Pants That Fit: Guide That Will Help You Find One

Trousers buying can be almost as unpleasant as bathing suit shopping unless you’ve chosen the appropriate pants style for your body type. (Note that we used the word “nearly.”) We’ve all learned in the dressing room that one pair of jeans does not fit all body shapes. This is especially difficult when certain types of pants are in style and you want to keep current. However, we always feel better physically and emotionally when our jeans fit nicely and suit our figure. When it comes to finding the perfect pair of jeans, knowing your body form is half the battle. Whether you’re pear-shaped or straight, hourglass or tiny, there’s a pair of pants out there that will make you look and feel great.

Finding the proper hanfu pants for your body shape is dependent on a few criteria. The rise, or the distance between the crotch and the top of the waistband, has a big impact on the final result, as does the leg cut. Because what flatters one body type may seem completely incorrect on another, the combination of these two factors can make or break your ensemble. Then there’s the issue of finding the appropriate size, one that doesn’t gape at the waist or fit too tightly in the hips. The issue stems from the fact that sizes vary widely between brands. So, while you may be a comfortable size 10 in one label, a size 12 in another may cause you to strain around the thighs. What can we take away from this? Try not to get preoccupied with the number in the waistline. The idea is to discover a pair of jeans that fit perfectly because it is what will make you feel the most comfortable.

The only way to really know what pants look best on you is to lock yourself in a dressing room and put them all on, but there are some principles to help you limit down your options. Most figures flatter classic styles like pants and boot cuts, so it’s just a matter of choosing the companies with the cuts you prefer. Wide-legged styles assist balance out a physique that is heavier on top and smaller on the bottom, while loose styles like cargo pants and boyfriend jeans help balance out an athletic figure with larger shoulders and narrow hips. Pants with a little elasticity, especially in the waistband, are beneficial to plus-size figures. Cropped pants suit most body types as long as the length is appropriate for your height; tall women should opt for a mid-calf length, while shorter women should opt for a cropped leg that is a little longer. If you have a straight figure, consider yourself lucky since you can wear almost any style.

Trendier fashions that stun on the catwalk can be tough for the rest of us regular people, who have to work with dull issue areas like saddle bags and cankles. Like Flynn, skinny jeans and leggings are popular, but they look best on hourglass shapes with slender legs. If you’re bigger in the thigh area, you can always find a long shirt or sweater to cover off your fat spots, but if your calves are more Popeye than Olive Oyl, you’re definitely better off skipping this design. High-waisted pants, which were popular in the 1970s and looked great on the Charlie’s Angels girls, have made a resurgence, but as we all discovered from Jessica Simpson’s awful photographs, they don’t work well on curvier body types. In truth, they aren’t suitable for the majority of people. If you’re not among the small fraction of women who have slim waists, narrow hips, and legs that stretch for miles, you’re probably better off sticking to more classic trousers cuts.

Find a leg style that flatters your body type.

The leg cut of a pair of pants has a significant impact on how the style appears on your body type. Pants with a boot cut fit tighter in the thigh and a small flare out from the knee to the ankle do more for your legs than just fit a pair of boots. Whether you’re proportioned like Cameron Diaz or Christina Hendricks, they also provide the illusion of a longer leg and help balance out your hips. On most figures, this cut is far more flattering than wide leg pants that start broadening at the hips. Flares, which are a little broader at the ankle than boot cut legs, are especially flattering on plus-sized women because they balance off a larger frame better than pants that taper at the bottom.

Boyfriend jeans are ideal for athletic figures with a triangle shape because the loose legs add bulk to the bottom, balancing out the contrast between wide shoulders and slender hips. For the same reason, athletic bodies look better in straight cuts than slender designs. Fitted legs that hit below the ankle look ideal on tiny women to provide the illusion of height to their diminutive stature. Hourglass bodies look great in narrow shapes, but instead of a skinny leg, go for one with roomier thighs and a tapered leg.

The Rise of Your Pants Is Important!

Even if we don’t know what it means, we’ve all had our run-ins with pants with the wrong rise. The rise is the space between the crotch and the top of the waistband, which probably didn’t attract nearly as much attention until the arrival of low-rise jeans and the exposed thong, as we discussed on the first page. So, how does the rise alter the form of your body? Again, the low-rise is perhaps the finest example. A pair of low-rise trousers’ waistline should sit about three inches below your belly button on the skin surrounding your hips, which is where many women naturally keep extra pounds. Unless you have a particularly slim midsection, a perfectly fitting low rise will push any excess flesh up and out, giving a “muffin top” impression. When you move up a size to avoid the muffin top, you’ll likely have a wide gap that exposes your undergarments when you bend over. We can deduce from this that the low rise isn’t suitable for most people.

Pants with a mid-rise are a classic fit that aren’t frequently described as having a specific rise. They sit a few inches above your hips and a few inches below your natural waist, providing better back coverage than low rise trousers without cinching your actual waist, as higher rise pants may do. As a result, the mid-rise is the most flattering for most body types. High rises have a negative reputation as “Mom jeans” because they are frequently worn over the belly button, giving them a frumpy appearance, especially from behind. However, well-tailored high rises worn with a belt can help to create the illusion of a waist on boy-shaped frames that are straight through the middle. Also, don’t confuse high-rise pants with high-waisted pants, which have a rise that hits just below the bust line and around your rib cage. Ladies with a flat belly, long torso, and a little junk in the trunk look best in this current design.