| Margaret's Fashion Pages |
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| Selecting Jeans for your Body & Figure Shape |
| To wear jeans or not to wear jeans . Not every woman likes to wear them and .... not every women should wear them. This article on jean styles to suit the figure shape might help you determine which style to buy that is comfortable and stylish just for you. For those who like wearing jeans, there are styles for work and styles for play, and mostly importantly styles for every body shape. |
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| Jeans are available for everyone but what you buy is influenced by your measurements, your body build, your body or figure contour, and styling details. These days people wear jeans everywhere. Ladies can dress them up with a nice shirt, a great sweater, heeled shoes and wonderful jewellery. Or just wear them with a T-shirt and sneakers/runners. Denim is useful, denim is comfortable. And denim jeans come in ALL shapes & sizes. |
| Easy fit is suitable for a fuller or curvy figure or for women with a long waist. The style is comfortable on the waist and has a fuller fit through hip and thigh areas with leg tapering to a narrow ankle. Handy for those who like a baggier look around the hip area, and ladies who want more room to move in. |
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| Easy fit jeans |
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| If you have a big bottom it is best to avoid skin-tight styles and any with back decoration Look for hipsters or low-rise styles, or a style not too long in the leg. Choose pockets that are sized in proportion and spaced. Something with a slight flare of some ankle styling will help balance a wider figure. |
| Hipster jeans |
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| Ladies with an ample tummy should never buy pleats. Choose 5-pocket styles or stretch jeans that give a little "give". Comfortable elastic waists might add unwanted inches by bunching up near the waist. Pockets need to be cut on the diagonal. Stretch jeans also give illusion of a slim fit and can hide a flat bottom. |
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| five--pocket jeans |
| stretch jeans |
| A style to suit a mature woman or a younger woman liking a slim fitting pair of jeans. Stretch jeans are firm-fitting all over from the thigh to the ankle. Back pockets can draw attention to the bottom. |
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| Traditional style |
| The traditional style of jean is good for disguising a big tummy also, and does create a curvy shape. It is a style handy for those with no waist or hips to speak of and is comfortable by being cut low and wide at the waist , narrow through the knee and wider at the ankle. |
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| Bootleg styles |
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| flared hipster |
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| If you have heavy thighs look to a style that skims your leg, but doesnt hug too tight. Flares are boot cuts make the leg look longer . Avoid, if you can, the stretch jeans that are skin tight, anything baggy without shape and peg leg styles. |
| The Bootleg Hipster style can disguise a short waist and wide hips. This style sits low over the hips and tighter on the thigh with a slight flare at the ankle is a very fashionable shape of jean. The width at the ankle can balance wider hips. A comfortable style for those who do not like much around the waist area. If your like a man-style jean or low-waisted styles, then this could be the one for you. |
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| Cargo Jeans |
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| Wide leg jeans |
| If you have short legs look to slim-fit jeans with a slight flare to make the legs look longer but avoid cuffs and peg-legs. A slight flare looks good on nearly every body shape. |
| The darker the denim, the thinner you will look. Anything "white wash" will make you look larger. Make sure the jeans are long enough to wear with boots or heels, so they reach the top of the footwear in the front. |
| A style for most body shapes including big hips and thighs, and curvy or fuller figures, is a relaxed and loose fit type of jean. |
| Wide leg styles or for very casual wear, the cargo style would be the roomiest of any jean styles and very relaxed and comfortable. These can be worn fitted or oversized, and suit most body shapes. The more generous cut is great for anyone conscious of their body shape. Suits the slim lady or the fuller-figured women with helps balnce the figure with a width at the ankle. |
| Make sure buttons and snaps are easy to use and that the crotch/back seam fits without grabbing. Please never squeeze yourself into jeans that are too small, as nothing looks worse. Jeans look best with no iron-in crease, and hosiery shouldn't be worn when wearing jeans. Go to a reputable jeans store and try several styles on, to see what really looks best and the most comfortable to YOU before you buy. Just make sure that the backside, length, thigh, waist and inseam all fit your particular shape. If you are hard to fit, look for companies that make custom jeans. |
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| Many designers give attention to styling and fashion details. There is so much to choose from - classic full cuts, high fashion styles, wide leg, straight leg, flares, hip pockets, top stitching, buttons, zips, high cut, low cut. Even fabrics can be different and many manufacturers are making jeans in tencil and fabric other than various thicknesses of denim. |
| A great variety of colour is now available also in jeans. When selecting your jeans in whatever size, remember to allow for shrinkage. Make sure that whatever you choose, be it regular, full, or slim that you are comfortable. This article is meant to be a fun fashion item with some clues on what to look for when shopping for jeans. The final choice is yours. |
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| Page made 22 October 2001 |