Buying Jeans for Women

Jeans are an American tradition. They are the epitome of casual wear, and just about everyone in the country has worn them at one time or another, if they’re not wearing them every day. You’d think that since they’re such a standard of every day fashion that it’d be easy to go out and buy a pair. In reality, there are so many different styles of jeans and shapes of bodies that finding the right pair can be somewhat difficult. Distressed jeans or traditional Levi’s? Acid-washed black jeans or brightly colored? Skinny leg or boot cut? This buying guide is here to help you find the perfect pair of jeans for you.

Traditional jeans for women

Color: Not just blue jeans anymore

Jeans today come in a variety of shades, colors and textures. You can buy light washes, dark washes, various dyed colors, or some variety of these. Some jeans are sold looking as though they’ve already been worn for a year or two. In many cases, a solid dark color can have a slimming effect whereas a pale or uneven faded hue can cause an unflattering appearance to the body. Another thing to consider when it comes to color is the fashion trends. As with all of fashion, jeans are subject to frequently changing trends. Dyed pastel colors may be in one season, only to be replaced with traditional blue denim Wranglers the next. When choosing your jean colors, it can be fun to pay attention to what’s in vogue, but remember to stick with the colors that work well for you! If you don’t look good in yellow, never buy yellow jeans, no matter how popular they are! It’s also a good idea to stick with what is appropriate for your age bracket. While a young teen could easily pull off a trendy jean in a wild color or pattern that does not mean it will necessarily work for an older woman. It’s okay to have fun with your clothing, but just try to avoid the radical styles and stick with colors you know are flattering for you.

Distressed jeans

Length of the jeans

There are guidelines to follow when it comes to choosing what length and rise of jean you will buy. For a standard-length jean, the legs should just about touch the floor when you are barefooted. It should be about one-quarter of an inch off the floor when wearing flat shoes. If your jeans fall higher than this, you might need to trade them in for another pair. Wearing jeans that are too short will make your legs look shorter, and nobody wants that! When you’re trying on your jeans in the store, remember to test them out by sitting down, to make sure they don’t rise too high in the sitting position. If they come above your shoes in a sitting position, trade them in for a longer pair! Obviously if you are buying your jeans in capri style or something, these length standards would not apply. Often times capris are not the most flattering styles, and can cause legs to look shorter, but in summer time, it is sometimes necessary to go with a little less length in order to stay cool. Though you can occasionally get away with this, standards for choosing the rise of your jeans will still apply.

Low-Rise Jeans

House of the rising jeans

Choosing the right rise will depend on your body type. If you are lucky enough to be very slender, you have the most options for jean rise. Slender body types can often get away with low-rise styles, as well as high waist jeans. For fuller figures, the best bet is a medium rise. A medium rise will typically come to about ½ inch to 1 inch below the navel. This is the most flattering rise for almost all body types. High waist jeans and low-rise jeans can seem to visually increase tummy size, which is very unflattering, so most women should focus on finding medium-rise jeans.

Boot-Cut jeans

Style of jeans

today come in a large variety of styles. If you shop in vintage or consignment clothing stores, this variety becomes even larger. The large number of styles can be overwhelming, but it is best to figure out which styles work for you, and stick to them. As with colors, trends in jean styles change often, so its important not get distracted and lose track of what is most flattering for you. One popular style you will see today is the skinny jean. These could also be called cigarette pants. This style works well for slender body types and long legs. It is unflattering for shorter or more full-figured women, and can cause legs to look larger and shorter. Another popular style today is the trouser jean. Trouser jeans are a dressier jean, and can often be found in straight styles, or slightly flared styles. Trouser jeans can work for a variety of body types. They typically have a medium rise, and a flattering length. Because of this, they can create a pretty polished look for women of any body type. Just be sure they fit correctly and are not too tight or loose. A classic style of jean that works well for many body types is the straight leg jean. Often the term “boot cut” is a synonym for the straight leg style. Boot-cut or straight leg jeans are typically the most flattering style of casual jeans available. They can look cute on the skinniest size zero, as well as on plus sizes. As with trouser jeans, the long straight leg minimizes the larger parts of the leg and maximizes the smaller parts, creating a uniform and slimming look. Just watch out for jeans that say they are straight leg, but are not! If the jean becomes narrower close to the ankle, it is not truly straight legged! There are many other styles of jeans, such as flares, bell-bottoms, boyfriend, and tapered. Most of these are subject to trends, and should be avoided.

Bell-Bottom Jeans

Jeans: Classic and comfortable

Jeans are a classic, and they’re comfortable and fun to wear. When you’re shopping, don’t get stressed out about what fits or doesn’t fit, have fun with it! Try a new style, have fun with the trends, but remember the rules about fit and style! If worst comes to worse, you can always buy jeans a size too big, and bring them to a tailor to have them custom fitted. Jeans are one fashion staple than can truly look good on anyone!