Do you prefer wide leg or slim leg jeans?
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today, I want to ask you….Do you prefer wide leg or slim leg jeans?
As we move closer to the return of cooler months, I would like to know which you prefer….wide leg or slim leg jeans?
I live in full length jeans, for the most part, during cooler weather.
So, I just received these CHICO’S TROUSER JEANS, and I really like them. I got the darker Disco Indigo color.
They are not a wide leg jean, but definitely could be called a wider leg jean!
With so many types currently in style, I wonder about the over all preferences.
So, come along and let’s think about wide leg or slim leg jeans…and, the jacket and top I am wearing are navy blue (not black!)
DO YOU PREFER WIDE LEG OR SLIM LEG JEANS?: MY CHOICE
While I like this trouser jeans very much, I think if I have to pick one favorite, that it would be slim leg jeans.
But, honestly, it has everything to do with the fit.
I have really enjoyed this light weight wide leg jean this summer and felt very confident wearing it.
So, this summer my preference has been wide leg jeans.
This PETITE PULL-ON DRAWSTRING WIDE LEG JEAN is still available but only in petites. I am wearing a regular size.
I have found myself selecting wide leg jeans, when wearing shorter tops…and slim leg jeans with larger, longer tops.
To help you out and get you to processing if you prefer wide leg jeans or slim leg jeans…here are a couple of slide shows of what is currently on the market:
WIDE LEG JEANS:
I understand that a slim leg jean has many names…bootcut, straight leg…you may refer to whichever one you like best.
SLIM LEG JEANS FOR WOMEN: ( I also am a fan of Chico’s jeggings but did not include them in the slide show):
The LEE jeans at Kohl’s in the slideshow promise to instantly slim us down!
DO YOU PREFER WIDE LEG OR SLIM LEG JEANS?: YOUR TURN
OK…what is your preference? Do you prefer wide leg or slim leg jeans?
Please share your reasons, because these answers help other women with their own decisions.
Of course, ask any questions you like about the topic.
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By Pamela Lutrell
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Like you, I’m still a fan of straight-leg jeans and jeggings, but I have just purchased the Chico’s trouser jeans in the darker indigo color. Unfortunately, they mixed up my order and sent the lighter color, but at least I loved the fit and I’m working with them on the color issue. I liked trouser jeans the last time they were in style, especially for “business casual,” so I think I may find many ways to wear these. I don’t care for the wider jeans in lighter colors, probably because I am currently 25 pounds over my ideal weight and don’t feel the lighter color is as flattering. I also don’t like to wear the wider leg jeans with flats or athletic shoes (still struggling with foot issues.) I have several pair of ankle boots with very low heels that I will wear with the trouser jeans. With narrower jeans I wear flats, or knee-high boots, in addition to ankle boots. Love your copper and cream outfit, and you inspired me to locate the similar pieces in my own closet! That will be a good option while I’m dreaming of fall.
Thanks for starting this conversation off today, Lorri! Happy Tuesday!
I wear both slim (straight) and wide-legged jeans, but I think the wide-legged jeans, especially with a slight flare at the bottom, are more flattering to my figure. I’m moderately hourglass with thin arms and legs, and I find that the wider jeans give me better visual balance as long as they don’t fall straight from the hip. I’m one of the women who were ecstatic when skinny jeans finally started to fall out of favor.
Thanks for sharing, Elle….
I think the wide -leg jeans look ridiculous on everyone. All that fabric flapping around is not flattering. There’s a big difference between flowing and flapping when it comes to fabric. I am easily overwhelmed by excess fabric; for me, skinny, slim or slight bootcut look best. I think there’s more , literally and visually, behind the push for huge jeans/clothes than meets the eye.
I appreciate your comment. Ladies let’s keep this personal to you. I don’t believe we should say that wide-leg does not flatter anyone… that’s just too broad. I appreciate your understanding in this matter. I want to know about you.
I prefer boot cut or jeggings, full length. I know all the Chicos videos tell us the wide leg balances us out, but I disagree , for myself anyway. Now, on the other hand, I do love a pretty palazzo pant. I can’t explain the choice, could be just the feel of the flowy fabric where denim just feels clunkier flappy at my lower legs.
