfectly.
The STEPS (in a nut shell):
1) DETERMINE YOUR BODY TYPE
2) FIND YOUR BEST FIT/DETAILS & TRY ON YOUR JEANS
3) CHOOSE YOUR WASH/LEG SILHOUETTES BASED ON YOUR PREFERENCE & END-USE
STEP 1: DETERMINE YOUR BODY TYPE
Look at yourself in the mirror and determine what shape you are. This is KEY to finding the perfect FIT. Remember, Body Type is not a reflection of “size” or “weight”… all body types come in all sizes. Body Type is the relation of your waist to your hips & thighs. Women searching for pants/bottoms fall into one of 3 Body Types.
Curvy:
· Where your waist is smaller than your hips/thighs
· Also sometimes referred to as Pear or Hourglass
Straight:
· Where your waist, hips and thighs are aligned
· Also sometimes referred to as Ruler or Boyish
Inverted Triangle:
· Where your hips and thighs are smaller than your waist
· Also sometimes referred to as Oval or Diamond
Inside of each of these 3 Body Types there are women who ALSO fall into the sub-categories: Tall, Plus, Petite… but these will not necessarily impact your FIT… only the length or size of the jean.
STEP 2: FIND YOUR BEST FIT/DETAILS & TRY ON YOUR JEANS:
Head to your favourite store (Mark’s) and ask the associate to guide you to your best fit. Ask for the specifics based on my tips per Body Type. Once you’ve found your FIT, pull 2-3 sizes of your favourite styles and head to the change room. With the right FIT in hand, you will find the perfect jeans while trying on significantly less.
STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR WASH AND LEG SILHOUETTES BASED ON YOUR PREFERENCE & END USE:
Now that you know what jeans FIT and LOOK perfect on you… have some fun. Choose different washes and play around with the different options in Leg Silhouettes. Try a Skinny… you may be shocked how much you love the Skinny now that the FIT is flattering your shape.
Although ANY Body Type can wear ANY Leg Silhouette… there are definitely benefits/tips in each silhouette that you should know about.
WIDE LEG jeans (Slim Boot, Baby Boot, Boot, Flare, etc.)
… will draw attention to your lower half (down to your ankles). These jeans will provide BALANCE to wider hips/thighs. When buying wide leg jeans…look for longer inseams that you can dress up with boots or heels. This will elongate your legs and give a slimming look to any Body Type. Not recommended to tailor since you lose the wide leg the more you cut off the bottom of the jean.
STRAIGHT LEG
… are the most versatile for all Body Types. Since the Knee is in line with the Leg Opening…this jean can be worn with any shoe/boot. Feel free to play with this leg opening…cuff the legs for a fun and flirty look, roll them multiple times for a casual look or keep down to cover your foot completely… keeping your legs looking long and lean. This jean is also the easiest to tailor for any petite girls struggling with finding their inseams.
SKINNY jeans or JEGGINGS
…are great for all Body Types, but look for stretch. The more stretch the Skinny jean has…the better it will flatter your shape from waist to ankle. Key thing to remember when shopping for a stretch Skinny… try going down a size in order to have a snug fit. This will keep your jeans flattering to your shape AND fit tighter around your ankles.
Wash Tips:
· Dark Wash: everyone’s best friend…most flattering on ALL body types…most versatile to wear
· Medium Wash: most common for everyday wear…can be both casual and dressy depending on detailing.
· Light Wash: most casual of all the washes and often hardest to wear.
So off we go to the local Mark’s and START SHOPPING!
I tried on skinnies, or stretch jeggings and loved them:
Another pair of skinnies, but I didn’t love the fabric, the back pockets had an odd detail on them and they weren’t quite as comfortable as the first pair:
I do love boot-leg for its flattering look, however, I didn’t love all the details, like the contrasting white seams and pocket detailing on this pair:
(Something to note though, is that pockets on the bum are flattering for most body shapes!)
I have been on the hunt for a pair of distressed black skinnies, so I grabbed these:
I love that they’re elastic waist and uber stretchy but I wanted distressing at the knees and didn’t like the less-than-black tone of the fabric.
Then, in the end, I stuck with the first pair I tried on and found a cool top to go with it!:
Super happy with these stretch dark wash, elastic waist skinnies I picked!
I hope you’ll come shopping with me again soon!
*This post is sponsored by Mark’s.