Styling jeans: one rule, five styles and outfits that work every time

Jeans are the easiest item in your wardrobe and the trickiest at the same time. You probably own three or four pairs and always reach for the same one. That's rarely down to the colour. It's down to the fit and the length of the leg.

We're going through five styles: wide leg jeans, flared jeans, baggy jeans for women, baggy jeans for men and stacked jeans for men. For each style, we'll tell you what to wear underneath and on top. One rule ties the whole list together.

The rule: start with the leg, then do the rest

Choose the shape of the leg first, then match your top, your shoes and your jacket to it.

A wide leg calls for a slim or cropped top. Flared jeans fit close to the knee and so can handle a bit more volume on top: a roomy jumper, an overshirt, a jacket with some length. Do it the other way round and your silhouette looks unbalanced, making the trousers seem too big. That's the whole trick, and it works exactly the same way for women and men.

The second half of the rule is about length. The hem decides whether an outfit looks finished. With flat shoes, you want the leg to sit right on the instep; with heels or boots, it can be longer. Measure this with the shoes you'll actually wear them with, not barefoot in the bedroom.

Wide leg jeans for women: the jeans that keep your silhouette calm

Wide leg jeans are high-waisted jeans with a leg that falls straight down from the hip and stays the same width from knee to hem. The style makes your legs look longer and gives your upper body all the room to stay simple.

With a thin jumper tucked in, you get the smart version: your waist stays visible and the trousers do the rest. With a fine shirt and a short blazer, it becomes a look for the office or dinner out. With a blouse worn loose over the top, you keep it more relaxed for daytime, as long as the top doesn't go past your hip.

Watch the length: a wide leg should half cover the shoe and shouldn't drag on the ground. Dark washes look smarter, light washes look softer and more summery. You'll find the wide styles in women's trousers.

Flared jeans for women: how do you wear a flared leg in autumn?

Flared jeans fit close around the hip and thigh and flare out from the knee to the hem. With a high waist, no other pair of jeans makes your legs look as long as this style, especially when the hem falls over your shoe.

With ankle boots with a block heel under the hem, you get the long, continuous line this style is all about. With a short blazer or a cropped jacket, your waist stays visible and the flared leg stays in balance. With a fine jumper tucked in and chunky loafers, you keep it relaxed for daytime.

Buy the length to match the shoe: with your shoes on, flared jeans should almost touch the ground. A flared leg that stops above the ankle loses its whole effect. Light washes look soft and a bit seventies, dark washes make the style ready for the evening. The flared styles are in women's trousers.

Baggy jeans for women: roomy without looking sloppy

Baggy jeans for women sit roomy around the hip and thigh and fall in a loose, sometimes slightly curved line to the ankle. It's the most relaxed style of the lot and that's exactly why it's so loved: nothing pinches, even if you sit or cycle all day.

With a denim shirt half-tucked in or a short jumper, you keep the top slim and give the trousers all the room. With loafers or Mary Janes and the hem turned up once, it becomes a smart version for the city. With trainers and a short jacket, it's your outfit for the weekend.

Go with your normal size for a baggy style: the roomy fit is already in the cut, and a size up will just make the waistband sag. A turn-up of three to four centimetres looks deliberate, more looks like a quick fix. Beige, ecru and black are just as easy as blue in autumn. The baggy styles are also in women's trousers.

Baggy jeans for men: how do you wear loose jeans without looking sloppy?

Baggy jeans are men's jeans with a roomy crotch height and a wide, straight leg. Some styles have an elasticated waistband with a drawcord, others a classic button fastening. The difference between looking good and looking sloppy comes down to the top and the shoe.

With a T-shirt and an overshirt open on top, the top stays slim and the trousers can be wide. With a hip-length hoodie, it works too, as long as the hoodie doesn't fall past your seat. With low-top trainers or sturdy leather lace-up shoes, the wide leg gets a clear end point.

Choose the waist height where the trousers stay up without a belt, and keep the hem right on the shoe. Mid blue is the easiest to combine, black is the smartest. The loose styles are in men's trousers, and the shoes to go with them are in men's shoes.

Stacked jeans for men: the long leg that's meant to pool on the shoe

Stacked jeans are baggy men's jeans with an extra long leg. The fabric falls in soft folds over the shoe, instantly turning ordinary jeans into a streetwear look.

With a plain T-shirt and white trainers, the folds sit on a calm background. With a sweater that ends at the waistband, you see the full length of the leg. With a short jacket to the hip, the top stays compact and the trousers keep the attention.

Don't have stacked jeans shortened: the length is the whole point here. Choose your size by the waist, not the leg length. Light, washed denim shows off the folds best. You'll find them in men's trousers.

Shoes under your jeans: which shoe suits which leg?

With jeans, the shoe determines where the leg ends and so how the whole pair falls. Each style in this list calls for a different kind of shoe.

Under wide leg jeans, shoes with some volume work well, such as chunky loafers or trainers with a thick sole. A slim shoe disappears under the wide leg. Under flared jeans, you're best off with an ankle boot with a block heel: the hem falls over it and your legs look longer. Under baggy jeans, trainers, Mary Janes and loafers all work, with the hem turned up once if the leg is too long.

For men, the same principle applies. Baggy jeans or stacked jeans need a sturdy shoe, such as low-top trainers or leather lace-up boots, otherwise the leg looks too heavy. You'll find them in women's shoes and men's shoes.

Wash, colour and print: what to pair with women's jeans

Denim is essentially a neutral colour. A dark wash behaves like navy and pairs with white, cream, camel and black. A light wash behaves like a pastel and calls for warm tones alongside it: rust, olive, beige. Black denim is the easiest of the three and goes with almost everything.

If you want more than plain denim, choose one standout element. Wide trousers with a floral print or animal print are that element, so keep the top plain and understated. Trousers with shiny details belong with a simple jumper and a closed shoe, otherwise it becomes too much.

Grey and beige denim are the quiet winners for autumn: they break up the eternal blue base without you having to learn any new combinations. Shoes in brown, black or white finish the look, found in women's shoes.

Fit, washing and the most common mistakes

Mistake one: a leg that's too long with flat shoes. The fabric bunches up on the instep and your legs look shorter. Have it shortened or roll it up once, and always try it on with the shoes you'll actually wear with it.

Mistake two: washing too often and too hot. Denim only needs the machine when it's really necessary. Inside out, at thirty degrees, then hang to dry. That way the colour stays deep and the fit stays like it was on day one.

Mistake three: everything wide. A wide leg under a roomy jumper and a big jacket makes you disappear. Pick one roomy element per outfit and keep the rest slim.

Mistake four: buying by size label instead of waist height. A high waist sits at your narrowest point, a low waist at your hip. If the waistband keeps slipping down or cuts into your middle, the height is wrong, not the size.

Mistake five: forgetting the belt. With a roomy style, a belt isn't decoration, it's the piece that finishes the fit. Choose the same colour family as your shoes and the whole look instantly feels considered. Belts and more are in women's accessories and men's accessories.

If you're starting from scratch, buy in this order: first a high-waisted wide leg jeans for every day, then flared jeans for days with heels or boots, then baggy jeans for the weekend. For men, start with baggy jeans and then stacked jeans. You'll find it all together in women's trousers and men's trousers.