How to Find the Best Jeans for Women: Fit, Fabric and Shape

The best jeans for women are the ones that balance your proportions and come in a fabric suited to their cut. The right styling does the rest. As Hayley Thomas, our founder, put it on our Denim Guide Live, "I don't think you should rule yourself out of a shape because of your body shape. I think it's about how you style it."

This guide covers how to choose jeans by fabric, fit and body shape, and how jeans should fit when you try them on. It also covers the shoes, jackets and washes that suit the four styles in this guide, all of which sit in our women's jeans collection.

How to choose jeans: start with the fabric

The fabric decides how a pair of jeans holds its shape, so it is worth checking before the size or the wash. Jeans in 100 percent cotton have structure, which a shape with volume needs if it is to keep its curve. Our Billie Barrel Leg Jeans and Rosie Twist Front Jeans are both 100 percent cotton for that reason, and both mould a little with wear.

Denim with a little elastane has stretch and recovery, so it moves with you. That suits anyone who finds rigid jeans uncomfortable, which is why our Emmie Barrel Leg Jeans have it. It also suits styles that need to follow the body more closely, such as our Frankie Wide Leg Jeans.

Billie, Rosie, Emmie or Frankie: which jeans to choose

Each of the four carries its shape a little differently, and that shape decides who it suits most naturally.

Billie is a full barrel leg, with the volume placed low on the leg. The waist and hip are kept narrow and the pockets are cut to break up the hip, so the shape adds volume without adding bulk. Billie has a long mid rise and a hem that can be turned up or worn full length. It comes in mid wash, washed black and blue black.

Rosie is also a barrel shape in 100 percent cotton. A seam curves around the front of the leg, so it tapers more towards the ankle and finishes just on the ankle bone. It sits at a mid rise and has the feel of a traditional jean, with very little fading.

Emmie is the most subtle of the three barrel shapes, closer to a straight leg, with a touch of elastane for stretch and recovery. Because the stretch lets it mould to you, Emmie suits almost any shape.

Frankie is our wide leg, cut from a cotton rich stretch denim, and it sits high on the waist. It falls to a full length that skims the floor, and it was designed as our smarter jean, in a rinse wash and a true black. Our guide to what to wear with wide leg jeans has outfit ideas for both washes.

Billie, Rosie and Emmie all sit in our barrel leg jeans collection. If you are deciding between a barrel and a wide leg, our guide to barrel leg vs wide leg trousers compares the two shapes.

What jeans suit me?

Almost any shape of jean can work on any figure, because what makes the difference is proportion, fabric and what you wear with it. A pair of jeans draws one long line down the body. The rise sets where that line starts, the leg shape how it falls and the length where it stops. A neater top suits a fuller leg, and an oversized top suits a slimmer, cleaner shape.

The best jeans for curvy women

If you are curvy, a denim with a little stretch is the easiest place to start, because it works with your curves rather than against them. The quality of the stretch matters, since a good elastane with strong recovery springs back into shape rather than bagging over time. A denim with some weight to it helps too, as a very fine one can show underwear lines.

If your hips are wider than your waist, a stretch jean hugs the waist and still gives over the hip. Sizing up in a rigid jean tends to leave a gap at the back when you sit down. If you have your heart set on a 100 percent cotton shape, a belt keeps the larger size in place at the waist.

Of ours, Emmie has that stretch in a subtle barrel shape, and Frankie has stretch too, with a wide leg that balances a fuller hip. Billie, in 100 percent cotton, is kept narrow across the hip with the volume lower down. It looks balanced with a top that draws the eye across the shoulders, such as the Ora Cashmere Blend Drop Shoulder Tank. Our guide to how to style barrel jeans covers more of those tops.

The best jeans for a pear shape

If you are fuller through the hip and thigh than the shoulder, width at the hem balances the hip. A wide leg, a straight flare or a kick flare all do this, and the stylist Claire Lopez recommends a straight flare for pear and hourglass shapes alike. A top that widens the shoulder line does the same job from above.

Of ours, Frankie is the one to try, a wide leg that Claire describes as close to a straight flare, with stretch that gives over the hip. With a barrel leg such as Billie, the balance comes from the top half instead.

The best jeans for petite women

If you are petite, a mid rise often sits better than a very high one. Claire, who is 5'2, finds that a high rise can take up too much of a shorter body or a shorter torso. She likes a length that shows a little ankle, which she finds works better for her proportions. In winter, her answer to ankle-length jeans is a close-fitting sock boot whose shaft sits up under the hem.

