Jeans Designers Share The Coveted Secrets To Finding The Perfect Fit For Your Body

Jeans are a staple of almost everyone’s wardrobe, but it feels impossible to find a pair you love that fits well. You might find jeans in a great color, only to discover that they are too stiff. Jeans that look great in the front may have an unsightly gap in the back. Sometimes jeans look perfect in the dressing room but expose your derriére when you try to sit down.

If you find yourself buying and returning jeans at an alarming rate, you aren’t alone. “Return rates are astronomically higher for bottoms than dresses or tops,” said Robyn Dombey, a fashion designer who designed jeans for Urban Outfitters and taught fashion design at Made Institute, Philadelphia. “Unlike tops, there is much more functionality and movement required for bottoms. Customers are therefore more particular, and rightly so, about the fit of bottoms,” she said.

Why is it so hard to find a pair of jeans that fit well and look great? And how can consumers find comfortable jeans that look great? We asked some top jeans designers for their tips.

How To Tell If A Pair Of Jeans Fits

Even if a pair of jeans looks great, they will sit in your closet if they don’t feel great. “What’s most important is that you feel good in what you’re wearing,” said Elizabeth Davey , director of product at Duer. Caren Lettiere , the founder and president of Democracy Clothing, says jeans that fit well should “feel comfortable and like a hug, but not tight like a squeeze.”

Dave Bowden , the founder of Irreverent Gent and a men’s style consultant, adds that “a good fit generally means you can sit, walk and move comfortably without the jeans riding up, sagging down or restricting movement.” He explains that a pair of jeans that fits well “snugly contours around your waist