If Wide Leg Jeans Look Bad On You Here’s What To Buy Instead
Don’t worry. It’s not skinny jeans.
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by The Candidly Team
We get it. You have your reasons. Maybe it’s that wide-leg jeans swallow you up. Or make you look shorter or bumpier or wider, or (insert your own annoyed adjective here).
That said, there is definitely an appeal to the wide-leg. They’re roomy (who doesn’t love the ability to breathe in jeans?) They’re useful, covering lumps, bumps, and panty lines. They make us look styled, balancing out more fitted tops and giving off trouser vibes.
So when we went about sourcing the finest alternatives to wide-leg jeans, we took all of this into consideration and chose these specific pairs based on:
How gloriously they fit the specific body type we have.
How comfy they make us feel in that body.
How chic and easy to style they are in and of themselves.
And so, here are those jeans. Some are $50. Some $200. But each of them is the best in their own specific category.
… Oh, and while we’re not here to try to convince you to convert to the wide-leg trend, we will indeed show you which wide-leg pair would actually work on your body type, should you still want to dip a toe.
Ok, let’s begin:
1. If you have thicker hips/butt/thighs:
The Top 2 Alternatives:
THE FLARE*: These buttery flare jeans balance all our lower body curves with that sliiiiight kickout, so we look long and lithe and not at all bottom heavy. They’re also somehow $50?!
THE BUBBLE: These cropped barrel-like jeans do magic things to slim the leg while being so spacious we could sleep in them. Plus, they style very chic. Here they are on a real person:
Use code THECANDIDLY15 for 15% off. (*gifted)
The Wide(ish) Jeans That Will Actually Work On You:
THE ANESSA*: If you feel strongly that a wide-leg jean will make you look bigger on the bottom, these jeans we write about constantly just glide over curves with the perfect amount of stretch and a slight A-line cut that balances hips/ butt/ thighs and gives you incredible shape …. and they do all this without leaving a waist gap.
Use code code CANDIDLY15 for 15% off. (gifted)
2. If you’RE MORE APPLE-SHAPED
The Top 2 Alternatives:
THE RELAXED-FIT*: The brand Risen is a MAJOR denim discovery. Their jeans fit like designer and cost well under $100. This pair is high-waisted, straight leg jeans feel glorious on a belly. They hold everything in while still feeling stretchy and keeping their classic jusssst right (not too wide, not too skinny) shape.
THE CUFFED: These cuffed jeans (also from Risen) have that same sculpting but breathable fit, however they draw the eye downward, making you look longer and allowing you to wear a looser-fitting top without looking boxy. Take a look:
(gifted)
The Wide(ish) Jeans That Will Actually Work On You:
THE WIDE FLARE*: Many of us apples avoid wide-leg because we prefer looser tops, and we don’t want to look baggy head to toe. But wide-leg can be amazing. Just choose cuts that gives your bottom half more of a fit-and-flare to balance your midsection. This blissfully stretchy pair also gives you a little lift and pop on the backside, which we definitely don’t mind.
3. If you're petite
The Top 2 Alternatives:
THE PETITE STRAIGHT-LEG*: This style from Madewell is so classic and so elongating, they honestly look good on every body type. But with that high-waist and full-length inseam, they’re a petite girl’s dream.
THE PETITE FLARE*: This pair from Mother is cut so beautifully for petite women, it should win awards. They’re especially gorj if you’re curvy and petite, because they balance you out without losing length.
The Wide(ish) Jeans That Will Actually Work On You:
THE PERFECT VINTAGE*: Wide-leg jeans will NOT swallow you up when they’re as high-waisted and leg-skimming as THIS structured pair from Madewell. The fit will make you well up, it’s so special.
4. If you're LONG-WAISTED
The Top 2 Alternatives:
THE 90s FIT: Who wouldn’t mind their legs looking longer? Well, these are the smoothing, 90s straight jeans that will do it. And they’re supremely flattering on bellies/ butts/ thighs.
THE ANKLE: These classic ankle jeans are the chic denim choice we make daily. And they’re sort of magically cut for long-torsoed ladies. Like this one:
The Wide(ish) Jeans That Will Actually Work On You:
THE RIBCAGE*: Levi’s ribcage make your waist look like it starts higher so your legs go on for longer, and therefore you will not only love these wide-leg jeans, you will want them in 3-5 colors.
5. If you're curvy all over:
The Top 2 Alternatives:
THE BARREL*: By god, barrel jeans feel incredible on curves. This pair from Spanx is made for them. They’re made from “4-way stretch denim” (aka bliss) and are constructed for tummy and waist shaping, while the leg gives you the optical illusion of being longer and lither. And because they go in at the bottom, you look more tailored and put-together. Sizes up to 3X
THE SAILOR*: There are no words for how this magic, stretchy denim holds you in. And that chic, sailor shape makes you look completely styled and French, no matter what you throw on with them. Here’s one of us in one of their lighter washes:
The Wide(ish) Jeans That Will Actually Work On You:
THE CURVE LOVE*: Abercrombie’s curve-love jeans fit curves like nothing else. These jeans are gorgeously flattering hip-to-toe - a perfect starter jean for women who fear the wide-leg.
6. If your butt is flat:
The Top 2 Alternatives:
THE ULTRA HIGH-RISE*: And ultra-high rise like this one makes your butt looks like it starts higher, and the pockets are placed brilliantly so your butt pops instead of pancakes.
THE FLARE*: We could go on and on about how these jeans lift and create shape or we could just show you a before and after of one of us changing into them from our existing (albeit sad-butted) jeans. If you want a juicier peach look, these are the jeans*.
Use the code CANDIDLY15 for 15% off. (gifted)
The Wide(ish) Jeans That Will Actually Work On You:
THE BELLA: There’s so much stretch and hold, perfect pocket placement, and the wide-leg isn’t too wide, all of which make THESE $50 Bella jeans from Quince look amazing from ALL angles.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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