We recently popped down to try out the body scanner at Queensgate’s Project Denim event designed to reveal your body shape and finally solve your denim dilemmas.
Jeans – everybody has at least one pair but for many of us (particularly the girls!) it’s a fashion nightmare to get the right look.
The body scanner was all private and painless, you just stepped into a booth for the scan and were then discreetly provided with a body scan of your measurements to keep. The stylists then talked you through your body shape and advised what jeans to choose.
Lots of shoppers had booked in for a free scan and it certainly opened our eyes to trying some different stores we wouldn’t normally think of for buying jeans.
Emma Campbell from Stamford (pictured left) told ESP she’d always found it a ‘hideous nightmare’ trying to buy jeans but came away with a much better idea of what to look for – “I’m actually an hourglass when I thought I was a pear shape! Overall it’s been very positive. She was a very good charming stylist and I now know what suits me. It was very good.”
Stylist Lola Royle – “Jeans are a staple of your wardrobe – you can dress them up or down. It doesn’t have to be trend related – it’s better to wear what suits you. You’re your own person. If you’re wearing a low rise that’s uncomfortable you’re just going to feel rubbish!
Lola also says we should open our minds about where we buy our jeans now, and not pigeonhole where we think we should be shopping – “It doesn’t matter the retailer, it’s about buying the type of jean that you want and you love. You should focus on the style of the jean not the brand.”
It’s hoped the body scanner will make a return next year so watch this space and next time make sure you give it a go – it’s a real help!
Here are Queensgate’s Project Denim stylist Lola Royle’s tips for buying the jeans to suit your shape…
Apple Body Shape
If you are the Apple of someone’s eye then you’re pretty in proportion but tend to carry your weight around your mid section without a well-defined waist.
You may also have fabulous legs and/or boobs so dressing is all about showing off those best bits and avoiding adding volume round your middle.
It’s all about balancing your proportions out.
Simple denim styles in classic boot cut, wide leg or flares are best. Stick to clean lines without any extras, and darker colour jeans work great.
Hourglass Body Shape
Curvy hourglass girls go in at the middle, often with a fuller bust and bottom to contrast with the smaller waist. You’re blessed with a very sexy shape so you need to learn not to drown it in too-baggy clothes but also not to be too overtly sexy either – unless that’s the look you’re going for!
Mid or high rise jeans are fabulous as they elongate your legs. They should lay flat on your belly. Jeans with wide waist-bands are great for hourglass shaped women. Wide-legged, loose fitting, slightly tapered, boot-cut or straight leg styles are great.
Avoid flares.
Pear Shaped
The pear shaped woman tends to carry her weight in the lower area of her body. These women tend to have small to medium busts and a well defined waist, whilst areas such as the hips, thighs, calves and bottom are relatively larger.
Always wear darker shades of denim on the bottom. This way your legs receive that slimming effect and no attention will be drawn to your lower half.
A flared leg creates a more flattering line for your whole body. Boot-cut is another flattering style. When you have a pear shaped body, you want to accentuate your curves and draw attention to your narrow waist. Boot-cut jeans successfully do this.
Rectangle Body shape
Many would kill for this shape, there’s no main area you want to minimise so you can get away with more things than most. However, you may crave more curves – an illusion easily created with the right clothing.
Skinny jeans are great for the ‘volume on top, slim bottom’ look. Just make sure they’re really tight. Mid to low-rise jeans are great, just be careful if you have a long torso.
Baggy, flared or cargo jeans add volume on the bottom and are fabulous to combine with a slim top. Bags on your hips and bottom are terrific and you can wear as many embellishments as you like. Avoid jeans with big flares as they put your body out of balance.
Photos: Emma Bothamley for ESP magazine
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