Mom Jeans vs Boyfriend Jeans: What’s The Difference? How To Choose?

Mom Jeans vs Boyfriend Jeans: What's The Difference? How To Choose?

Who doesn’t love a good pair of jeans?

Being comfortable and versatile in style, it’s no wonder at all that jeans have managed to remain one of the most commonly used style of bottom wear for so many decades.

Nowadays jeans come in a number of styles, cuts, lengths, sizes, colors and designs, to suit every preference and fashion style, making them easy to match with other clothes and making them part of outfits.

In our previous selections we have gone through different types of jeans for all body types and it’s now time to see at some of them in pairs, in order to compare the styles they come in and help you determine which one would be the best choice for you.

In today’s comparison we will be looking at Mom jeans vs. Boyfriend jeans, two very distinct types of jeans that sometimes are left in the shadows of other more popular styles, like the skinny jean.

That’s a shame really, as these are two of the most comfortable types of jeans and are super simple to style, as you will see for yourself.

Let’s get started right away!

Table of Contents:

1. Mom Jeans

Mom Jeans

A Quick Introduction

Mom jeans are considered to be the least preferred type out of all the jeans styles available, due in part to their funky cut.

Mom jeans became popular in the ’70s among women who were stay-at-home moms and housewives. Because of their wide cut at the hips and crotch, with a high waist that made them very comfortable to wear.

Because the style was also quite modest, they were a favorite of women going about their day running errands and wanting to wear something practical over something sexy or eye-catching.

Later, around the ’80s, mom jeans became popular among younger women, too, and you can spot them around town worn by women in their early 20s and well as those who are older.

Read also: Mom Jeans vs Girlfriend Jeans: What’s the Difference? How to Choose?

What Are Mom Jeans?

Woman Wearing Mom Jeans

Mom jeans are jeans that moms wear, obviously!

We are half-joking, but in fact, they got their name precisely because they were the type of jeans that moms wore in the 70s, thus labeling them as such.

In regards to their style and cut, mom jeans are high-waist jeans, with wide-cut hips and crotch, that have straight-cut legs and sometimes an elasticized waist.

Mom jeans fit loosely on the thighs and around the hips, making the back appear flatter and taking the focus away from highlighting the shape of the lower body.

It’s for those reasons that mom jeans fit well on most bodies as they tend to shape the hips, while for those who are thicker on the thighs, mom jeans provide a very comfortable fit without the tightness of other styles of jeans.

You can find out more over here on mom jeans for women with bigger thighs.

You might also like: 7 Best Mom Jeans For Big Thighs To Try Now

Unflattering And Out Of Style

Mom jeans are often disregarded as being unflattering and out of style, but the trends do not lie and these jeans continue to be a favorite among many women.

This is due in part to the fact that there are plenty of design options nowadays, which have modernized the mom jean to look chic and stylish, making it fit well with flats, heels, baggy or tight shirts and different styles of jackets.

Read also: 7 Best Mom Jeans For Pear Shaped Body That You Should Try This Year

Are these jeans still stylish this year? Well, you can go here to find out more on that and how to style these pants with a variety of tops and shoes.

2. The Boyfriend Jean

The Boyfriend Jean

A Quick Introduction

The Boyfriend jeans are an interesting jeans style as they are the opposite of the skinny jeans. Loose and baggy, these are another type of very comfortable pants to wear.

This style has been around for more than half a century and it became really popular in the 1960s when the fashion icon of the time, Marilyn Monroe, wore them on the set of Misfits.

Other celebrities since then have also worn this type of jeans both on sets and out on the streets as they were going about their day, and it’s no surprise as to why.

These are very stylish jeans that can be mixed and matched into a number of outfits, ranging from really casual ones, to those that are sexy and very chic.

See also: Boyfriend vs Girlfriend Jeans: What’s the Difference? How to Choose?

What Are Boyfriend Jeans?

The boyfriend jeans get their name from being considered as jeans that you “borrow from your boyfriend”, due to their long-cut legs, straight-cut hips, lower waist and wider crotch area.

Thus, in short, the boyfriend jeans are loosely fitting jeans, with a wider crotch area and long legs.

But that is not always the case, as there are numerous variations available nowadays. For example, there are slim-fitting boyfriend jeans or shorter cut ones.

Due to all of these styles being available, the boyfriend jean can fit all body types and are really simple to style.

You might also like: 9 American Jeans Brands You Should Know (Our Favorites)

3. Mom Jeans vs. Boyfriend Jeans – The Differences

Woman Wearing Jeans

Looking at pictures alone is quite telling as to what are the differences between these two types of jeans.

Here we will mention the differences you can keep on hand to immediately spot these jeans when shopping.

The Cut

The mom jeans fit baggy all over, more noticeably so on the back and thighs, whereas the boyfriend jeans fit looser on the crotch area and on the legs.

Therefore, overall the mom jeans are looser on the upper part, whereas the boyfriend jeans is either baggier all over or more focused around the crotch.

The Waist

The waist on mom jeans is higher and it is also smaller, since it is meant to fit the female hips, which are wider while the hip is smaller. To make sure they fit properly, sometimes you will come across them having an elasticized waist.

On the boyfriend jeans, the waist is cut straighter and shorter, in order to emulate the “made for men” cut.

The Length

Mom jeans have generally shorter legs than the typical boyfriend jean. Often, they have the cropped look rather than being full-length.

The boyfriend jeans, on the other hand, are often longer, even when compared to most styles of jeans. Because the boyfriend jeans are longer, you will usually see them styled with the ankles folded.

However, there are numerous regular or cropped styles available.

You might also like: 9 Italian Jeans Brands You Should Know (Our Top Picks)

4. How To Choose?

When it comes to which type of jeans to choose, it depends on your body shape and size, but truth be told, it is mainly a choice of what look you prefer.

There is a variety of different cuts, lengths, sizes and styles of both types of these jeans so, regardless of what body shape you have, there definitely is a pair that will be very flattering on you.

Overall, when it comes to mom jeans, most style will look good, but women with curvier shapes should avoid cropped and very baggy styles as they will make the legs appear shorter and thicker.

The mom jeans is great for those who want a really relaxed and casual look to their outfit, as well as for those who want practicality and comfort first and foremost.


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As for boyfriend jeans, a tapered leg version is more suitable for curvier women, whereas a slim-cut is more suitable for petite women, which will not make them appear too tiny in the typical baggy boyfriend cut.

You might also like: 7 Best Boyfriend Jeans For Women With Thick Thighs To Try this Year

The boyfriend cut is a great style of baggy pant for those who are looking to put together stylish outfits, and the longer cuts go really well with high heels.

The differences between the mom jeans and boyfriend jeans are noticeable, but they also share a very important quality, which is that of being two of the most comfortable styles.

We enjoy them both and we hope you won’t shy away from any of them, either!

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