The denim jeans silhouette ratio

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Angie is co-founder of YLF and its resident fashion stylist.

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The denim jeans silhouette ratio

— by Angie

on August 1, 2008

About a month ago we talked about the jeans in our closet. My next questions are how often you wear the different silhouettes and why. I’ll go first:

40% straight-leg
40% skinny
20% bootcut

I like the sleek look and practical appeal of straight and skinny jeans. I can sport perfect pant lengths without committing to a particular heel height. I go from flats, to Converse sneakers, to two-inch heeled pumps in one day (this happens a lot). The hems don’t skim the surface of the ground which keeps my jeans dry when it rains. The sleek leg line gives me the versatility to wear fitted and voluminous tops in both tunic and shorter lengths. It’s an efficient denim wardrobe formula that works for my lifestyle and fashion persona.

Occasionally I haul out my bootcuts and thoroughly enjoy wearing them when I do. They are elegant and look especially chic with a heel. I don’t wear wide leg pants because they don’t feel right to me. Your turn!

Individual Style

33 comments · Add a comment

I like the look of skinny/straight jeans. I still have a few pair of boot cut jeans but I don’t wear them often.

August 1, 2008 at 7:00 am

Tanya

I am pretty new to skinnies/straight leg and am yet getting used to the look. In my case they are both the same straightish silhouette ( 2 pairs have 14″ opening, one 15″). My breakdown actually depends on time of the year, I tend to wear more of straight/skinny legs in the winter tucked into boots. I like to wear wide legs too, so that’s another category.

Having said all that, here’s my breakdown:

Summer:
Straight/Skinny 30%
Bootcut 60%
Wide leg 10 %

Winter
Straight/skinny 45 %
Bootcut 45 %
Wide leg 10 %

August 1, 2008 at 7:08 am

Nicoleb

i feels like a long time since i’ve worn pants at all it’s been so hot here. But i love the look my straight legs give me and will be reaching for those a lot more often than my boot cuts this year. I don’t own any wide leg pants.

August 1, 2008 at 7:29 am

Susan H.

My small jeans wardrobe is 100% bootcut. I love the current slim bootcut, and how the jeans balance out my figure and look good with shoes.

August 1, 2008 at 7:36 am

Ana

I’m still in the process of building up my denim wardrobe, but I’m really loving the straight/skinny leg look. It’s just a bit sleeker and more practical for my lifestyle. I’ll probably invest in a pair of bootcuts this fall as well.

August 1, 2008 at 7:44 am

LauraElizabeth

I wore skinnies 100% of the time, but I recently got some straight legs that I’m playing around with. They feel like wide legs after wearing slimmer cuts for so long!

August 1, 2008 at 7:44 am

lizzie

Just came back from Rome and Berlin–nothing but REALLY skinny jeans and LOTS of skirts–mostly knee length. Both are really great looks….

August 1, 2008 at 7:47 am

Diane

I bought some straight leg jeans last year and love them. They are more flattering on me than skinnies. I just got back from visiting my daughter in Texas and she and her friends wear jeans even in 100 degree heat!

August 1, 2008 at 7:54 am

Dani

Of my three pair of jeans, one is wide leg, one is bootcut and the third (just purchased) is straight leg. I’m planning on more purchases this fall. I have to say I was skeptical of the stright leg on me (I have very muscular legs) but this pair fits very nicely. Maybe I’ll have luck finding another pair, I really like the silhouette.

August 1, 2008 at 7:55 am

Patience

This summer I’ve been
90% straight (14″)/clamdiggers
10% bootcut

I do want to get a new pair of smart bootcuts but I’m expecting the winter to be
60% straight
30% boot
10% skinny

But this may change… I tried on the Marc Jacobs black jeans which are skinnier than I usually wear and something happened– I think they look good. The next day I was wearing my Joe’s cigarettes and they seemed wide to me. What’s going on?

August 1, 2008 at 8:04 am

Laura

Can I ask, I hope you haven’t posted this before, but what should be the hem height of a pair of straights? I’m planning to get my very first pair soon. Do I hem them to my flats since they are what I wear most frequently? Shorter? I guess you wouldn’t wear them bunched at the ankle like skinnies, would you?

In case you can’t tell, I only wear boot cut, but I’m planning on changing that!

August 1, 2008 at 8:34 am

Musings of a Housewife

(website)

Wow, this is eerie! I just posted a poll this morning about which leg style people like most. And I linked to your post differentiating between skinnies and straights.

I would say it depends on time of year. In the fall/winter/spring I think I’d say

70% straight
30% boot

That’s because I run around a lot in my straight-leg jeans and ballet flats. I wear bootcut and high heels when I go out without kids.

In the summer, I hardly ever wear full length jeans during the day, so the straights have been sitting in my drawer. I wear the bootcuts a lot though, usually whenever I go out at night. And my capri/cropped/whatever you call them are the ones I wear most often during the day. I guess they’re straight.

