Finding Jeans That FIT

You can never have enough pairs of jeans ... right?!   A girl needs to be prepared - just like the Scouts  - only more fashionable.


When I tell people that I buy most of my jeans on-line, (at great prices I might add), the most common response is "how will you know they will fit"?  


It still surprises me that so many women have trouble finding a pair of jeans.  Whenever one of my clients is looking for jeans, I have to say our success rate of finding the perfect fitting pair is near on 100%. 

You may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, but you certainly do not have to try on a lot of jeans before you find the perfect pair.


Here are my tips for finding the perfect pair of jeans.









First - you need to know your body measurements.  Grab your self a tape measure and take these measurements:

1. your gusset  
2. your thigh (circumference, then halve)
3. your length from hip to floor

To measure your gusset (which will be the 'rise' of the jeans) - measure from the inseam, right between your legs in the middle of your lady parts, up to the place where you would like the band of your jeans to sit.  


Keep your measurements with you at all times, such as in your phone or the back of your diary or address book.


Example:
               Rise:       21.5cm (8.5")
               Thigh:      24 cm   (9.5")
               Length:   107cm   (42")

Second - you need to know some jean terminology and styles.  For example, are you after wide leg, boot cut, straight leg or skinny jeans?    All jeans display the 'type' on the label, so if you are not used to recognising cuts by eye, these will prove helpful.

Wide leg jeans can be super wide all the way down or flare our at the bottom.  A boot cut jean is narrow down to the knee and then gently flares out at the bottom to roughly the same width as the thigh.  Straight leg jeans are either the same width from thigh to opening or sometimes gently taper down.  Skinny jeans are very narrow at the leg opening and are slim all the way down.  


An easy peasy way to determine the type of cut, is to fold the bottom up to the knee of the jean.  If it's wider, it's a bootcut.  If it's the same width, it's a straight cut, and if it's narrower, it's a slim or skinny cut.

Although there are specific styles to suit specific body shapes, my advice is to try all styles and decide which is the most flattering to your height, legs and bottom.  (And no, bootleg jeans do not look good on everyone).  
Tip: If you find jeans are just far too restricting around the band, but fine on your legs, try men's jeans.

Last but not least ... this is the important bit so pay attention ... before you even contemplate trying on any jeans, you need to determine if they will be likely to fit you. 


We do this by measuring the key areas as mentioned above to ensure they fit within your own body measurements.  

1. lay the jeans flat
2. measure the rise
3. measure the thigh
4. measure the length 
5. check the cut

If all of the preliminary measurements fit your own measurements, then sling them across your arm and march off to the change room.  If not, toss them aside like yesterdays garbage and move on to the next pair.


By using this method, it will ensure that your success rate in the dressing room is much higher, and therefore you will have a much easier time finding a pair of jeans that fit you.   Then, at last, you can buy the jeans you like, rather than the only ones you took in with you that fit.


Tip:  It is a great idea to purchase an inexpensive pocket tape measure for this purpose.  Although after many years of practice, I have this measuring thing down pat by using my hands as measuring tools.  Example: My fingers spread wide is around 20cm, which just happens to be the perfect rise length for me. My hand span plus 2 fingers is the right thigh measurement, and for length, I simple hold them up against my hip and see where they fall.

And my last pieces of advice for jean shopping ... 

1. If the jeans don't fit, blame the jeans, not your ass.  There really is a jean cut out there for EVERYONE!
2. Buy your jeans FIRM.  They will stretch at least half a size, so make sure they are nice and tight when you purchase them.  
3. Muffin tops are part of certain body shapes and can be easily disguised with the right fitting pair of jeans.  If your muffin top is showing, don't buy those jeans!
4. Don't ask if your bum looks big!  It doesn't. 

If you try these tips and are still having trouble finding jeans - book a shopping appointment with me and I'll have you strutting your stuff in a cool cut that is right for you in no time! (Victoria only)