We do not cut our jeans in separate petite lengths at the moment, but Rosie and Frankie were made to work across heights. Rosie, a mid rise that finishes on the ankle bone, works for Claire and also for Hayley, who is 5'8 and wears hers in a 10, so it sits a little lower on the hip. Frankie is cut to skim the floor, so Claire wears it with a small heel and thinks of it as a fairly smart jean. If you would like it shorter, up to two inches can come off without really changing the shape of the leg.

Emmie is also a good choice for petites. Many of our petite customers wear Billie, whose rollable hem makes the length easy to adjust for flats or a heel.

The best jeans for tall women

If you are tall, length is often the hardest part to get right, so a full-length cut or a turned-up hem that can be let down gives you the most room. A jean with stretch can also sit a little lower on the hip, which brings the hem further down the leg. If you are between sizes, the larger one is often the more comfortable choice, and it is the one Hayley, at 5'8, tends to pick.

One of our models, who is 5'11, has worn Billie full length, while Hayley turns hers up twice. Worn fully turned down in the colder months, Billie changes shape slightly and lengthens the leg. Frankie is cut to just skim the floor on a 5'7 to 5'8 frame. Because it has stretch, it can sit lower on the hip, and Hayley thinks it works up to about 5'10 worn that way. Rosie and Emmie are cut to show a little ankle rather than reach the floor.

Jeans for shorter legs

If you are shorter in the leg and longer in the body, a full-length jean that reaches the shoe lengthens the leg and balances your proportions. A pointed shoe in a darker shade continues that line, and a shoe close in colour to the jeans lengthens it further. Vertical details work in the same way, since a seam set towards the front of the leg or subtle distressing down the front both draw a long, vertical line.

Of ours, Frankie is the one Hayley suggests, because it lengthens the leg and balances your proportions. If you prefer a barrel leg, Billie's seam sits towards the front of the leg rather than down the side, which draws that vertical line.

Jeans for broader shoulders or a straighter figure

If you are broader through the shoulders or the bust, a little more width at the hem balances the top half. A wide leg or a straight flare does this naturally. If you are straighter through the middle, that width at the hem creates the look of an hourglass. A barrel leg adds shape in a similar way, where a skinny jean would simply follow a straight line.

Of ours, Frankie's wide leg balances a broader shoulder, and Billie naturally suits a straighter figure because its barrel adds shape.

How should jeans fit?

Jeans should sit comfortably at the waist without gaping at the back when you sit down, and the length should suit the shoes you will wear with them. A mid rise sits around the belly button and a high rise a couple of centimetres above it. Because the shoe changes how the leg falls, it is worth trying jeans on with the shoes you plan to wear. Sitting down, bending and checking the side view in a mirror tell you more than standing still, as our guide to how barrel leg trousers should fit explains.

A 100 percent cotton jean can feel firm at first and gives a little over time, though it will not stretch the way a jean with elastane does. When you shop online, the measurements of a pair you own that fits you well are an easy check against the size guide.

Billie, Rosie and Frankie are true to size. Billie in mid wash is a neater fit on the waist, so if you are between sizes the larger one is the safer choice. Hayley, who is between an 8 and a 10, wears Billie in a 10 for a more relaxed fit, while the 8 sits a little higher on her waist. Billie has a long mid rise, Rosie a mid rise, and Frankie sits high on the waist.

Jeans are among the hardest pieces to buy by size alone, so it can help to try two sizes when you do not yet know your size with us. Returns and exchanges are free in the UK, which makes that easy to do.

What shoes to wear with jeans

A slimmer shoe suits most jeans, because it keeps the line of the leg long rather than adding weight at the hem. With a barrel or wide leg, a narrow trainer, a pointed flat or a heel all work, and a point lengthens the leg further.

Boots work best when they are narrow and close to the ankle, so they sit inside the jeans rather than fighting with the hem, and a small heel helps. Rosie can take a chunkier trainer more easily than the others, because it tapers more towards the ankle. Emmie looks better with a narrower trainer or a sock boot, since a chunky sole is too wide for the shape of its straighter leg.

Our guide to what shoes to wear with barrel leg trousers goes into the barrel shape in more detail.

What jacket to wear with jeans

A jacket that stops at the widest part of the leg makes it look wider, so a shorter jacket suits a barrel or wide leg. The Orla Faux Leather Shirt, worn open as a jacket, stops at the narrower part of Billie. The Sadie Denim Shacket was cut short for the same reason, so that it balances the width of Frankie. Emmie, with its straighter leg, can take a longer blazer or a pea coat.

