What Is the Difference Between a Tapered Fit and a Slim Fit?
Clothing that flatters your body type can sometimes be difficult to find. You need to know what each cut of jeans looks like before you buy them! Can you explain the difference between tapered fit and slim fit, for example?
A tapered pant narrows at the ankle while a slim fit pant narrows at the waist and hips. The chest and shoulder area of slim-fit shirts are tight, while the waist is loose. At the waist, the shirt has a tapered fit.
Learn how slim-fit and tapered clothes look in this article. These two popular styles are also compared and contrasted. Last but not least, you will find a comparison of different jeans and trousers styles.
What is Tapered Fit?
Clothing with a tapered fit typically has a wide top portion and a narrower bottom portion. There are many types of clothing that have a tapered fit, including shirts, jackets, and pants.
A tailored cut is not always associated with a tapered cut, as manufacturers sometimes use the term “tailored” instead of tapered. Professional clothing designers refer to tailored clothing as “classic cuts,” which have a bit of a looser style than most tapered cuts.
Women’s pants didn’t have closefitting, tapered legs until the iconic cigarette pants of the 1950s, an interesting bit of fashion history. There was previously a loose, baggy style that dominated women’s clothing, perhaps due to moral paradigms.
A good portion of fashion history is dedicated to the wearing of tailored breeches by men, but it was not until the 1980s skinny jean craze that menswear took on a more tailored look.
The term “tapered fit” is usually used in reference to pants with a tapered leg. A tapered look will be created by the tightening of the legs toward the ankle, making the waist and hips fit as usual.
Shirts with a tapered cut tend to have loose shoulders and chests, and less fabric at the waist, resulting in a tapered V shape. T-shirts and button-down shirts are both affected by this.
The word “tapered” generally conjures up images of a V shape. In this style, the top is always wider and the bottom is skinnier, just like the letter V!
Pants with a tapered cut look great on a variety of body types. In the ankle area, they pinch in at the waist and make your legs look shapely! Wearing tapered-fit pants can result in you looking like an inverted triangle if you have very broad shoulders!
What kind of shirt should be worn with a tapered fit? Many body types will benefit from this cut since it eliminates the baggy waist that can make shirts look sloppy.
In your ideal shirt, there should be no gapped buttons or wrinkles across the shoulder and chest. The shape of a tapered shirt is flattering because it gives you plenty of room in the upper part of your torso, and then nips in at the waist to make your figure appear slimmer.
Whether it’s a formal button-down or a t-shirt, be honest with yourself as you try on a tapered shirt! Try a classic or straight cut instead if the narrowed waist looks too tight. To take care of your body type, you must pick a cut that flatters it!
What is Slim Fit?
In slim-fit clothes, excess fabric is usually removed through a stylishly close cut throughout. An example of a slim-fit pant is one that has a narrow waist and seat area and somewhat skinny legs. The shoulder and chest areas of slim-fit shirts are typically narrow, and the waist is straight.
The slim-fit jeans do have a pretty fitted appearance, although they are not as tight as skinny jeans, which are easily fitted around most people’s bodies thanks to Spandex. There are many different body types who favor slim-fit jeans because they are looser than skinny jeans, but have a tighter, more tailored look than straight-cut jeans.
The tightest fit is offered by most manufacturers on slim-fit dress shirts. As well as having a slender waist, this style also has a slender shoulder cut. With a slim-fit shirt, you’ll look trendy and sleek.
If your chest is large or you have athletic shoulders, you may find this fit uncomfortable! An elongated, slender body type looks best in slim-fit shirts.
A sleek fit is frequently preferred over a baggy fit in pants, jeans, shirts, and even t-shirts in today’s modern style (though, of course, this depends on your personal style as well). Modern eyes find sloppy button-down shirts that bag out at the waist, while shirts tailored with curving seams to fit the waist look elegant.
In slim-fit trousers, dress pants, or chinos, the leg opening is often too narrow to accommodate large thighs. If you have a rounded body shape, this style will not look great on you. It looks elegant on women and men who have narrow bodies.
How do Tapered Fit and Slim Fit differ?
Slim-fit clothes have a consistent tight cut throughout, while tailored clothes feature a V shape with a wider top and narrower bottom. There is a greater difference between a tapered fit and a slim fit compared to a regular or straight cut.
Take, for instance, a pair of regular, straight-leg jeans. It looks like an old-fashioned, solid denim pair of cowboy jeans, doesn’t it? The jeans-and-cowboy-hat look is certainly a staple of country music (after all, what would country music be without it? ), but modern styles tend to be more fitted.
Jeans
Jeans with a tapered leg can have a barely noticeable taper toward the ankle or a sharper angle pinching in much more down the leg, ending in a tight fit. In addition to a loose seat area, these jeans will also have a not-too-tight waist and thigh area. The reason tapered jeans are so comfortable is because of this!
On the other hand, slim-fit jeans have a firm fit at the waist, thighs, and ankles. The seat meets the leg opening of the pants in a small opening, so they do not feel or look as tight as skinny jeans. While slim-fit jeans do not allow a great deal of movement, they allow a far greater range than skinny jeans!
While slim-fit jeans are typically wider at the ankles than tapered jeans, they sometimes taper a little toward the ankles. You can easily confuse tapered and slim-fit jeans because of this, but there is an easy way to determine which is which!
It’s just a matter of checking that the thighs and seat fit well. An elongated waistline is achieved by tapering jeans, while a slim silhouette is achieved by slim-fit jeans.
