The Worst Jeans Mistakes for Women Over 50

Mistake #3: Not taking the inseam length seriously.

As a personal shopper who spends a lot of time watching clients try on jeans, I see plenty of inseam mistakes. They think the regular store-bought length is “good enough,” and they don’t want to spend extra on tailoring. The most common tip-offs are getting a pant hem stuck in the back of your shoe as you walk (typical for ankle jeans), tripping over the hem (standard in full-length jeans worn with flats), and sloppy puddling at the vamp of your shoes (often seen in full-length jeans worn with low heels or wedges).

Here’s my take: Tweaking the hem length at the tailor or at home is almost always necessary. Decide whether you prefer a neat straight hem, which looks more polished, or a frayed hem, which adds a subtle edge to jeans. (You can DIY a trim and get a frayed effect without sewing.) A tailor can convert frays to neat in minutes, and vice versa.

Say no to cuffs as a zero-tailoring length solution. I know it’s easy to roll up a cuff on jeans, and trendy to turn up large cuffs on wide-leg pants, but … don’t. It shortens the leg.

If you’re 5 foot 3 or under, take advantage of petite sizing in jeans, which gets the length and knee “indent” (where they hit on the knee) right. Great petite styles include the Banana Republic High-Rise Straight Ankle Jean in Medium Wash or White, Petite ($100, bananarepublic.gap.com), Madewell Women’s Petite Kick Out Crop Jeans in Lenoir Wash or Pure White ($138, madewell.com) and Mother Petites The Lil’ Hustler High Rise Ankle Jeans in Fairest of Them All ($228, bloomingdales.com).

(From left) Wear the right denim wash: Levi’s Women’s High-Rise Wedgie Straight Cropped Jeans in Max Effort; June + Vie Plus Size Curvie Fit Wide-Leg Jeans in Dark Blue; Everlane Women The Way-High Sailor Jean in Coal.

AARP (Target, Macy’s, Everlane)

Mistake #4: Wearing ripped jeans and outdated washes.

Remember pre-distressed jeans with rips, holes at the knee, extreme fades and a shredded look? Gone! Whiskering? No more! Coated jeans? History! The cycle of trendy washes keeps changing, and wearing outdated colors and finishes is a major mistake. A classic, even-toned, medium-to-dark-blue jean, like the Levi’s Women’s High-Rise Wedgie Straight Cropped Jeans in Max Effort ($70, target.com) and June + Vie Plus Size Curvie Fit Wide-Leg Jeans in Dark Blue ($58, macys.com), never goes out of style.

Are you over buying another pair of blue jeans? Try a solid white — no worries, these days they’re opaque, not see-through — like Loft High Rise Wide Leg Crop Jeans in White ($48, loft.com), or a black jean like Everlane Women The Way-High Sailor Jean in Coal ($148, everlane.com). Both have a sophisticated look, especially when paired with more black or white or other neutrals like tan, gray or camel, and they work year-round. Try white jeans with a black V-neck and loafer mules for an elegant effect, or black jeans with a crisp white shirt and black sandals for a summer outfit that’s easy yet pulled together.

Mistake #5: Sorry, your jeans are a bad fit.

It’s easy to pinpoint a bad fit on other women, but it’s harder to do so on yourself. Those jeans you loved at first glance may be awful in the real world. Remember, others see you from all angles! Standing in front of a mirror before removing the tags isn’t enough. Wear the jeans while you watch TV or work from home. Walk around the house, squat, bend, twist, reach, sit and stretch. Only then can you get a proper evaluation.

• Do your jeans need a belt to stay put? Do you need to tug the waistband up whenever you sit and stand? The rise is too low or the size is wrong for you.
• Is your muffin top spilling over the tops of your hi-rise jeans? Look for a lower hi-rise rather an extra hi-rise style.
• Are your jeans sagging or too tight in the crotch? You need a bigger size or another style.
• Are the back pockets placed high or low? Higher is better — it makes your legs look longer and gives your rear end a lifted, firm look.
• Does the zipper gape or not close fully? You need a different rise or a pull with a wide stretch waistband.
• Do the back of your jeans feature horizontal pulling (also known as “drag lines”) across the backs of your thighs? The waistband of your jeans may be too loose, or the thighs may be too tight.

Don’t settle and say, “I’ll wear an oversized shirt.” You deserve a better jean.

(From left) Choose flat-front pull-ons: Gloria Vanderbilt Women’s Amanda Pull-On Straight Jeans in Murray; Croft & Barrow Women’s Classic Pull-On Jeans in Medium Wash.

AARP (Kohl’s, 2)

Mistake #6: Wearing jeans that are not in sync with your tops.

Here’s a fashion chicken-and-egg dilemma: When deciding what to wear, which comes first, your jeans or your top? Most women pick the top and then the jeans. That brings up two mistakes: wearing untucked tops and tunics with hi-rise jeans, and shorter tops with medium rises. It should be the other way around.

Here’s why. Medium-rise jeans sit lower on the torso, right at or just below the belly button. It’s an ideal rise for relaxed tops, longer untucked tees, semi-tucks and tunics. Hi-rise jeans sit just above the belly button or higher. Waist definition is a key part of the look, and this rise works best with tucked-in tops, bodysuits, cropped tops, and jackets that hover just over the waistband and emphasize the waist.

Some women who only wear long, untucked tops buy high-waist jeans because “it holds me in better.” My advice? You don’t need the extra bulk of a working zip-front placket, belt loops and pockets with longer tops. Instead, choose a pull-on style like the Woman Within Women’s Plus Size Flex-Fit Pull On Denim Capri in Medium Stonewash, Indigo or Black ($34, target.com), Croft & Barrow Women’s Classic Pull-On Jeans in Medium Wash or Dark Wash ($35, kohls.com)