August 1, 2008 at 9:17 am

Christie

As much as I love the silhouette of straight legs and skinnies, and as much as I have pondered and drooled over many different pairs, I have yet to buy any. I only own bootcuts. But straight legs and/or skinnies are on my fall wishlist this year, and I think I will love the cut for the reasons that Angie mentions. I like efficient dressing, and what is more efficient than one pair of jeans for every pair of shoes?

August 1, 2008 at 9:44 am

Monica

This summer I’ve worn trouser jeans occasionally and liked that look. It feels smart and urban without seeming fussy, and it’s a nice change from my summer skirts and dresses. I’m not sure about the leg shape–I know it’s not boot cut, I guess it’s a narrow wide leg, or a wide straight leg? Last winter I often wore skinnies tucked into boots too, and I loved the silhouette, but my feet aren’t crazy about ballet flats, so the skinny jeans have been retired until the weather cools down.
So, in summer: trouser 100%, skinny 0%.
In winter: trouser 33%, skinny 66%.

August 1, 2008 at 9:57 am

Joelle

My straights vs. bootcuts ratio is about 40:60. I tend to wear my straight legs with flats and the bootcuts with heels. I recently found a pair of long inseam straights that I can wear with heels, so I will probably wear straights more often in the fall. Not now, though–too hot outside! I don’t have skinnies or wide leg jeans–neither of those styles work for me.

August 1, 2008 at 10:07 am

Maya

I have pretty much whittled my way down to just four pairs of jeans that I wear regularly.

1 bootcut
1 slim bootcut
1 skinny
1 straight

I have changed my perspective on skinnies. I still love them on other people, but I will never ever like them on me. I know in another ten years I will look back at pictures of me wearing them and wonder what in the world I was thinking. I have worn them the “right” way with tunics but I just feel imbalanced. I never thought of myself as being “hippy” or having large thighs until I started wearing skinnies. Despite this, they still play a crucial role in my wardrobe because I still need them to tuck into boots. The visual weight of the boots seems to balance me out better. If anyone thinks I look good in skinnies now, it’s only because our eyes have adjusted to seeing them. But even as I look around me on the street, I am starting to feel that I don’t like skinnies on just about anyone but the dainty and slim body types they were originally meant for. I’d like to be more egalitarian about this, but it’s just how I feel. We can’t all find a way to wear everything, and skinny jeans belong on skinny ladies if you ask me.

My straight legs are fine, but I think I like the slim bootcut the best. They were originally a full bootcut but when I hemmed them, the leg opening became narrower. I don’t like bootcut jeans that vacuum seal my thighs and then flare out at the knee. It breaks up the legline too much and makes me feel short and fat. The slim bootcut gives some width at the end to balance me out, but not so much that it overwhelms me. My other bootcuts are probably the oldest pair of jeans I own. I like wearing those with Converses and ankle boots.

I absolutely HATE widelegs! I went to BR to try some pants for interviews and everything they had was wide, and unsurprisingly, on the sale rack. I tried them on in hopes that they might pass as trousers but they looked simply awful. A size 0 was saggy around my butt and baggy through the thigh. I don’t honestly like how they look on anyone.

August 1, 2008 at 10:26 am

Sal

(website)

Straight 5 %
Bootcut 90 %
Wide leg 5 %

I only recently found a pair of straight legs that I felt flattered my figure, so I’m a newbie. Bootcuts and even flares, however are my staple. I feel they balance out my hips.

August 1, 2008 at 10:28 am

Shell

100% bootcut.

Unfortunately, i’ve yet to find a pair of skinnies/straights that accommodate my wider calves. they all end up giving me that vacuum-sealed look – not pleasant!

even if i did find a pair that fit well, i doubt they’d have the same versatility they have for angie. i wouldn’t be able to wear them with anything but tunic-y tops.

so, i’m perfectly happy with my bootcuts.

August 1, 2008 at 10:38 am

CaramelBlondie

In my small selection of jeans, bootcuts definitely rule ( I have one pair of straight cut- and detest wide leg)! I am a pear shape, and am not to keen on trying other styles. However, I am thinking about trying a skinny jean in the fall, to wear with dresses and long sweaters… we’ll see how it goes.

It is extremely hot in my locale right now, and I cannot imagine sliding on a pair of thick denim pants.

Side note: I was in Vegas a few weeks back, and even with temps at 118 degrees, locals still wore jeans…

August 1, 2008 at 11:32 am

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Very interesting. I did not expect as stronger preference for straight legs and skinnies.

Everyone looks great in the right bootcut. It’s a flop proof jeans formula which means that there is no right and wrong leg silhouette. If you prefer to sport bootcuts and that’s your style, go for it. They always look fabulous.

Lizzie, quite right. I’ve been to Europe 3 times in the last 9 months and 90% of the people are in skinnies or straight legs. Skinnies more than straight legs. It’s still the most bought silhouette in store. Julia has just come back from Hong Kong and had the same impression. Again, this is very interesting.

I see that few people have taken to wide legs even though stores in the US are full of them. They did not take off in Europe.

