No More 'Fat' Jeans: Choose the Best Plus Size Jeans for Your Curves

Wendy is a journalist who has been writing online since 2007 on topics such as plus size fashion, learning languages and traveling.

Being plus size doesn't mean that you can't wear a pair of good-fitting jeans. It's time to throw away those 'fat jeans' and get some plus size jeans that control and enhance your curves. The perfect pair of jeans can be so sexy that your petite neighbour will be green with envy.

Like with any other plus size clothes, the secret to finding jeans that fit is in knowing the best cut to suit your body shape, enhance your good points and downplay your trouble areas.

How to Find Women's Plus Size Jeans That Fit

A good pair of jeans should lengthen your legs, slim your figure and hug your curves (or create the illusion of having them). Most importantly, a good pair of jeans should be comfortable to wear. Is that too much to ask for?

We all have different body shapes regardless of how large or small we are, but sometimes clothing for each unique body type is not so easy to find. It's no surprise that 'off-the-hanger' clothes do not always fit properly. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford a personal tailor to make a made-to-measure wardrobe for us, so we need to invest a lot of time trying to find the correct cut to fit our body shape.

Fortunately, once you know your body, which areas you want to enhance and which ones you prefer to hide, you only need to follow a few rules to make shopping for clothes a delight rather than a drag.

First of All, Know Your Body Shape

Are you an apple? A pear? A rectangle? If you're not sure, don't worry; you can figure it out.

To find your body shape, you might need to be ruthless with yourself. Place yourself naked in front of a full-length mirror and study your body shape. If you have any doubts, take your measurements with a measuring tape and use those dimensions to draw a silhouette of yourself on a piece of paper. Sometimes we see faults where there are none, so drawing a scaled silhouette of yourself on a piece of paper will give you a non-biased idea of your actual body shape.

Once you have determined your body shape, you can start to figure out which style of jeans best suits you, from high-waisted skinny jeans to boot-cuts with sequins.

The 5 Most Common Body Shapes

• Hourglass
• Pear (triangle)
• Inverted triangle
• Rectangle
• Apple

Best Jeans for an Hourglass Figure

Do you have an hourglass body shape? Well, you are lucky, as some people consider this to be the ideal body shape. The typical hourglass-shaped person has almost the same width in their shoulders and hips and a more narrow, well-defined waist. The hourglass figure has a rounded, well-defined butt and bust.

If you are hourglass-shaped, you will need jeans offering a good fit at the waist and hips to emphasize your curves. Wearing anything that wraps snugly around the thinnest part of your waist will make your perfect proportions stand out. This is often achieved with stretch fabrics that adapt to your curves, cinching your waist and hugging your hips.

These are some jeans to wear if you have an hourglass figure:

• Flared jeans: They balance out your lower legs with your hips and thighs.
• Levi's Bold Curve: The jeans adjust snugly at the waist.
• Little in the Middle brand fits well for wide hips and a thinner waist.
• Skinny jeans: They emphasize your curves, but they can also make you look shorter, so to make up for that you will need to pair your skinny jeans with high heels.
• High-waisted jeans: These are for if you have an hourglass body shape but you have a bit of a muffin top, are the best solution for your figure.

Tip: Stay away from belts or detailing such as pockets around the hips or bum; that will just add bulk.

How to Choose Jeans for a Pear/Triangle Figure

The pear or triangle shape has shoulders that are narrower than their hips and a defined waist.

If you have a pear-shaped body:

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• Look for jeans in a darker shade.
• Wear your jeans with light-coloured tops to balance your figure.
• Straight leg or boot cut jeans are your best bet to balance out a pear-shaped figure.

If you're a pear shape, avoid baggy jeans; they will only make you look bigger than you are. Horizontal fading will also do you no favours, as it exaggerates width.

Tip: Beware of pockets spaced too far apart—they'll broaden any butt.

Jeans for an Inverted Triangle Figure

The inverted triangle has wider shoulders than hips and a waist that is not very defined. To balance your figure, you need to draw attention away from your upper body. If you have an inverted triangle figure:

• Try wearing jeans with detailing or ornaments at the pockets to bring attention to your butt.
• Choose light-coloured jeans that also bring attention to your lower body.
• You can wear low rise jeans to elongate your torso.