Trousers
There are often slim-fit and tapered cuts available in the brands you like, whether you wear chinos or dress pants. Similar rules apply to dress pants as they do to jeans. Straight-leg pants with a slim fit and a slender shape from waist to ankle, though the ankle is slightly wider.
A tapered trousers’ leg hole is quite small at the ankle, which narrows down to the waist. You should look for slim-fit pants with a narrow seat once again.
Shirts
There is a tighter fit on tapered and slim-fit button-downs than on classic, straight-cut shirts. Both styles fit the body differently, however.
Let’s start by clarifying that a classic dress shirt is what you might call a “dad” shirt. A straight side seam and a longer hem are common features. In essence, it is a loose, comfortable shape rather than a stylish one.
Imagine a tapered shirt instead of that baggy classic cut you have in your mind. In this much more fitted cut, the shirt’s seams curve inward and pinch the waist. Also, curved darts are often found at the back of dress shirts, giving them wide shoulders and narrow waistlines.
There is more room in the chest and shoulders of a slim-fit shirt than there is in a classic shirt, but it has tighter sleeves as well as a narrower waist. The tight cut of this shirt limits your range of motion somewhat, but it’s perfect under a suit jacket or blazer!
T-Shirts
The difference between a slim-fit t-shirt and a tapered t-shirt is more difficult to discern. In terms of t-shirts with rounded side seams and a more closely fitted shape, slim-fit, tapered, and fitted are often interchangeable. Additionally, some manufacturers refer to muscle shirts as tapered and vice versa!
Generally speaking, t-shirts fall into two categories: standard, straight cuts for men and women, as well as “fashion fits” that are tailored to give them a more human shape. Shortly put, slim-fit t-shirts can also be called fitted t-shirts or fashion t-shirts.
Tapered Fit vs Slim Fit Shirt
Slim-fit shirts have contoured shoulders, tight-fitting sleeves, and a generally slimmer fit than tapered shirts, which have looser sleeves, chests, and shoulders, but tighter waists.
You will still need to determine your best size within these different styles. If the shirt’s fabric contours to your body, it shouldn’t gape open when the buttons are pressed. Usually, the online product description or the clothing tag will describe the shirt’s style.
The generic term “tailored” is sometimes used to describe fitted shirts by some manufacturers. Make sure the shirt hugs your chest and shoulders tightly when you try it on! By doing this, you will be able to determine whether the shirt has a slim-fit or tapered fit.
Tapered Fit Trousers
Ankle-narrowing trousers have a looser fit at the waist, seat, and thighs than straight-leg trousers. Unlike skinny jeans, this style creates a slender, V-shaped silhouette without clinging to the body. Instead of looking elasticky and wrinkled like leggings or skinny jeans, the fabric in the legs will hang naturally down toward the ankles.
Women’s and men’s tapered trousers typically get skinnier as they go down the leg. In this way, there is ample room for the thigh area.
There are many popular women’s styles you can choose from when it comes to tapered trousers, such as classic cigarette pants. In addition to creating a stylish appearance, tapered trousers offer great mobility, making them a popular choice for workwear!
What Are Slim Tapered Jeans?
You may also occasionally come across a style known as slim tapered jeans if you haven’t already gotten confused with all the fashion terminology! Combining slim-fit and tapered characteristics, this looks like a combination.
The seat and thigh areas of slim tapered jeans are more form-fitting than those of other tapered jeans. Additionally, they taper in at the ankle instead of having the traditional straight leg of most slim-fit jeans!
While slim tapered jeans look like skinny jeans, they are typically less tight and contain less spandex than skinny jeans.
Tapered Loose Fit Jeans
Despite their relaxed fit in the seat and thigh area, tapered loose-fit jeans still have narrow ankle legs. With this look, you’ll be able to move freely and comfortably!
It is more common in men’s clothing than in women’s clothing. There will be a baggy upper portion of the jeans, similar to traditional straight-cut jeans.
Fitted clothing that accommodates large hips is difficult to find for people with big bones and big hips. Besides feeling airier and baggy, this style won’t make your thighs sweaty or stick to your skin, even if you have muscled thighs! The top-heavy tapered style of jeans may be balanced out by chunkier or more noticeable shoes!
How to Choose the Right Cut For You?
Trying on slim-fit and tapered styles is the best way to determine which is best for you! Your seat area will quickly become apparent if tapered jean makes your seat look large or if a slim-fit shirt clings too tightly!
You will find it much easier to search for and find exactly the style you like once you know what cut you like in your pants, jeans, shirts, and t-shirts! Check out these tips for finding just the right fit, besides trying it on to see if it fits:
- Make sure you take your measurements. You can narrow down whether you want slim-fit or tapered cuts by reading the descriptions given by most clothing companies.
- Get to know what you like. Despite the fact that it may seem silly, planning out your outfits makes it easier to wear the shirt or pants. A slim-fit button-down will look great with some skirts or trousers, but a shirt with a tapered waist will look better with others.
- Tell the truth about your body shape. A slender, narrow figure is best suited to slim-fit styles. Don’t feel bad if this excludes you! A tapered style may look great on you. Don’t be afraid to try different cuts until you find one that suits you!
Conclusion
Slim-fitting and tapered styles trim away extra material from clothing to give them a more contoured appearance. Slim-fit clothes are generally tighter all over, while tapered clothes tend to have a broader top and narrower bottom. An example of a tapered pant is a pant that narrows from the knee to the ankle, and an example of a tapered shirt is a shirt that nips in at the waist.
There is a growing trend for men and women to wear slim-fitting or tapered clothing. Professional and casual outfits alike will benefit from these tailored, modern styles!
