Choosing the right pants for your body shape
Hi! It’s Monique here and I’m super excited to share this with you! Having lost over 40 kilos in weight, I’ve literally been everybody shape through that transition and can, hand on heart, say that finding the right pants – and particularly the right jeans – has been a lot of fails and a load of successes! And here’s a big hint from me: when you find the perfect fit for your body shape, grab a couple of pairs in a couple of colours that suit you.
What to look for:
- comfort always
- understand the ‘rise’ of a pair of pants and if they suit your shape
- ensure that the pants doesn’t add bulk to the wrong part of your lower body
- easy wear, easy care. Ain’t nobody got time for high maintenance pants
Rise
The ‘rise’ of a pair of pants is the measurement from the top of the pants to the crotch.
For me being a classic apple:
- Low rise slips down and I often can’t do them up
- Mid rise is the closest fit but I have to make sure that the fabric isn’t too bulky over my hips, adding extra cms
- High rise is an exercise is disaster as the waists are often very small. I love the idea of having pants high enough that they can tuck everything in, but the reality is, unless you’re an hourglass or a ruler, you may struggle with this shape. Plus high rise on a ruler means you can end up looking like you’re wearing your dads pants as they end up with extra space in the booty. High waisted Boyfriend jeans are a great example and should be avoided by most people
Overcoming this
- Lycra: ensure your pants, particularly if they are fitted, have a little room to move! I love jeans but with my body shape, unless they have a little stretch in them, I have to go up 2 sizes
to get them to do up, then the legs and butt are all oversized and I just end up in a crying mess on the dressing room floor. I don’t want that experience to happen to you. - Elasticated waist. It worked for my grandma who loved being comfortable, and I’m not too proud to say a little elastication in the back can be your friend. My favourite pants at the moment are these ones on the right: flat fronted dress pants with elastication in the back. They fit like a dream and this style is also great if you’re shorter in the body like me as a classic dress pant with heels can give the illusion that you’re longer and taller. WIN.
- It’s what you wear it with: I believe anyone can wear any style of pants. It’s what you wear it with that counts. If you’re petite, Palazzo pants (long, wide legged and often mistaken for a skirt) can be really overwhelming, so balance it with a big pair of wedges and a fitted tank top or short jacket and you’ll start to put things back into balance. Skinny jeans are great, but over skinny and you can look like a stuffed sausage about to burst. If you’re shorter and curvier, I’d team up the skinnies with a floaty oversized shirt or top that goes to about mid thigh. Team that up with some great funky wedges or some lovely heels and you’re onto a winner. That same look however won’t work for an inverted triangle, so try and work on balancing out your silhouette and you’ll find your way! Here’s a guide to some of the different styles and how to wear them!
Hi I'm Monique Bradley.