Patience and Laura E. , I hear you. When you’re use to wearing a sleek leg, bootcuts feel SO wide. As for the Marc Jacobs black skinnies, they are brilliant, Patience. Their fit and cobalt stitching is superb. No wonder you loved the. They scrunch perfectly in all the right places.

Maya, you know how I feel about you in skinny jeans.

August 1, 2008 at 12:02 pm

mai

100% bootcut, slowly being replaced since I lost weight with … more bootcut jeans. I’d be willing to try straight-leg or skinny jeans a try if I could find the right tops to go with them (I’m fairly hippy), but, uh, every single tunic-like or empire-cut top I’ve tried makes me look pregnant! Not the look I’m aiming for, heh.

August 1, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Anna

(website)

I never wear wide-legged pants, because I have wide hips and they make my bottom half look disproportionate. I love my bootcut jeans, because I am always wearing heels! I don’t own a pair of skinny jeans…but I might try a pair with some pretty flats.

August 1, 2008 at 2:35 pm

Sarah

100% bootcut. That said, I only have one pair of jeans that actually fit me. The perfect pair of skinnies is on my fall wish list, as well as some dark boot cuts from smart casual dressing, since the only pair I own that fit are medium blue.

August 1, 2008 at 3:48 pm

Julie

I am also curious like Laura about appropriate hem height on straight leg. I really go for bootcut but want to try skinny and straight more — especially skinny for winter to tuck in boots. Angie mentions wearing flats, sneakers and heels with straights — what length let’s you pull off all those looks?

August 1, 2008 at 4:22 pm

Cedar

I only own two pairs of jeans; one is bootcut, and the other is wide legged.

I did own a pair of skinny jeans for awhile, but recently sold them to a second hand store. They really weren’t a good look for me, and I felt like such a fashion victim in them.

August 1, 2008 at 4:26 pm

Joy

Right now I only have skinnys and straight legs and don’t plan to buy anything wider this season. I also prefer clamdiggers to walking shorts and narrow walking shorts to bermudas. The sleeker look makes me feel slimmer.
70% skinnys
30% straight legs

August 1, 2008 at 4:28 pm

Nicole

For me, it really depends on my activities. I wear wide legged/trouser style to work sometimes, and to smart casual restaurants, or events. I wear bootcuts to run errands, go shopping, out to casual dinner (because I think they are the most flattering). And I only own one pair of straight leg–and they are VERY casual ON jeans–so I only wear them in the most casual of settings. So the percentage in which I wear them, depends on what’s going on in my life in any given week. In the summer, I could go weeks without donning a pair of jeans–because I prefer skirts this time of year.

August 2, 2008 at 8:03 am

emily

As a child of the ’80’s I have a hard time with boot cuts. I have a pair but I never grab them. I have one pair of skinny jeans I love but once again rarely wear. 90% of the time I wear straight legs. I was one of those trying to find straight legs a few years ago when all you could find was boot cut or wider. My sister is in fashion design and said boot cut was out ages ago and that its all skinny/straight.

August 2, 2008 at 10:59 am

Maya

I know how you feel Angie, but your clothes are only as fab as they make you feel and skinnies don’t make me feel fab at all. I wanted to like them. I tried to like them! But I just don’t. There are too many restrictions on how I can wear them, which really limits their versatility. I haven’t worn my skinnies at all this summer (summer=no boots), so I’m perfectly at peace with the $35 I spent on them.

Of course, I just measured the leg opening and they are only 11″! But any time I go wider, they won’t scrunch, and I need the scrunch to balance me out. They just get caught on the back of my shoe, probably because I don’t wear heels. I don’t know if there’s a way to resolve that, but it doesn’t bother me since I have other jeans I feel happy in.

August 3, 2008 at 11:50 am

Sarah P

Pre YLF my jeans were 50% wide leg and 50% bootcut.
Now I have three pair of jeans:
White straight leg
Dark denim straight leg
and one trouser pair for work
I plan on getting a nice pair of bootcut for the fall.
I definitely prefer straighter cuts now.

August 5, 2008 at 10:38 am

Eva

I’m a pair so I wear more bootleg cut than skinnies. My one pair of skinnies that I wear are really narrow/straight leg J Crew Matchsticks. I didn’t count my denim clan diggers as I consider them walking shorts, but out of my shorts, they are my prefered.

My silhouette ratio is:
Straight 15%
Bootcut 85 %

August 5, 2008 at 1:10 pm

cathy

Skinny 100%. I’ve gone on crash diet and exercise mode to get my size ones to fit a little better. Well OK not the exercise part.

August 5, 2008 at 4:09 pm

Mskatiekat

(website)

Jeans are a staple in my wardrobe (I have five pairs). Like you, most of my jeans are skinnies, mainly because they are practical (great for Canadian winters!) and very flattering. I used to be a bootcut girl for years, and once told myself I would never succumb to the skinny “trend” because I saw many women wear them in unflattering ways. I’m a very late adopter to the skinny (I only started last year) and am glad I did it! No more bootcuts skimming the snow!

November 11, 2010 at 4:42 pm

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