Jeans have been a wardrobe staple for decades, but you still may often wonder how long each pair of jeans should be. This can be especially confusing when you consider the many styles that have become popular. Going too short or too long can be detrimental to your look, but not to worry. We've done the work to help guide you.

                                        

                                        

Skinny jeans

For this style of jeans, women should purchase pairs that hit them at the ankle bone. The bottoms taper inward for a tight fit, and it's best for them to end right at the ankle bone to accentuate the smallest area of the leg and thus the curves of the legs and buttocks as well.

This may prove more of a challenge for, particularly tall or petite women. In this case, we suggest looking at stores that provide several inseam lengths.

For women, we recommend purchasing or tailoring bootcut jeans that hit 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the floor. This depends on how much of your shoes you desire to show, and also what type of shoes you will be wearing with the jeans. If you anticipate wearing heeled or bulky shoes with these jeans, you should perhaps go longer. However, if you anticipate wearing flat shoes such as sneakers or loafers, you should go shorter.

BOOTCUT JEANS

FLARED JEANS

Flared jeans are the rare exception, that can acceptably be worn hitting the floor. Especially if you will be wearing these jeans with heels and platforms, we recommend going long. But not so long that your groovy footwear can't be noticed, of course. Now if you don't plan on wearing your flared jeans with tall shoes, you probably should go a bit shorter, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the floor. This will keep the heels of the jeans from being stepped on and worn down.

BOYFRIEND JEANS

Some women may choose to purchase or tailor their boyfriend jeans to hit a few inches above the ankle bone, showing the slimmest part of their leg and offsetting the bagginess of the trousers. This appears as if the woman meant to roll up a man's jeans because they were too long, or that she attempted to make them look a bit more feminine. This may also be the length desired if the jeans are being worn with a shoe that is meant to be a statement piece.

STRAIGHT-LEG JEANS

Wearing them a few inches above the ankle, for example, creates the illusion of the jean tapering inward just a bit and showing off the thinnest part of the leg. For a man, on the other hand, the jeans should be quite a bit longer. They should at least hit the ankle bone. Though for a more polished look, men should choose straight jeans that will not gather at the bottoms when worn with the desired footwear.

How Long Should Jeans Be When Sitting Down?

This is completely dependent on the style of jeans, how a person is sitting, and their body type. Above, we've detailed the length each style of jeans should be when the wearer is standing, and when one sits, it's acceptable for the jeans to "shorten" 1-3 inches.