How to find jeans to fit and flatter every body

I’d be willing to bet that at least half of you reading this right now have cried in a fitting room trying on jeans. No matter what your size or shape, denim seems to be both the best and worst thing in existence. I often wonder if men know the trials and tribulations women go through on the hunt for the perfect pair. The “denim dance” where we wriggle, jiggle and finagle the trousers into place is a rite of passage.

The sad part here is that I firmly believe, and see on a daily basis, that the majority of women still don’t know where to find that perfect pair. I will raise my hand high in the sky and admit to the fact that I didn’t find a pair I’d call even close to perfect until I was in my mid-30s. That’s because it wasn’t until the 2010s that the world of fashion really woke up to the fact that jeans needed to be made available above a waist measurement of 32, for women who are short, tall, curvy, boyish and everything in between.

These days retailers cater for everything. Truly, every woman is looked after in denim. If you’re willing to put in the legwork, you’ll find “the One”.

First of all, know your inseam, know your waist measurement and follow along when retailers describe the body type for which each style is recommended. It’s also helpful to trawl social media to find women who look like you: influencers are doing a lot of the hard work by trying on jeans, talking about the fit, and identifying the problems and the solutions. Watch and listen.

My most important tip, though, is to pay attention to the stretch content in the jeans you’re trying on. I own around a dozen pairs of jeans and only one has zero stretch. Look for the words elastane, Spandex or Lycra on the fabric tag. I rarely, if ever, buy anything with less than two per cent stretch in it. If it says 100 per cent cotton, those jeans are going to offer you zero stretchability.

The world of fashion is constantly evolving and the jeans market still has a long way to go – but there truly is something to fit and flatter every body.

Beyoncé Knowles Every woman needs a reliable pair of skinny jeans in their wardrobe

Jennifer Aniston Ripped jeans are for everyone, you just need to know where to wear them

Cindy Crawford The original ‘how to wear denim’ poster woman

Skinny stretch jeans tend to loosen in the waist and fall down all too easily. Thankfully, the no-buckle elastic belt will keep them in place all day long.