We do love our jeans, don’t we? And there is very little chance we will give them up any time soon.
Even though we constantly update our wardrobe bottom-halves with joggers, culottes, ankle-skimmers, palazzos and, for work, tailored trousers, we tend to revert to jeans as our default look for off-duty-wear and weekends.
So, finding a pair of jeans that fits really well, (or even several pairs of jeans in different washes), is absolutely essential. With jeans, getting the right pair is even more complicated than with other trousers, because in addition to size, there are – at any one time –so many style elements, washes and other variants to take into account.
These variants include the best cut and shape for our body type; the best wash for our wardrobe needs and lifestyle; and the best rise for our shape.
If you are very slender with a very toned body and long, slim legs, you really have the pick of jeans brands – jeans are made for your body type; you can choose almost any pair you like and you will look great in them; now you are over 50, you might consider keeping to mid- and dark-blue washes or black, as very pale or bleached washes could look a bit muttonish. However Jan and Cyndy have talked before about how even embellished or distressed jeans can be made to work for the 50-plus woman, so if you love embellished or distressed jeans, you don’t need to reject them just see how you can make them look sensational for you now.
The rise is, as we are sure you know, the distance between the waistband and the crotch, and has a really big impact on how jeans hold the body. Right now, there are three rise styles which, as 50-plus women, we need to concern ourselves with: Low, Regular (often referred to as “Mid”) and High (sometimes referred to as high-waist).
- Regular rise/Mid-rise: the waistband sits on/at your natural waistline.
- Low rise: the top of the waistband finishes 2 to 3 inches below your natural waistline.
- High rise/High-waist: the waistband sits 1 to 3 inches above your natural waistline.
(There is also Super-low and Brazilian, but if you can wear either of those, you are probably a super-model, so you don’t need to read this).
Which rise to choose depends to a large extent on whether you carry any excess weight, and if so, exactly where:
- If your waist and top hip are slim and toned, jeans with a low rise will suit you better.
- If your waist and top hip are slim and toned, but you carry a bit of flesh around your midriff, you will find that jeans with a low rise are less likely to create the dreaded muffin-top effect, where unsightly flab spills over the top of a waistband.
- If you carry weight on your top hip and/or on your bottom, you would do better to choose jeans with a regular/mid-rise or a high rise/high-waist, as these will help you avoid the muffin-top effect.
Which rise will look better on you, also depends on how your body is proportioned. If you are long in the body with shorter legs for your height (Jan is proportioned that way), or if you are shorter waisted with longer legs (Cyndy is proportioned that way), the shape and rise you choose can help to balance out this annoying lack of perfection (which, incidentally, virtually everyone suffers). And do keep in mind that these issues about proportion are not determined by height or weight; you could be a very tiny petite or be 6-foot tall and be perfectly in proportion; or you could be average-height and out of proportion…
If you are long-waisted (defined as being long in the body from shoulder to waist), high-rise jeans will balance out your proportions. But if you are short-waisted (defined as being short in the body from shoulder to waist), low or mid-rise jeans will balance you better.
Some proportion issues may be minor and subtle; some may be more noticeable and have become obvious to you over the years, as they have to Jan and Cyndy. And yes, we apologise if this is all sounding a bit complex, but the more we know, the easier it is to choose the right jeans. It could also help you to know whether to tuck a top or shirt inside your jeans (good if you are long-waisted), or whether to let a top or shirt hang down over your jeans (good if you are shorter-waisted).
So, when buying jeans, you need to pay attention to three key elements: cut/style (straight, skinny, cropped, boyfriend, etc); rise (see above); and wash. Here are some of our favourites:
What style of jeans is your favourite?
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