Thanks Sheryl…I like the flowy ones too!
I only buy slim leg jeans>. I do not like the look of the wide leg jeans. I do not feel they are flattering . I like the look of the slim leg jeans. I feel more put together with this look. This has always been my preference.
Thanks, Mary!
I like the wider leg jeans in white and as a crop best. I pair them with summery, shorter tops such as a colorful waist-length cotton sweater. I do like slim leg jeans or jeggings in a light or dark color as they pair well with tunic blouses and sweaters. Plus so easy to pair with flat, comfortable shoes! I was wondering if anyone has an opinion of ladies wearing leggings at our age as long as our backside is completely covered up. I am tall and slim but at age 66, I want to be sure I’m not dressing “too young”.
Thanks for the specifics, Mary!
I prefer ankle length relaxed straight leg jeans, which is about halfway between slim and wide. They seem to be the most versatile with tops and shoes, and flatter my apple shape. I do own bootcut, and they look extremely flattering and even a little elegant, but I get frustrated with what shoes to wear with them. They call for higher heels, but I don’t wear those often, and at 5’5” it means cutting them off for a frayed hem or paying someone to shorten. I dislike when these pants drag on the ground, as many are wearing them. I tried on a pair of wide-legged jeans at Chicos, and the ladies assured me I looked “fine” in them, which was hardly a ringing endorsement :). I can wear wide pants (and own the Chicos Travelers) if they are very flowy. I do think the wider legs take some getting used to, and we will all be comfortable in them … eventually. I put on my slim leg Talbots jeans the other day and felt a little bit strange, like already they looked a bit extreme on the other end of the spectrum. They do look the best with longer tops, but even longer tops are starting to feel not as fresh as the shorter ones.
I agree that the wide-legs take some getting use to…I know they did for me. Though not my top preference, I do enjoy wearing the ones I own.
I wear both, but the wide legs are usually cropped ankle length. That way I can wear a flat with them. Longer wide legs somehow look like they are wearing me, you know what I mean. My usual pants are straight leg-not skinny-and ankle length, like the ‘cigarette’ pants of old. I wear leggings only in winter when I have a longer tunic sweater to cover them. And honestly, mostly at home. I’m 72, and for me, when I see friends of similar age wearing them, they’re not all that flattering. These ladies still have nice figures, why drape yourself in cloth? Only my opinion, they look good on lots of people. My husband likes them on me. Go figure..
Thanks Susan!
I prefer the straight leg, but do have one pair of a moderate wide leg. We petite ladies don’t want too much flair
I prefer straight leg jeans. however, I rarely wear jeans. I prefer slacks. If I wear jeans they are usually black. I think the wide left jeans look best when wearing a boot or shoe with a higher heel.
There are so many options in wide-leg…thanks for mentioning that, Audrey.
Thanks Nancy!
My most flattering cuts are straight leg regular length in dress pants (pontes, knits) and straight or slim leg ankle length for denims, cottons, twills. I have skinny, slim, straight and wide cuts in capri length pants and feel good in all of these. I have not tried wider legs on long pants because I remember from past cycles in fuller styles that I never felt my best in them. Mary J. asked about if other ladies are still wearing leggings. I kept mine but for several years now have worn them only under other pants or long skirts in the winter. I am 61, also tall, but not as slender as one might hope. 😉
Most of my summer pants ( not denim) are wide leg cropped. I’m 5 ft3 and slim through hips, thighs legs and a shorter torso. They look ok I think. I just watch for my tops to be more fitting and not long.
My summer jeans are slim legs: white frayed hem and lightest blue denim.
Straight leg jeans and slight boot cut are my favorites. I like darker denim, although some descriptions and photos look dark, when they arrive in the mail, they are not dark, at all.
I enjoy many different jeans styles. This is a little off topic, but I’d like to say that I was very slow to jump on the skinny jeans bandwagon. So slow in fact, that by the time I bought a pair they were on the way out! I never really found a top / skinny jeans combo that I really liked. I usually only wore my skinnies in the winter with a longer sweater.
