Girls with big butts rock. And I’m not talking about Nicki Minaj or Kim Kardashian (although they are good celebrity spokespeople for the big booty movement–have you SEEN Nicki’s “Anaconda” video yet?!); I’m talking about us regular girls who’ve got big, wide hips and buns that are phat–with a “ph.” We’ve got curves. We’re not obese (you can be size 2 and have a butt!), in fact, some of us work out a LOT (ahem, Jen Selter). We’re known among friends for our particular “shape.” We’ve all had to tailor our jeans at some point (wtf is that extra jean material at the lower back?!). We’ve been the subject of catcalling since age 13 (men can spot a big butt a mile away, can’t they?). We’ve got drawers and drawers of long tank tops and shirts.
We know who we are.
So, with jeans season fast approaching, we’ve got to start thinking about squeezing our a$$es in to pants, which is one of the biggest challenges for us big booty girls. Not because we don’t look hot in jeans–we do–but because off-the-rack pairs rarely fit us perfectly (why do you think Kim Kardashian gets all her pairs custom tailored?). I’ve had to order up a size and then have the waist tailored, or the length shortened because of all the extra material bunching up around the ankle (I might be a size 30, but I’m not 6 ‘3″–okay, Seven for all Mankind?! ).I’ve bought jeans with embellished back pockets thinking it would make my butt look smaller (by camouflaging it?? IDK, I was much more insecure then) only to find that the opposite was true. It was until I was in my late 20s and
writing about fashion full time that I learned what looks best on me–and what doesn’t. And now I’m here to share that wisdom with you.
Jeans with pockets flaps
I love the look of Hudson Jeans, but their signature back pocket flaps are just not made for girls with big butts. As I mentioned, I initially thought they would sort of camouflage or cover up my butt (I considered it my “trouble area”), and I think this is a common misconception. I’m not going to go off on why I think “trouble areas” are B.S. (what you consider a trouble area is what makes you unique–embrace it!), but I will say that trying to cover up your butt is not something a proud big booty girl would do, or a particularly good styling trick. Always try to accentuate your, um, assets with a pocketless jean with a seamless rear end (the fewer bells and whistles back there, the better). The key is to show your own natural shape, not some denim construction by the designer. Extra fabric, buttons, flaps, etc., are just going to make it look more crowded back there.
Boyfriend jeans
It’s ironic that the most forgiving/relaxed jeans style is actually the least flattering for girls with a specific type of big butt–the saggy, low-hanging one–but it’s true. If your big butt is high and tight you might be able to make it work, but girls with a low bum shouldn’t waist their hard-earned money on a pair of boyfriend jeans that make them look dumpy (sorry, I hate that word, but it is the best descriptor in this case). I have made this mistake before, and the boyfriend jean isn’t the only time I’ve been suckered in to buying a denim trend (pastels, super low rise, etc) that was actually the worst for my body. Which brings me to…
Super low rise
Plumber’s crack is never cute. And that is pretty much the only reason super low rise jeans are on this list. I remember when Seven jeans first came out, I was totally in to the wash (and spending $125 of my babysitting money on a “designer pair”). I thought the fit was great, but looking back my ass crack was always hanging out. I was constantly pulling the jeans up, tightening my belts, or buying super long tank tops to cover it up (hence the drawer full). Luckily, these days pretty much ever jean brand from the super cheap to the very high end have jeans in every waist height (low rise, high waisted, etc). Now, the tricky part is getting the waistline AND the butt to fit right. *Sigh*
And now, Nicki’s video as promised:
Tags:
fashion,
tips and advice