How to choose a denim wash

A darker wash reads smarter and a lighter wash more relaxed, while more distressing makes a jean feel edgier. A rinse wash works like navy, so it goes with anything you would pair with navy, black included. A soft green works well against it too, such as the Cory Cable Knit Cashmere Blend Button Shoulder Jumper in light olive.

A mid wash behaves like a mid neutral, carrying brights, blues and white well. The Blythe Funnel Neck Cropped Jumper in red and the Gwyneth Fine Merino Roll Neck in sky blue both look good with Rosie in mid wash. A mid wash can look flat beside another mid neutral such as biscuit, though, because the two tones blend into each other.

Washed black works like charcoal and looks especially modern with ivory, while blue black sits as easily with navy as it does with black. Our guide to what to wear with black jeans covers true black, washed black and blue black in turn. A lighter wash can get a little lost beside a very bright, saturated colour.

How to dress up jeans

Jeans dress up best when the polish comes from the pieces around them rather than from the jeans themselves. A blouse, a blazer or a heel does more for the outfit than a smarter pair of jeans. The contrast between relaxed denim and something more polished is part of the appeal.

Emmie in washed black with a lace-trimmed vest under the Josephine Wool Blend Blazer and a heeled sandal makes a simple dressed-up outfit. The Jules Striped Blouse draws the eye to the shoulder with its velvet trim, and its metallic sparkle looks particularly good against Billie in washed black.

Frankie in black reads closer to a black trouser than a jean. With a crisp white shirt such as The Perfect Shirt, it is smart enough for the office, as long as your workplace allows denim. It works just as well in the evening.

Dressing denim in one colour from top to toe is another route to polish. The Imogen Denim Skirt in dark wash with a navy Gwyneth Fine Merino Roll Neck creates one long column. Our guide to building a blazer and jeans outfit covers tailoring with denim in more detail.

Denim beyond jeans

The same principles apply to the rest of our denim. The Sadie Denim Shacket is a chic, boxy fit rather than a casual denim jacket. It can be worn as a shirt buttoned to the top, or as a layer under a blazer such as the Teyha Tweed Blazer. With Frankie it makes an easy double denim outfit, and our guide to what a shacket is covers more ways to wear one.

The Imogen Denim Skirt, in dark wash and mid wash, is a cotton and lyocell blend, which gives it drape and movement. Its A-line shape balances a wider hip or a broader shoulder. It works with trainers into early autumn, with a short legging underneath for warmth, and later with a brown boot. A neat top keeps the A-line clear, so a longer jumper looks best tucked in rather than worn loose over it.

Small tweaks to get more from your jeans

Jeans do not have to be worn exactly as they come. Turning up the hem changes the length and shows a little ankle, and a straight leg can be pinched into a boot to taper it. A relaxed pair gathered at the ankle with a band and tucked into boots becomes a balloon shape.

A denim shirt can be tied around the waist or draped over the shoulders, which makes a smarter outfit feel more relaxed. A denim jacket can also go underneath a coat or blazer as a contrast layer, rather than on top.

Jeans questions, answered

What are the best jeans for women?

The best jeans balance your proportions and come in a fabric that suits the cut, such as 100 percent cotton for a structured barrel leg. Denim with stretch moves with you and suits styles that follow the body more closely.

What are the best jeans for curvy women?

Jeans with a good quality stretch usually work best, because they move with your curves, and a little width at the hem balances a fuller hip. Of ours, Emmie and Frankie have that stretch, and Frankie adds the wider hem.

What are the best jeans for petite women?

A mid rise and a length that shows a little ankle often suit a petite frame. Of ours, Emmie and Rosie work well on a petite frame, and the stylist Claire Lopez, who is 5'2, wears Frankie with a heel.

How should jeans fit?

Jeans should sit comfortably at the waist without gaping when you sit, with a length that suits your shoes. Billie, Rosie and Frankie are true to size, and a pair you own that fits well is a useful guide when you compare sizes online.

What shoes should you wear with jeans?

A slimmer shoe suits most jeans, such as a narrow trainer, a pointed flat or a heel, and boots work best when they are narrow at the ankle. Of our jeans, Rosie takes a chunkier trainer most easily.

How do you dress up jeans?

Jeans dress up best when the pieces around them bring the polish, such as a blouse, a blazer or a heel. The jeans stay the more relaxed part of the outfit, and the contrast is part of the appeal.