Jeans for a Small Waist and Big Hips: How to Stop the Back Gap

You know the one. The jeans finally get over your hips, you do them up, and then you turn around and there's a gap at the back of the waistband big enough to fit your hand in. Size down and they won't go past your thighs.

That isn't your body being difficult. Most jeans are cut for a straighter shape, with less difference between waist and hips. If your waist is a lot smaller than your hips, a straight-cut jean that fits your hips will always have spare fabric at the waist, and that fabric stands away from your back.

So the fix isn't a different size. It's a different cut.

What to look for

1. A contoured waistband. This is the big one. A contoured waistband is cut on a curve so it follows the way your waist goes in, rather than running straight across. It sits flat against your back instead of gaping. Check product descriptions for words like contoured, curved or no-gap.

2. A high rise. A high waist sits at the narrowest part of your torso, which is exactly where you need the jeans to grip. Low and mid-rise jeans sit on the widest part of your hips, so they slide down and gap more.

3. Room through the hip and seat. Jeans for a curvy shape need more fabric through the hips and bum relative to the waist. Butt lifting jeans are built this way on purpose: the back seams and yoke are shaped to fit a fuller seat.

4. Stretch with recovery. You want denim that stretches over your hips and thighs, then snaps back. Without good recovery, jeans bag out at the seat and knees by the afternoon, and the gap comes back.

Which cut works best?

Most cuts can work once the waist and rise are right. Wide leg jeans are the easiest place to start, because they fit closely through the hip and then fall straight, which balances fuller hips and thighs. Skinny jeans show off your whole shape, but they need the best stretch and waistband of any cut, since they have nowhere to hide a bad fit.

Our Sculpt Wide Leg and Sculpt Skinny both have a high waist, a contoured waistband and back seams cut for curves. The Wide Leg uses a cotton-rich denim with 4-way stretch.

How to choose your size

Measure your waist at its narrowest point and your hips at the fullest part, then check the size chart. With a small waist and bigger hips, your hip measurement is usually the one to trust.

• Wide Leg: if you fall between two sizes, pick the smaller one.
• Skinny: go by your hips first, and size up if you're between sizes or very curvy through the hips.

Still not sure? Send us your measurements and we'll help you pick. And if they don't work out, you can return them within 30 days for store credit.