ASK THE STYLIST

If your jeans fit nicely around your bum and thighs but you get that annoying gap at the back of the waistband, it usually means the jeans aren’t quite the right shape for your proportions.

Sadly the fix is not to go down a size. If they fit everywhere else, sizing down could make them too tight across your hips or thighs.

I’d look at the rise and the shape of the waistband first. Some jeans are cut straighter through the waist, while others are designed to accommodate more difference between your waist and hips.

A more contoured waistband can make all the difference too.

The important thing is not to try to make your body fit the jeans. Find jeans that work with your body, such as looking for a curvy denim brand.‍ ‍

Good American, Abercrombie & Fitch Love Curve and Madewell all offer curvy jeans.

Check out our Jeans For Curvy Body Shapes page.

That’s where I’d start.

Sam x

Being an apple shape myself, I know the frustration of finding the smaller size that’s perfect for your legs and bum, only to have the waistband dig in and make the jeans so uncomfortable when you sit down.

The waistband is the key to getting comfortable in your jeans.

Look for a figure-fixing jean with a stretch waistband, often cleverly hidden inside the jean so no one would ever know.

Jeans with Absolution, Tummy Tuck Solutions and pull-up styles can definitely be your friend. They’re designed to give you that little bit of extra comfort and support around the middle, while still giving you a great shape through your legs and bum.

And don’t automatically size up just because the waistband feels uncomfortable. The right jean should fit your whole body, not force you to choose between a good fit on your legs and a comfortable waist.

Want more help finding jeans for your shape? Check out my Jeans for Apple Body Shapes guide.

If you’re looking for this type of fit, here are some of the jeans and brands I’d look at:

• Democracy Denim Ab Solution

• Wit & Wisdom Ab Solution

• NYDJ - Tummy Tuck

• Spanx Denim

Good question, because the best rise for your jeans depends on your body proportions and where you feel most comfortable wearing your jeans.

As women, we tend to fit ourselves into the jeans that are available. I think we should be doing the opposite: fitting the jeans around our bodies.

How do I know what rise is right for me?

Stand in front of a mirror wearing a pair of jeans that you like. You’ll need a soft tape measure.

Start at the crotch seam of your jeans and measure upwards towards your belly button. You can use your thumb in your belly button as a guide.

Write down that measurement.

Then measure again from the crotch seam up to the top of the waistband of your jeans and write that measurement down too.

Now ask yourself:

Do I like where these jeans sit?

If you do, you’ve got a useful rise measurement to use as your starting point when shopping for your next pair of jeans.

If you’d like your jeans to sit higher, decide where you’d ideally like the waistband to sit:

• At your belly button

• Over your belly button

• Slightly below your belly button

Then measure from the crotch seam to that point.

That measurement gives you a much more personal starting point than simply looking for jeans labelled mid-rise or high-rise.

Does high-rise mean the same thing on every woman?

No. High-rise jeans don’t necessarily sit at the same place on every body.

The same labelled rise can sit completely differently depending on your proportions, torso length and where you want your jeans to sit.

That’s why I don’t think finding your best jeans is simply about knowing your size or choosing a particular rise from the label.

It’s about understanding your body and finding where your jeans feel right.

For more help, see How To Measure For Jeans, where I show you how to measure your jeans both flat and on your body, with a worksheet you can download and use when you’re shopping.

Your body determines your ideal rise not just the label on the jeans.