This season, I have tried to find a flattering pair of wide leg jeans, but I have mostly failed. I’ll admit that I haven’t tried really hard. I refuse to spend a lot on the trend. I have tried on several pairs that I rejected out of hand. I finally found a white pair of wide leg jeans from Old Navy while they were on sale. They looked decent in the dressing room mirror. I cropped them to just above the ankle. I have worn them a few times, but put them in my donate pile last week. I have concluded that they make me look heavier. The proportion is just not right on me. I have a rectangle figure that is now leaning toward an apple shape due to some stress related weight gain around the middle. I wear a size 6, so I am not terribly heavy. My bottom is rather flat, which may be part of the problem. All of the wide leg jeans I have tried seem to have too much fabric in the hip and upper thigh area for my taste. I do have a deep lime green pair of straight leg jeans that I scored at Goodwill a couple of years ago that might fit into the wide leg category. They are flattering because they fit well in the hips and thighs. Unfortunately, they are not very versatile because of their funky color. I do like the look of wide leg jeans on other women. I think my combo of fluffy belly and flat bottom make the style a fail for me.
In general, I prefer straight leg and full-length boot cut jeans when I want to look my tallest (I’m only 5’3 3/4″) and slimmest. However, I do enjoy wearing crops in the summer. They show off my very slim ankles :).
There is a style I haven’t seen any of your readers mention – balloon or barrel-leg jeans. I think they are a very trendy look. I bought a pair of Universal Thread balloon jeans on Poshmark and kind of like them. They are very high-waisted and ballon from the knees down. I do think that they make my waist look smaller in comparison because of the width at the lower legs. They are much more flattering to me than the Old Navy wide leg jeans that I am donating. I think that the key for me with barrel leg or balloon jeans is a good fit at the hips and thighs. I don’t want volume there. I have seen quite a variety of shapes in the balloon style. Some have much more exaggerated width than others. Some balloon from the waist, i.e., they are very wide in the hips, thighs, and everywhere. I like the ones that have a more modest balloon shape.
I think wide/wider leg jeans look wonderful on taller, slim figures. Also, proportions figure into the overall look, so the wider jeans call for a shorter top piece, cropped, or at the very least, high hip. Otherwise, the body appears “blocky” and thicker/straight. I have one pair that I wear very rarely, and only with cropped tops. I’m not tall enough to make the most of this look. I live in my classic, straight jeans and find them to be more versatile with a wider variety of tops. When I’m relaxing at home, I do wear wide-leg linen pants, but don’t wear them out of the house. I’m solidly in the straight/slim leg camp. And they never go out of style.
I have started wearing flares, and I really like them. I like that the legs are more fitted above the knee as I have thin legs. I do find that finding tops to go with jeans with wider legs can be a challenge. I don’t like tops tucked in, so I need shorter and more fitted tops with wider-leg jeans.
I also like straight-leg jeans. They are very versatile.
I do like your first picture with the striped jacket. The wider jeans look nice. I agree with you when you said that you like wider jeans with shorter tops and longer tops with slim jeans. I don’t have any wide leg jeans but I might want to try them. I have no idea how I would look in them but it’s worth a try for something different.
Good morning, Pam. You have hit on a topic that I’m very happy to comment on. For me, and only me, I prefer the slim or straight leg jeans. I’m tall and thin and have found in the past when i have tried wide leg pants in any fabric, that I trip over all the access fabric. lol. Case in point, I was given a lovely pair of wide leg pants as a gift. The very first time I wore them I tripped on the stairs and fell down to the landing, about ten stairs.
Since then I have admired wide leg pants on other ladies, but I stick with the straight leg for myself and also have the bootcut style in my closet.