Tip: Avoid high-waisted jeans, as they will shorten your upper half.

Jeans for the Rectangle Figure

The rectangle shape is more or less equally large up and down—shoulders are almost the same width as hips, and the waist has very little definition. Having this straight plus size figure can make it very difficult to find a well-fitting pair of jeans.

How to Create the Illusion of a Curvier Figure

If you are rectangle shaped, you may want to create the illusion of a curvier, smoother figure. Here are some tips for achieving the illusion of a curvier silhouette:

• Look for slightly flared-cut jeans that are tight on the hips and butt. The flare will balance out the tight fit at the hips, giving you a more harmonious figure.
• If possible, go for 'cheating pockets' like the ones from the Salsa collection; they are slightly rounded in shape, giving the illusion of a rounder butt.
• Wear brightly coloured skinny jeans, preferably with a top that is no longer than waist-length.
• Wear your jeans with a thick belt to visually create a more defined waistline.
• Jeans with detailing (buttons, embroidery, sequins) on the hips and butt are another way to highlight those areas.

Best Jeans for an Oval/Apple Figure

The oval shape has a full, undefined waist, and the shoulders and hips are of equal width. The torso is rounded, often with a large bust. Most of the weight is concentrated between the shoulders and hips, giving an overall round shape.

Those with oval-shaped figures should look for:

• Dark-coloured jeans.
• Jeans with push-in effect to hold in the belly. Look for plus size jeans with a wide waistband, or go for jeans with 'tummy control'.
• High-waisted jeans to avoid unsightly bumps, and also to give a more defined waistline.
• Boot cut jeans that fit well at the waist and are relaxed at the hips can balance an oval shape.

Tip: Avoid 100% stretch fabrics, and give preference to at least 90% cotton and 10% stretch fabric. A good, strong denim will have a better hold of your body.

One of my favourite jeans that offers a slimming effect comes from a company called Salsa. It is the Secret Salsa for Women jean, and it has a triple thinning effect.

How to Find Jeans That Fit

My Favourite Pair of Plus Size Skinny Jeans

Personally, I am one for a skinny cut paired up with high heels and a flattering top. It can take you anywhere from the office to a drink out with the girls to a romantic dinner.

For a flattering fit that stays true to your shape and doesn't stretch out with use, the skinny jeans from Lane Bryant are the perfect investment. They are ultra trendy and curve-hugging. What's more, they come in two lengths which means that my legs won't drown in the length of an ordinary pair of jeans. Wear them with your favorite top and killer heels for a fashion-forward ensemble. They also look great with biker's boots for a wilder look.

© 2013 Wendy Iturrizaga

Did you find the information here useful?

MD SHIRAZUL ISLAM on February 06, 2020:

Leggings plus size suits is the best and smart

Wendy Iturrizaga (author) from France on September 29, 2015:

peachpurple: I am not sure about leggins as too many people wear them the wrong way. I believe that a good fitting pair of jeans can work wonders for your figure and also tend to look smarter.

peachy from Home Sweet Home on September 26, 2015:

leggings suit plus size women

Wendy Iturrizaga (author) from France on March 10, 2014:

Cherilann: I hope you get the opportunity to experiment with different styles, you would be surprised how different (thinner, taller, chubbier, shorter, etc) you can look with different styles. I think that the important point is to find the style that suits you better , rather than following every single fashion trend.

Cherylann Mollan from India on March 10, 2014:

Hi Princessa! This is truly a very informative hub. I had no idea that there were so many kinds of jeans available. One kind of jean becomes a trend and everybody follows it, creating the illusion that is the only kind available. But, thanks for this hub, it has made me want to experiment a bit more with the styles I wear.

Wendy Iturrizaga (author) from France on September 24, 2013:

prasadjain: thanks for your input.

Dr.S.P.PADMA PRASAD from Tumkur on September 14, 2013:

Wah, this is funny but useful for those who want to wear jeans but hesitating as they are bulky. You have taken pains in drafting this hub.

Hats off for the sincerity you take in writing hubs.