Menswear: How to Choose (ethical, vegan) Jeans to suit your body shape
Hunting for the perfect pair of jeans which are not only ethically made (including without a leather tag), but also fit your body shape best? We've put together the ultimate guide to finding the right pair of jeans for every man....
To work out which cut of jeans suits your body shape best, it's easiest to work out which of the 3 main body types you are most like, based on the Somatotypes described by the American psychologist W H Sheldon way back in 1954 in "Atlas of Men".
Most like, of course, because nobody fits into a neat little stereotype of 3, but it's a useful tool to select which cut of jeans will generally fit you best. Even if it's no longer 1954....
Image via Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Endomorph - rounded
The "rounded" physique, an Endomorph generally has an overall roundness to them - often short, with short arms and legs and a round abdomen, but often with slender ankles and wrists. Not necessarily overweight - this is the same body shape whether slim or heavy, but weight (and muscle) tends to go on very easily for this body type. Often wide hips and wide shoulders.
Mesomorph - square
Between the rounded Endomorph and the tall lean Ectomorph lies the Mesomorph body type. Defined by having more of a "square" physique, the Mesomorph usually has a muscular broad chest and shoulder, little body fat and heavily muscled arms and legs. Even without specific weight training, the Mesomorph tends to easily build muscle, particularly on the upper arms.
Ectomorph - rectangular
Tall, lean and lanky are the perfect adjectives for the Ectomorph physique. These are the men who never seem to put on weight, no matter how much they eat. Often a long, thin face, the Ectomorph will generally have a narrow chest and abdomen with long lanky arms and legs. Neither naturally muscular (like the Mesomorph) or fat (like the Endomorph),
Now you know which body type you mostly identify with, check out the categories below to see the best cut of jeans to suit your body type. We've also put together a couple of suggestions for actual jeans, all of which are leather-tag-free and ethically made.
Endomorph : best cuts of jeans for the rounded build
Create a sense of length by selecting a high rise jean and slim, tailored cuts.
BEST CUT: straight, tailored
BEST RISE: high
AVOID: baggy cut
ENDOMORPH Heavier build
A relaxed fit at the hip and thigh, with a low rise and a relaxed straight cut sit best if you are carrying a bit of extra weight on the belly. Dark denim is also more sophisticated and slimming.
BEST CUT: straight in a relaxed fit
BEST RISE: low
AVOID: skinny
Mesomorph : best cuts of jeans for the square, athletic build
Mid rise jeans with a slightly tailored cut sit well on an athletic physique.
BEST CUT: straight, rolled or straight hem
BEST RISE: mid
AVOID: stretch skinny
Ectomorph : best cuts of jeans for the lanky rectangular build
Look for dark denim in a very heavy weight - so the fabric creates a sense of bulk.
BEST CUT: skinnies & straight in heavy weight fabric
BEST RISE: mid
AVOID: thin denim
A note about the brands featured here....
We've only featured mens jeans which are ethically made, including not having leather patches. To give you a bit more background, here are some fast facts about the brands:-
MUD JEANS
- With a focus on sustainability and recycling, MUD Jeans is based in the Netherlands.
- They offer "Lease A Jeans", an innovative concept which allows customers to lease, wear and return their jeans rather than buy and send off to landfill.
- They also encourage customers to return their worn-out jeans, to be shredded & blended with virgin cotton to make new denim yarn.
- Returned jeans are upcycled with new denim patches and restitched as unique vintage pairs, which are named after their former owner.
- Mud use organic cotton and paper (not leather) patches.
- Yarn is made in Italy & Egypt; jeans are stitched in Tunisia & Italy. All made in fair factories.
GOOD SOCIETY
- Good Society use 100% organic cotton for their denim, with GOTS Certification.
- All jeans are made in Italy.
- Production focuses on using as few resources (including water) as possible.
- Buttons and rivets are made from recycled materials where possible.
- Back patches are made from white Alcantara fabric, a vegan material which resembles suede in looks and tactility, but is more durable. (Made from 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane, spun together in a patented process.)
MONKEE GENES
- Based in England, Monkee Jeans offer organic cotton jeans made in Indonesia & Turkey and their base brand Made in England (conventional cotton) styles.
- They promise "No Blood, Swear or Tears" production with no slave or child labour.
- Vegan leather patches.
DR DENIM JEANSMAKERS
- Dr Denim is a Swedish brand with a focus on ethically produced denim products.
- The company is a member of the BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) with an admirable Code of Conduct, including no child labour, protection of the environment, decent working hours, fair remuneration & no bonded labour.
- The company has a goal of 95% sustainable fabric content by 2020, and are subsequently increasing their usage of organic cotton, dead stock materials and alternative fibres such as hemp, & cellulose in the product range.
- All of Dr Denim's jeans are vegan (meaning no leather back patch labels) - with the exception of their Vintage Line which do have the original leather patches.
NAKED & FAMOUS DENIM
- All Naked & Famous Jeans are made in Canada.
- Their focus is on the highest quality fabrics, made to last.
- Unlike the other brands listed here, not all of Naked & Famous jeans are vegan, however, the models featured in this post are made from organic cotton with vegan leather patches. We reckon that while it's fabulous to support vegan companies, it's also important to purchase vegan products from omnivore brands because as a consumer, it sends a message, and encourages them to produce more vegan products for a changing world.
(And ain't that what we're all about, here are Future King & Queen? You betcha!)