The Ultimate Men’s Jeans Fit Guide
For fit bods, tall bods, dad bods…find the type of jeans that suits your build.
Maybe you know that you hate skinny jeans. Or super baggy jeans. But maybe you don’t know what style of jeans you like. Enter the Nordstrom Trunk Club Denim Guide. Scroll on to learn about standard denim styles, and which ones are the best suited for your frame.
Types of Jeans for Men
To find your perfect pair of jeans, it helps to understand the different types of styles first. The style, or cut, of your jeans refers to how it’ll fit on you from your hips to your ankles. Below, we’re breaking down the most common fits.
Skinny
Skinny jeans feature a more streamlined silhouette that is narrow and close-fitting throughout the leg, with a narrow leg opening.
Slim
Similar to skinny jeans, slim jeans have a fitted cut, however this style features slightly more room and is great for achieving a polished look.
Slim-straight
Designed with a slim fit from the hips and thighs and a straight silhouette through the rest of the leg, this style can be worn with boots or sneakers.
Straight
This style is exactly what it sounds like. The silhouette runs straight through the legs making it ideal for styling with off-duty looks.
Bootcut
This style refers to jeans that widen from the knee to the ankle. The slight flare of this silhouette gives it rugged appeal which pairs nicely with boots.
Tapered
Combining elements of straight and skinny fits, tapered jeans feature narrowed legs which gives this style a more tailored look.
Relaxed
The roomiest fit of them all, relaxed-fit jeans have an easy silhouette from top to bottom. This style works well when comfort is top priority.
Best Fitting Jeans for Men by Body Type
Athletic
The trick: Create breathing room.
How to do that: If you have muscle, you’ll want to wear jeans that fall a little bit away from your frame. Opt for more relaxed straight-leg and slim-straight styles to avoid any Bruce Banner situations.
Oval
The trick: Stretch it out.
How to do that: If you carry weight in your midsection, look for denim with “stretch” on the label. Otherwise, any slim-straight style should offer enough room to move. That said, beware of anything too roomy or relaxed—excess fabric will just add more bulk to your frame.
Inverted triangle
The trick: Balance your proportions.
How to do that: Are your shoulders noticeably broader than your waist? Skinny jeans will only exaggerate that. Create just the right balance with slim and slim-straight styles—especially in a lighter wash—that even things out without weighing you down.
Rectangle
The trick: Keep it simple.
How to do that: When you have a fairly uniform body shape, you don’t want to throw things into disproportion by wearing pants—or shirts, for that matter—with too much volume. Stick with slim and slim-straight silhouettes that follow your natural build.
