The absolute best jeans for flat butts strike a magical feeling in your heart by lifting your bum and turning those plywood cheeks into a perky apple bottom. They’re comfortable, yet supportive, and won’t sag or gape in the rear as a reminder of what is (or isn’t) there. It’s a lot to ask from humble denim fabric, but that Goldilocks fit isn’t quite as rare as you might think. The key is knowing what details to look for when shopping for jeans.
Start with the back pockets. Jeans that feature extra detailing on the back pockets—zippers, welts, flaps, contrast stitching—help give the illusion of a fuller back. So does sanding (a treatment that lightens the color of your denim in strategic places) which acts in much the same way as face highlighter to lift your bum and make it appear larger than it really is.
Pocket placement is also important. Pockets that sit higher in the back make your butt look more robust, while lower placement can help downplay larger assets. High-waist styles are more likely to have ideal pocket placement, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find mid- or even low-rise options that work as well. While you’re checking out those pockets, take a look at the yoke, or the V-shaped seam, at the rear of your jeans. Typically, the deeper the V, the rounder and fuller your butt will look.
Now that you know how to make your bum look as perky as a Kardashian’s rear (or at least not quite as flat), here are our top 15 picks for the best jeans for flat butts.
