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Jeans styles - a guide

From jeggings to boot-cut

Author: Charlotte Kuchinsky March 31 2011

There are a lot of different terms being bandied about these days with regard to women’s pants. Jeans alone come in a wide variety of fabric mixtures, colors and cuts, including boot cut, flared, jegging, skinny, straight legged and more.

Gone are Mom’s jeans, made of stiff, heavy-duty denim fabric that never gave an inch as she moved. Those have given way to a whole new world of denim, most of which now include some form of spandex for stretch and comfort.

Also gone are the limited three-color denim choices - chambray, indigo or black. Now denim comes in a wide variety of colors from pink to purple, green to gray and of course varying shades of blue and black, though of course the most popular choices remain the old tried and true blue denim.

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While cuts vary slightly from year to year, there are certain shapes that are considered classic. Straight legged and boot cut jeans fall into that category. They remain in style consistently the obvious reason that both fit all sizes and shapes of women. They also help those women balance out their supposed figure flaws in way that other jeans cannot.

While flared jeans come and go, they will likely never be completely out of style. They suit a particular type of woman who will not be left out of the jean pool – someone with wider hips that require some fabric balance at the bottom in order to flatter her figure.

Once just a phase, today’s skinny jean may also be here to stay. That is because they are easy to tuck into the boots that most women love wearing. And it doesn’t hurt that they also look killer with a striking pair of stilettos.

Jeggings fall into the skinny category and yet also manage to stand on their own. That is because, in truth, a jegging isn’t strictly a skinny jean, having the comfort of a knit legging, with an elasticized top and lots of stretch, but made from denim. A lot of women are thoroughly enjoying this marriage, which gives the best of both worlds.

The jegging is also known (accurately!) as the pull-on jean, which has actually been around for many years, although not always in today’s super skinny style. Others refer to it as knitted jeans, which is a misnomer since jeans aren’t really knitted (unless you count the new “pajama jean”, which isn’t made out of denim at all).

The advantage of jeggings over a regular skinny jean is the comfort factor, with no waistband to constrict around the middle. That helps alleviate the ever-dreaded muffin-top look. Additionally, spandex mixed with the denim ensures that the pant will stretch as you bend but also return to its regular shape. That is crucial for today’s denim divas.

Women tend to wear leggings and jeggings in the same way. Both are worn with long tunics or under shorts, skirts or dresses. Both are usually exposed only from about mid-thigh down to the ankle; most stop at the ankles or just above. But leggings are a category into themselves. They are made almost exclusively out of knit fabric, lycra, nylon or even a polyester blend, rather than denim. Jeggings are made exclusively of denim and spandex, and so women who love jeggings don’t necessarily like leggings and vice versa.

Ultimately the real question is, “which type of pant is right for me?” That answer isn’t as clear-cut as it might sound. While some would espouse that only tall, lithe women should wear leggings or jeggings, that really isn’t the case. In the long run, any woman can wear any style of pant she wants if she can do it with confidence and grace.

The real tip here is this: Try the style on and see what you think. If you are happy with how you look, you will carry yourself with the confidence necessary to pull that look off.

Related Articles:

• Jean rise - one size doesn't fit all
• Different jean cuts - which one is right for you?
• Finding the right pair of jeans for you

About the Author

Charlie has over 25 years business experience in various fields, having worked in food service management, floral design, business development and management, marketing, and training. She has authored several business handbooks, developed, edited, and produced content for multiple newsletters, and writes poetry.

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