Jeans have always been a favorite in my wardrobe. I always chosen to wear a great pair of jeans over anything else in my closet. I’ve been that way since I can remember, which is why I’ve picked up a few things when it comes to buying the perfect pair every time.

Getting Just the Right Fit

We all have that one pair of jeans that fits just perfectly in all the right places. It seems to lift your butt, make your thighs look great, and they’re just a pair that can do no wrong. Well, as the years went by I made sure that each time I bought a new pair, this reasoning came with because I have so many so I can justify buying another pair as long as they fit perfectly, they would fit according to the style.

My top go-to styles are: Slim fit, boyfriend, and straight cut.

The reason I usually stick with these three is because it suits my body type. That is the first thing you need to know when going in to purchase denim, what suits your body type best. Some people look great in a boot cut with more of a flare on the bottom, I personally don’t like this look on me because I feel it makes my legs look shorter so I shy away from them. It’s important to know exactly what looks good for you.

So here are my key pieces of advice for the next time you go shopping.

The first thing you want to make sure that you are comfortable with how soft the fabric of is. There are different types of weights for denim. We know that a jegging has more stretch and is much softer and lighter then a boot cut, which is usually heavier and harder to the touch. If you know you won’t be comfortable with a pair that does not have as much stretch in them or are not as soft, immediately put those down. In the end you may think you’ll wear them as much as you would like but you won’t, and the more time that goes by the more you’ll end up leaving them in the back of your closet which is just money wasted.
Once you have figured out which style is right for you, make sure you choose the right fit. Not all slim fit denim is the same, you have to make sure they are tight in all the right places. A lot of times they may be super tight from the knee down but not as much up top where your crotch and thigh area is. This is unflattering because it automatically shows that not only do the jeans not fit properly but you’ll probably end up pulling them up throughout the day to keep them on your waist. If a jean is too tight on the bottom and not as tight on the top, as you are walking it will pull the pants down from your waist and it will look saggy on your behind. We know we don’t want any of that happening here!
A straight cut means they should lay straight from the widest area on your leg. Sometimes they go straight from right above the knee or from the thigh area. There is a slight difference between these two looks but once you’ve tried enough pairs on you’ll be able to spot the difference right away.
A proper boyfriend fit jean is different from a girlfriend fit. I prefer the boyfriend because there is more bagginess to the jeans then in a girlfriend fit. Whenever I’ve tried on a pair of girlfriend jeans they just look like I went two sizes to big and it’s all wrong for me. With a pair of boyfriend jeans, the most important factor is: once, the waistband has to fit perfectly, just sitting on the hips without the help of a belt and two, they are slightly tapered towards the bottom. This means they are becoming just a tiny bit more slim around the ankle. This is usually perfect for when you want to roll the pair up once to really give it that cute relaxed look.
Another piece of advice that I highly recommend is that when you buy a pair of jeans make sure that it is not necessary that you have to wear a belt with them. I have made this mistake when I was younger so many times and it has limited my use for them. There are times when a belt is not essential for a look, less is more as we all know, and we don’t want to be stuck with a pair of jeans that we can only wear with a belt. Nowadays, because I’ve been purchasing jeans this way for so long, I only wear a belt if I want to add this as an extra layer to my look.
When it comes to the length of pants I know you short girls struggle here. Unfortunately I can’t help you as much as you would like in this department because I am 5’7″ but my best advice is to really make sure that you go to places where they sell petite. I know J. Crew, H&M, and American Eagle are just some places that you can really find some denim that is made for the shorter girl. It never looks good when you have to roll your jeans up three times and there is just too much bulk on the bottom. It draws the eye straight to the ankle and it makes the look seem unbalanced.

Hacks Learned Throughout the Years

Now I know that even with all this information we all still will end up at times purchasing a pair of jeans that we just don’t know how to style in the end. It’s okay we’ve all been there and we will all make this mistake countless times, myself included. I have the advantage of being able to sew since I was fourteen so whenever I really don’t like a pair I just alter them. However, there are still ways you can get around with little tweaks. If you have a pair that really are just too long for you and you love the frayed look, then just take a pair of scissors and cut the bottoms. Make sure to throw them in the wash a few times and they will really give that frayed look that is really in style now.

If a pair of jeans are really too bit for you then you can either cut them as shorts, oversized shorts are very cute and in style as well, or try throwing them in the dryer and see if you can get them to shrink a bit, that’s always a go to for me.

We all know that a great pair of jeans are not only a statement piece in our closets but it makes us look and feel good. When we finally do get that perfect pair you feel like you hit the jackpot. I know I do!

I want to die with my blue jeans on.

Andy Warhol

Let me know in the comments below if this was helpful for you and if you would like to see more posts like this!