Women's Jeans

Women's jeans at FlipBuy UK: 11 styles covering skinny, straight, high-waisted and ripped denim, in stretch and rigid fabrics. From £6.99 to £44.99, in UK sizes 6 to 18.

How to find jeans that fit without trying them on

Jeans are the hardest garment to buy online and the most returned. Three measurements do most of the work, and they beat the size label every time.

• Measure a pair you already own and like, laid flat: waist across the top (double it), hip at the widest point (double it), and inside leg from crotch seam to hem. Compare these against the product page rather than guessing your size.
• Check the rise: the distance from crotch seam to waistband. This is what determines where they sit, and it's the reason a pair can fit everywhere and still feel wrong. High rise is roughly 28cm+, mid rise 23-27cm, low rise below that.
• Fit the hip and thigh, not the waist. A gaping waist can be belted or taken in cheaply; tight thighs cannot be fixed.

Stretch or rigid denim

Stretch denim (usually 1-3% elastane) is more comfortable immediately, forgiving of size differences and better for skinny fits. The trade-off is that it bags at the knee and seat through the day and loses shape over time.

Rigid or low-stretch denim holds its shape far longer and moulds to you rather than stretching out. It's less comfortable for the first few wears and needs a more precise fit. If you want jeans that last years, this is the choice.

A useful rule: if a pair feels perfect in the fitting room, stretch denim will be loose by evening. Buy stretch jeans snug.

Choosing a cut

• Skinny follows the leg throughout. Works under boots, and needs stretch to be wearable all day.
• Straight falls from the hip without tapering. The most versatile cut and the least likely to date.
• High-waisted sits at or above the navel, defines the waist and stays put when you bend, which is why it's the most practical for everyday wear.
• Ripped is a finish rather than a cut. Worth knowing that rips grow with washing and wear; a small distressed patch becomes a hole within a year.

How to wash jeans (less than you think)

Denim is one of the few fabrics that genuinely benefits from infrequent washing.

• Wash every 5-10 wears, not every wear. Denim doesn't hold odour the way jersey does, and every wash fades the colour and loosens the fibres.
• Always inside out, cold, gentle cycle. This preserves the colour on the outer face, which is what you actually see.
• Never tumble dry. Heat is what shrinks jeans, hardens the fabric and destroys elastane. Line dry, ideally by the waistband.
• Spot clean marks rather than washing the whole pair.
• Air them between wears: hanging overnight does most of what a wash would.

If they've stretched or shrunk

Stretch jeans that have gone baggy usually recover in a cold wash and line dry. Jeans that have shrunk in a hot wash can often be worn back into shape, put them on damp and move around, though this works better on rigid denim than stretch.

How to make jeans last

• Repair the crotch seam early. It's where jeans fail first and a small hole is a five-minute fix; a large one isn't repairable.
• Don't sit on rough surfaces in dark denim you care about, walls and concrete abrade the seat.
• Empty the pockets before washing. Phones and keys damage the drum and the denim.
• Rotate two pairs rather than wearing one constantly. Denim recovers its shape with a day's rest.

Common questions

What size should I order?

Compare the measurements on the product page against a pair you own, rather than relying on the size label, denim sizing varies enormously between styles.

Do stretch jeans shrink?

They can in a hot wash, and heat also damages the elastane permanently. Cold wash and line dry.

What's the difference between mid and high rise?

High rise sits at or above the navel; mid rise sits below it. High rise stays in place better when bending and sitting.

Will ripped jeans tear further?

Yes, gradually, with wear and washing. Wash inside out on a gentle cycle to slow it.

Related collections

For other trousers, see women's trousers. For leggings, women's leggings. For tops, women's tops.