No one mentioned comfort of the high rise trouser cut jeans and wide leg jeans from Chicos. I love them! I can sit comfortably and not feel like my privates are being crushed. I don’t like the comfort level of skinny jeans and mine are off to donations. I have some boy cut but they are mid rise and I am not as comfortable with them. I’m 5’1 1/2” tall and 143 lbs. so I wear petite and they kiss my shoes. I wear sneakers and slip ins as I have problems with my feet. I’m 79 and dress to please myself. I have not been able to wear jeans since early May. It is just too hot here in southern front range mountains of Colorado. I did wear knee length leggings yesterday with a thin tunic length tee. Wear what looks good to your own eye and what is comfortable to live in. That is my motto. I’m also disabled so I have to sit a lot. My disability is not visible as it is mild instability and chronic pain and fatigue. I still like to look good and that is why I love fashion.
I prefer straight leg or boot cut for my jeans. As you noted, fit is everything, & I have noticed that many of the wide leg jeans also seem to be a baggy fit. I wear jeggings at home but not when I’m going out. I think the straight leg is a bit dressier for me.
n I prefer NO Jeans!! I do wear Jean Skirts!!! I only wear skirts!!
I love jeans. I have straight hips, no bottom, and slim legs, so I embraced jeggings years ago with slouchy tops. I was happy to put them aside and went for the slim legs. With those I can wear slouchy tops/third pieces or short jackets. I am trying to be very careful about fit and balance. I am not built for full legged jeans. I guess I would say that ‘my’ wide leg jeans would only be boot cut, slim legs with flared bottoms. It is important for me to consider the footwear as well as the silhouettes of both tops and trousers. I see une femme wearing the bottle jeans but I don’t see them working for my personality type. I am interested in playing a bit more with some marine blue straight legs jeans that I rarely wear. I recently saw them worn as rather rough looking, but with feminine sandals and simple top. I liked the unexpected contrast. Jeans are wonderful and plentiful. Patience to find your best is fun. There can be lots of surprises.
An interesting question … I am only 5′ 2″, so I don’t wear super wide legs b/c too much fabric swamps me — and I totally relate to tripping on the material. I have some wide legs b/c I needed them to go over the boot when I broke my ankle. For summer, I have two pairs of Talbots white jeans: one straight and one flare. The latter feel dressier to me. Most of my jeans are straight, boyfriend, or relaxed. Generally, I wear shorter or tucked tops with all jeans, although I might layer an unbuttoned longer shirt over sleeveless tops. I have black jeggings but am feeling that age-appropriateness thing. I don’t like tunic tops on me (and don’t like sitting on sweaters), so the long sweater-jegging look is not really for me.
I’m a straight or mini boot cut jeans gal. I love the look of wide leg jeans on others. I just have not found the right pair of wide legged jeans for me. Also, in my rural neck of the woods, wide legged jeans styles haven’t quite caught on yet.
What an interesting discussion. My collection of jeans runs from slim to flared. My current favorite jeans are a classic straight leg that is neither wide nor very slim. They are more comfortable that the slim jeans and still easy to style. Ditto for a pair of boot cut. I like the Chico trouser jeans but have trouble styling them. I feel they need a shorter top I’m 5’3″ and short waisted so its challenging to find a sweater or jacket that looks right. I”m still looking. I wish I could tuck but I have a medical condition that causes bloating so those days are over. I still have several pair of slim jeans in colors like brown and olive and plan to keep wearing them. I never embraced the skinny jeans or legging because I don’t like the way I look in tunics. I do agree with everyone who brought up the issue of choosing footwear that goes well with they style of jeans or pants. Any excuse to buy new shoes or boots! BTW, Pam, I love the copper and cream outfit you showed today. You look fabulous in it.
I did not wear many of my leggings last year. If that happens again this year, I will send some along on their merry way!
Thanks for specifics, Paulette.
That has happened to me too, Joyce. I much prefer darker denim!
I tried to keep it simple today, but you are right, there are more designs than just these two.
So true, Karen. Slim leg or bootcut are always in style!
I agree on the tops, Kathy! I only have a few I like with my wide leg jeans. It is more of a challenge.
It’s fun to try them on! That is what hooked me. When I first tried them on in store, I was surprised at how much I liked them.
Oh Rhoda!! That fall sounds horrible. I am so glad you were ok and I would not have worn them again either.
Thank you for sharing the comfort story, Sydney!
I find a good straight leg to be a very casual chic look!
Thanks for representing skirts, Natalie!
Yes there can be, Deborah!
