Design Your Own Jeans That Are Perfect for Your Body Type

Customizing garments begins by knowing the individual's body type. There are four different body type classifications. The hourglass shape refers to a well-proportioned upper and lower body; the pear shape has a larger hip area and a smaller upper body; apple shapes have a larger chest and waist with a narrow hip; and the ruler shape has slight differences in the hip and waist measurements, with slender arms and legs. By determining the body type and measurements, the designer is able to narrow down the jean selection process.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flexible tape measure
• Sketch pad
• B or H pencil
• Colored pencils
• Denim fabric texture swatch
• Pastels (optional)
• Wax crayons (optional)

1. Step 1

Measure your hip, waist, shoulder and inseam with a flexible tape measure. Keep a record of your specifications.

2. Step 2

Draw your free-hand sketch in your sketch pad using the dimensions taken as your guide points. For example, if you are pear shaped and have long legs, you will need to draw this type of silhouette on your sketch prior to your jean selection. Use a B for soft lines and an H pencil for your details such as pockets and stitching.

3. Step 3

Choose your jean type by selecting the silhouette, keeping your body type in mind. For example, a pear shape with long legs and a thick thigh area will look best with a boot leg cut silhouette. The leg patter is straight from the hip area to the ankle. This pattern type will camouflage the thigh area and make the legs appear long and lean for a flattering customized jean design. A pencil cut silhouette, which is generally form fitting from the hip to the ankle, will make a ruler body type appear hourglass.

4. Step 4

Choose your denim fabric by selecting an appropriate denim texture for the body type. For example, cross hatch denim, which has an interweaving vertical and horizontal grain, will be flattering for an hourglass shape. Rain denim, which has a vertical grain texture, will be flattering for a pear shape. Stretch denim is used for all body types. This flexible fabric naturally conforms itself to the body when worn.

5. Step 5

Choose your denim wash by selecting the shade of stonewash best suited for the body type. For example, use a medium or dark stonewash for an apple shape with a slightly flared jean. This will detract the focus from the waist area by mixing the jean with a medium or dark colored top. The ensemble will appear tonal for a flattering appearance.

6. Step 6

Draw in your denim fabric texture selection with your colored pencils. Use a swatch of your selected denim fabric to refer to while adding color to your sketch. Although denim is a challenging fabric to sketch because of the flat surface, use color pencils for the grain and use pastels or wax crayon to blend and diffuse the denim wash shade.