One Style Fits All: Bootcut Jeans

(Marilyn Monroe in "Clash by Night", photo courtesy of Corbis)

Cowboys and coal miners strutted the "everyman's fashion" down the American West runway in the forth quarter of the nineteenth century. Jean, the fabric named after the Italian sailors in Genoa who wore them, was selected for its durability, and it soon became Mr. Manual's must-have item, circa 1870.

In the 1950s, jeans were just as likely to find company with white-collars as blue-collars. Jeans became the uniform of rebellion for America's middle-class youth, and the indigo flag was brandished by the likes of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlon Brando.

Whether you're looking to make a statement or just avoid ironing, the classic boot-cut, cutting in at the knee then kicking back out to the ankle to accommodate your favorite boots beneath, is an all figure flatterer,

Middle Figures benefit best from a mid-rise that corsets the broadest part of their supple center. The rise should neither fall above (creating an uninterrupted pelvis paunch)or below (squishing your love into handles) the target.

Denim for a Lower Figure requires sophisticated scrutiny to simultaneously suit the seat, hips, and thighs. In summary look for a lower mid-rise, a generously cut leg, and a flare sufficient to balance the hips.

Rather than a tightly tapered, ice-cream cone leg, Upper Figures should highlight delicate thighs with creases, whiskers, striation, and other wash embellishments. These details highlight dainty stems without throwing the figure off-kilter.

The Linear Figure is bettered by only a whisper of a widened ankle. Slimmer fits create contoured curves from straighter structures.

The bass flare of an Hourglass jean should harmonize with both the tenor timbre of the hips and the soprano strain of the bust. This chorus will allow the dramatic melody of a narrow alto waist to sing. A dark, simple wash with a cleanly flared leg will ensure that the best profile of your figure is punctuated.

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In recognition of Fitting Room Friday, these mothers offer an example of exactly what to avoid in denim.