I am very impressed with Talbots jeans. They are now creating them for all sizes. I like their jeans a lot.
Thanks for joining in, Janet!
Thanks Kathie! I like it too!
I prefer straight leg, high waisted jeans. I have my best luck with Talbots, NYDJ and a very old pair of DKNY SoHo Skinny jeans that have been discontinued. They’re not too skinny, sure wish they would bring that style back. I’m pear shaped and short waisted. This type of jean works with my sneakers, ankle boots and flats. Maybe I haven’t tried on the right style of wide leg pants, tho I have tried many. Has anyone tried the Lee jeans from Kohl’s that promise to slim us down?
Yes! If anyone has, please share! I will do my best to get to Kohl’s to see if they have a pair I can try on!
I love denim jeans but I definitely prefer the slim leg cut for my body shape. I love my jeans with a simple merino pullover. I did purchase a pair of navy moderately wide ankle length trousers. I am trying to like the wider cut, but am still trying to feel like me in them. I am still struggling to find tops, besides a stripe or white shirt.
You said something important here, Kathy. We need to make sure we do feel like our confident best when we select a Jean. If we don’t, then we probably won’t wear it.
I still like a slim leg or bootcut jeans best. When wide legs became so popular, I thought maybe I’d try a pair. I went looking and found some that fit me just the way they were meant to, bu they just weren’t me. I knew I’d feel self-conscious wearing them, so they stayed in the store. Aside from personal taste, there’s another downside to wide-legged jeans in our Canadian climate… they’re too baggy to tuck into the tall boots that most of us wear a lot during our long, cold winter.
Two things first Pamela. A belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you and may you have many more. Also re leggings; experience speaking here as you may want to hold on to a few pairs as know when an old injury to my back reared its ugly head it was either wearing them or pyjama bottoms to my physio therapy appointments, as not only were the most comfortable but also the most practical. As to the topic today; re wide leg bottoms I am on the same page as Sheryl (above) so needless to say when it comes to them being in denim I much prefer a straight leg slimmer version with a slight taper at the bottom hemline (very similar to cigarette pants), as feel being neutral in cut they take the mystery out of what to wear in tops and footwear plus can be worn more easily as casual or elevated. -Brenda-
Thank you, Brenda!
Apologies. I will rephrase.
Because if its weight ( albeit there are various weights), I find excess of denim fabric flapping around, as opposed to flowing, to be a distraction.
For me, I’m overwhelmed by excess fabric, tending to look costume-esque. ( I do love costumes, however.) It has to be cool to cold for me to wear jeans. I prefer skinny, slim or narrow boot cuts on me.
The Chico’s model, in the slide show, appears to be tall and thin. She’s also wearing heels. The jeans are fitted through the hips. This cut, on this body type, with those shoes, is a win. Since I don’t wear heels and I’m not tall, I prefer a slimmer cut. A local boutique owner always says leggings are not pants.
Thanks so much for clarifying!
Leggings come in many styles, Lilly. Some should stay home, but the fit of others can go out with confidence! It depends on the woman, the fit, and quality of the leggings. Thanks for bringing it up.
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. Here is my take. I enjoyed wearing wider legged jeans and slacks when they were in style last time around. At that time I wore them with heels and added a few extra inches to my petite frame. Now that I have for the most part given up on wearing high heels, a straight classic leg, not skinny, is my preference. Perhaps in the cooler weather, with a boot that adds some height and flatters the wider cut I may be convinced? I can’t see myself lounging in them around the house though. Maybe to wear heading out of the house for a slightly more formal occasion? I can see the possibility of the extra material and the extra length leading to a fall as mentioned by another respondend. That was terrible, hope everyone has recovered. Blessings to all.
While I can appreciate almost every style of jeans on other people, I’m on the tall side, with a bust that is larger than the rest of me. I find wide and straight leg jeans that a don’t give a pegged appearance to be the most flattering on me. Jeans with tight straight legs, skinny jeans, and leggings don’t really flatter my figure, plus as I get older, I find my knees no longer appreciate being constrained by tight fabric.
Thanks for sharing what works for you, Dory!