Best Jeans Pockets for Your Butt Shape

Woman's rear end in jeans
These jeans will make your butt look awesome. ZenShui/Frederic Cirou/Getty Images
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How to Choose Jeans With Back Pockets That Flatter Your Figure

back pockets that flatter your shape
Cavan Images/The Image Bank/Getty Images

When you go shopping for jeans, one of the first things you do when trying on a pair is turn your back to the mirror, to check out your butt. That’s because you already know that the right jeans can do wonders for your backside — and the wrong ones can make it look terrible. But it can be a real challenge for many women to find the perfect pair of jeans to make their butt look nice.

Whether you feel like you have a big butt, a droopy butt, or a pancake butt in jeans — or you're just not sure what style details to look for in the most flattering pair — we've put together this practical fashion guide to help you out. Learn which jeans back pockets look cutest on different body shapes, so you can more easily find that pair of "good butt" jeans that you'll want to wear every day.

Get tips on looking slimmer when you wear jeans.

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If You Have a Flat Butt

Hudson Jeans Signature Bootcut Jean
Hudson Jeans Signature Bootcut Jean. Hudson Jeans

Flat-bottomed girls can give their pancake butt an extra boost by choosing the right jeans back pockets. First, you'll probably want to avoid wearing baggy boyfriend jean styles, as their typically relaxed fit can have the effect of dragging down a flatter behind. Instead, choose a snugger-fitting denim style, to shape and lift your bottom.

Another trick for looking more bootylicious is to choose jeans with flap-style back pockets that taper into a point. Flap pocket jeans will make your butt look more perky by placing the emphasis on the top half of your rear end, where you need the most volume.

If you're into wearing bling, even better. Jeans with flap back pockets that feature buttons, contrast stitching, jewels, embroidery, or other detailing, are especially great for drawing attention to your bottom, and giving you the illusion of a rounder rear end.

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If You Have a Big Butt

Levi’s 512 Straight Leg Jeans Plus Size - rear view
Levi’s 512 Straight Leg Jeans in Plus Size. Levi Strauss & Co.

If you want to downsize the look of a bigger behind, begin by avoiding any details that can add unwanted bulk to your rear view. That means skipping flap back pockets, heavily embroidered designs, and anything else that calls extra attention to your rear end.

Pay attention to the scale of your jeans back pockets, too. You'll want to avoid choosing jeans with too-small back pockets, as these can make a bigger backside appear larger by comparison.

The jeans that will help to minimize an ampler rear end, if that's what you want to achieve. are those with larger, plain back pockets. Bigger back pockets on jeans work to balance your proportions and give you plenty of coverage, which helps to take the focus off your backside. The pockets should be placed fairly widely, and sit lower on your butt, for the most flattering effect. When you turn your back to the mirror when trying on jeans, look for back pockets to start mid-way down your butt, and end around the tops of thighs.

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If You Have a Saggy Butt

7 for All Mankind A Pocket Flared Jean
7 for All Mankind A Pocket Flared Jean. 7 for All Mankind

Do you have a rear end that can look droopy in the wrong pair of jeans? A great way to make a lower-hanging rear end look higher and curvier in jeans is by choosing a pair with back pockets that are positioned higher on the seat. That's because back pockets that sit higher on your backside will pull attention upward, and away from a saggy bottom line.

Similarly, a high quality pair of jeans with higher back pockets that are also tilted slightly outward, such as the 7 for All Mankind flare jeans pictured here, can make your backside look more fit and compact. Detailed pockets are fine for you, too, but not a must.

Whatever you do, make sure the bottom of back pockets never sit lower than the bottom curve of your butt (where your butt cheeks meet your legs), as these will cause the dreaded pancake butt effect.

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If You Have a Wide Butt

Jeans with back pockets that flatter wide buttocks
Gap

If you feel that your bottom looks wide in jeans, you can shop for back pockets that are positioned more closely together, which can help to visually slim your rear view. Keep things simple by choosing jeans with basic, mid-size back pockets that sit in the center of butt cheeks at the widest (the closer together, the better). These back pockets will work well with the scale of your body and make your butt look good by drawing attention toward the middle of your rear end, creating the visual illusion of a narrower behind.

You can help create a slimmer butt, too, by always opting for darker washes of jeans (including indigo blues and inky black denim) and avoiding detailing or embroidery on the back pockets.

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The Final Word: Back Pockets Are Not Optional

Jeans with no back pockets
Jeans with no back pockets. CAT Jeans

Whatever your butt shape, choosing jeans with a flattering rear view also means knowing what to avoid. You should never, ever buy jeans that completely lack back pockets, which not only would look bad on a fashion model, but can look cheap or trashy.