Skinny Jeans & The 6 Figure Types

Is there a pun in that title? I think I'll keep it.

Yesterday almost girl was grumping about skinny jeans being in for another year. (Be ye entertained -- go read the comments!)

Fashion cycles aside, here's a little rundown on how each of the six basic figure types works with the skinny jean silhouette:

Hourglass ~ With square shoulders and a nipped-in waist, the trick to wearing skinny jeans is to have a definite flair from the waist to the hips. As long as the hourglass shape is maintained in the upper body, the legs can taper (as in tucked into boots) or be straight (same width at knee and at ankle).

Rectangle ~ Essentially a vertical look, with shoulders and hips (and waist) equally wide, balance is maintained by keeping a straight shape. Only the skinniest rectangles (what I call a pencil) will be tucking their jeans into their boots.

Oval ~ Loose, drapy top over skinny jeans tucked into boots; that is an oval silhouette. Keep the shoulders narrow and the waist filled in.

Figure-eight ~ Because the shoulders are sloped in both figure-eight and oval, a narrower hem is natural. Figure-eight needs waist definition. Curvy thighs? Leave the legs out of the boots.

Triangle ~ Boot-cut is your skinny jean.

Wedge ~ Wider shoulders and skinnier legs are a natural with skinny jeans. Be careful to keep things close to the body around the middle, or your legs may end up looking like toothpicks.

I remember how chic tapered pants seemed when they became fashionable in the 80s. With this trend to skinny jeans, I'm keeping my jacket with shoulder pads. It's only a matter of time.