Trouser and pant leg shapes
Eight leg shapes, drawn on the same figure.
Trousers are named by the shape of the leg: how wide it is at the thigh, at the knee and at the hem, and where it ends. Those three widths are enough to tell a cigarette from a straight leg, or a bootcut from a flare.
Each drawing below shows the same figure in the same fitted tank, with only the trousers changing. Hover or tap a drawing to see the leg shape as a solid silhouette, which is often the quickest way to see the difference between two similar cuts. US shops tend to say pants where UK shops say trousers; the shapes are the same.
Thigh, knee, hem: the three widths
Hold a pair up and look at the outer seam. If it runs straight from hip to hem, it is a straight leg. If it narrows toward the ankle, it is tapered (or cigarette, if it is slim all the way). If it narrows to the knee and then widens, it is bootcut or flare, depending on how much. If it widens from the hip and stays wide, it is a wide leg, and if it curves out at the knee and back in, it is a barrel. Length then sorts the rest: culottes are a wide leg cut off between knee and calf.
Straight leg
The same width from the knee to the hem, so the leg falls in one straight line from the hip.
How to recognize it
Measure the leg at the knee and at the hem: on a straight leg the two are about the same, so the outer seam drops in a straight line from the hip. It is the default trouser shape and the base the others are compared to.
Wearing it
It balances most figures because it neither clings nor flares. A straight leg tends to look best when it skims the thigh without pulling and breaks lightly on the shoe.
Often suggested for Hourglass, Pear, Apple, Rectangle, Inverted triangle
Occasions Work, Everyday
Cigarette
Slim and straight, usually cropped at or just above the ankle.
How to recognize it
A slim, straight leg, usually ending at or just above the ankle bone. It is narrower than a straight leg but not skin-tight like a skinny jean; there is a little ease along the leg.
Wearing it
Showing the ankle makes cigarette trousers look neat with flats and loafers, and they are a staple office shape. They balance a fuller top half and suit straighter figures easily.
Often suggested for Rectangle, Inverted triangle
Occasions Work, Everyday, Evening
Tapered
Roomy at the hip and thigh, often pleated, narrowing gradually to a slim ankle.
How to recognize it
Room at the hip and thigh, often from pleats at the waistband, narrowing gradually toward a slim hem at the ankle. The outline is a long, soft wedge.
Wearing it
The extra room at the top makes tapered trousers comfortable through the hips and seat, and the narrow ankle keeps the shape from looking heavy. Look for pleats that lie flat when you stand.
Often suggested for Apple, Rectangle
Occasions Work, Everyday
Wide leg
Widening from the hip and staying wide all the way down, usually to the floor.
How to recognize it
The leg widens from the hip and stays wide to the hem, which usually reaches the floor or covers most of the shoe. Many wide-leg trousers are also high-rise.
Wearing it
A wide leg balances broader shoulders and fuller hips, and with a heel underneath it makes the legs look very long. Hem length matters more than usual: too long and the fabric drags, too short and the proportion goes.
Often suggested for Pear, Inverted triangle, Hourglass, Rectangle
Occasions Work, Everyday, Evening, Warm weather
Bootcut
Slim through the thigh and knee, with a slight flare from the knee to the hem.
How to recognize it
Slim through the thigh, narrowest around the knee, then a slight flare to the hem. The flare is gentle, just enough to sit over a boot, which is where the name comes from.
Wearing it
The small flare at the hem balances the hips, which is why bootcut is a common suggestion for pear shapes. It works best long, with only a little shoe showing.
Often suggested for Pear, Hourglass, Inverted triangle
Occasions Everyday, Work
Flare
Fitted through the hip and thigh to the knee, then flaring out widely to the hem.
How to recognize it
Fitted through the hip and thigh to the knee, then a wide flare to the hem. Compared with bootcut, the flare is much stronger and starts at the knee.
Wearing it
A strong flare balances the hips and shoulders and, with a platform or heel, adds a lot of leg length. It needs the full length: cropped flares look like a different garment.
Often suggested for Pear, Inverted triangle, Hourglass
Occasions Everyday, Evening
Barrel
A curved leg that bows out around the knee and narrows again at the ankle, also called a horseshoe leg.
How to recognize it
The leg curves outward around the knee and back in toward the ankle, so each leg looks like a long bow or horseshoe. The seams are often shaped or twisted to hold the curve.
Wearing it
A barrel leg adds deliberate volume at the knee, so it reads as a fashion shape rather than a neutral one. It tends to look most balanced on straighter figures, with a fitted top and a neat shoe.
Often suggested for Rectangle, Inverted triangle
Occasions Everyday
Culottes
Wide, cropped legs that end between the knee and mid-calf, so they move like a skirt.
How to recognize it
Wide legs cropped somewhere between the knee and mid-calf, cut so they hang and move like a skirt. They are wider at the hem than at the hip.
Wearing it
Culottes are easy in warm weather and in offices with relaxed dress codes. The crop cuts the leg line, so many people pair them with a heel, a pointed flat or a shoe close to their skin tone.
Often suggested for Rectangle, Inverted triangle
Occasions Everyday, Work, Warm weather
The same person in four leg shapes
One woman, one black tank, four pairs of trousers in the same stone twill. The difference between a straight and a wide leg can look small on a hanger and large on a body. Each starts as a silhouette; hover or tap to see the photo.
AI try-on example. One photo of the same woman, dressed in four trouser product photos with FitInView's try-on. Only the leg shape changes.
Rise and length change the silhouette too
The rise is the distance from the crotch seam to the waistband. A high rise sits at or near the natural waist and makes the leg look longer, especially with wide and flared legs. A mid rise sits around the navel; a low rise sits on the hips and moves the visual waistline down, which was the dominant look of the early 2000s (see the history page).
Length is the other half. Full-length trousers continue the leg line into the shoe; cropped and ankle lengths stop it, which shows the ankle and looks neat but visually shortens the leg a little. A common rule of thumb: the wider the hem, the longer the trouser should be, so that wide and flared legs almost touch the floor while slim legs can stop at the ankle.
To see which leg shapes are usually suggested for your proportions, read silhouettes by body shape. For dresses, start with the types of dress silhouettes.