Written by Paddy Maddison in Tips & Advice on the 22nd September 2016

What do you think the most common style crime is that men make? Well, we’ll tell you, it’s ill-fitting clothes. The fit of your clothes is everything. You could buy the most expensive clothes in the world, constructed from the finest quality materials but if they don’t fit you right then it’s all for nothing.

One of the most common fits that men seem to get wrong is jeans. It’s not difficult to get right when you know how; for example, if you have quite thick athletic thighs then you should be avoiding tight, tapered jeans as they will only accentuate your build. Conversely if you have a skinny build then baggier styles are best avoided.

Simply put, the aim of the game is to create balance using your clothes, so lets walk through some common men’s body shapes and take a look at the cuts of denim which will be most flattering to each.  

Trapezoid Build 

Characteristics: Broad shoulders with a slightly slimmer waist. A natural taper from shoulders down to ankles. If you recognise your body shape and a trapezoid build then you should think yourself extremely lucky because you are the easiest body type on this list to pick clothes for. When it comes to jeans it’s pretty much anything goes for you. As is the case with most body types - a pair of straight, slim jeans will look great on you, but equally, if you want to experiment with slimmer or wider styles then feel free. 

Recommended Styles: Levi’s 511, Levi’s 510, Edwin ED-71

Triangle Build 

Characteristics: Waist wider than shoulders. Thick set legs. This body shape has a more pronounced midsection, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but can be trickier to find the right clothes to fit. Fear not though, we’re here to help. The key here is to go for a straight leg as the slimmer the leg of the jean, the more you will increase the appearance of your waist. For this reason a straight leg pair of jeans are perfect for adding balance to your figure, especially if your legs taper from thigh to ankle quite dramatically. Another good tip is to opt for darker colours, which can be very slimming, the obvious one being black. 

Recommended Styles: Levi’s 501, A.P.C. New Standard, Nudie Steady Eddy

Inverted Triangle 

Build Characteristics: Very broad shoulders and very slim waist. The inverted triangle build is what you’d probably describe as the classic athletic type body shape. Just like the trapezoid build this body type can pull off most styles, but there are still a few things to be wary of. Pretty much anything is fine apart from super skinny denim. Because your shoulders are so wide and your waist is so narrow, super skinny jeans will further accentuate this and you could end up looking out of proportion. Again, slim cuts will work nicely as will skinny. Just make sure you know when skinny is too skinny. 

Recommended Styles: Levi’s 511, A.P.C Petit New Standard, Acne Studios Max Stretch

Rectangle Build 

Characteristics: Slim. Shoulders and waist similar width. Straight all the way down. This is the typical slim body type. There is minimal difference between the width of the shoulders and that of the waist and the legs tend to be slim all the way down without a huge amount of difference between thighs and calves. The best bet if you fall into this body shape category is to go for slim fitting jeans with a low rise and a tapered leg. This will help to add contrast between the tops and bottoms of your legs and will help to add a bit of shape. If you can’t find a taper that you feel comfortable with then remember that your local tailor is your best friend - so don’t hesitate to buy denim if you like the fit and fade. You can always get them tapered later. 

Recommended Styles: Levi’s 520, Edwin ED-80, Nudie Thin Finn

We discuss the different types of jean shapes, styles and fittings and show you How to Pick the Right Jeans for your Body Shape.