But according to denim boutique owner Donna Ida Thornton, known as London's 'jeanius', buying jeans doesn't have to be a nightmare.
Here, Donna helps five writers of very different shapes and sizes prove every woman can find the perfect pair.
PEAR SHAPE
Lauren Libbert, 43, is a size 12
Blue kick-flare jeans, £154, mih-jeans.com
PETITE
Caroline Chiu, 34, is a size 10
Navy boot-cut jeans, £230, J Brand at trilogystores.co.uk
Donna says: Pick a high waistband, which will draw attention to your tiny midriff.
A flare balances you out at the bottom, takes the eye away from your thighs and streamlines the silhouette.
Lauren says: For me, wearing jeans is about damage control. What will make my bum shrink, or shave inches off my hips?
I've tried bootcut, boyfriend, even the horror show that was super-skinny. When Donna suggested that a high-waisted flare would look great, I thought she'd gone mad. But she's proved me wrong.
These jeans sucked in my lumps and bumps, flattened my tummy and smoothed out my hips. An unexpected success.
A flare balances you out at the bottom, takes the eye away from your thighs and streamlines the silhouette.
Lauren says: For me, wearing jeans is about damage control. What will make my bum shrink, or shave inches off my hips?
I've tried bootcut, boyfriend, even the horror show that was super-skinny. When Donna suggested that a high-waisted flare would look great, I thought she'd gone mad. But she's proved me wrong.
These jeans sucked in my lumps and bumps, flattened my tummy and smoothed out my hips. An unexpected success.
Donna says: Petite people are usually well-proportioned, just smaller. A high-rise waist will give you the illusion of longer legs and a slim boot-cut adds shape. Just don't choose an all-out flare, which will dwarf those will smaller proportions.
Caroline says: My tiny 5ft 3in frame means I've always been envious of how jeans look on women with long legs.
I usually have to buy straight-leg jeans and then get them shortened. These high waist, slim boot-cut jeans that Donna recommended may be expensive, but they are miraculous, creating the illusion that my legs are longer. I even had the confidence to stand up a little taller.
Caroline says: My tiny 5ft 3in frame means I've always been envious of how jeans look on women with long legs.
I usually have to buy straight-leg jeans and then get them shortened. These high waist, slim boot-cut jeans that Donna recommended may be expensive, but they are miraculous, creating the illusion that my legs are longer. I even had the confidence to stand up a little taller.
BOYISH
Alice Smellie, 40, is a size 8
Blue boyfriend jeans, £125, Current Elliott at donnaida.com
Donna says: Boyish figures have slim hips, an undefined waist and a flattish bottom. Being on the slim side, they can get away with most jean shapes, but bulky boyfriend styles are the most flattering, as they add more shape - with rolled-up legs to show off slim ankles.
Alice says: As a mother-of-three on what feels like a permanent school run, I have favoured the same boot-cut style since the mid-Eighties. I own 20 pairs, all virtually identical!
To my astonishment, the boyfriend roll-ups made my legs look elegant rather than stumpy - I love the flash of ankle! And although I'm hardly curvy, my waist looks more defined. I look, dare I say it, almost sexy.
APPLE SHAPE
Claudia Connell, 47, is a size 14
Black skinny jeans, £145, beautyincurves.com
LONG LEGS
Kate Battersby, 49, is a size 10
Kate Battersby in light blue skinny jeans, £44.95, Gap.com
Donna says: Apples have slim legs but carry weight around their middle - classic 'mum tum' shape. It sounds strange, but the best shape is a stretchy skinny jean that shows off slim pins. Make sure you have a mid to high waist to hold in the tummy.
Claudia says: Any jeans big enough to fit around the waist are baggy on the legs and bottom. When Donna suggested I try skinny, high-waisted jeans, I panicked. 'Skinny' is a style I associate with teenagers, while high waists make me think of Simon Cowell.
But these fitted like a second skin, the high waist flattening my stomach so I could do up the button on the first go. Result!
Claudia says: Any jeans big enough to fit around the waist are baggy on the legs and bottom. When Donna suggested I try skinny, high-waisted jeans, I panicked. 'Skinny' is a style I associate with teenagers, while high waists make me think of Simon Cowell.
But these fitted like a second skin, the high waist flattening my stomach so I could do up the button on the first go. Result!
Donna says: Long-legged ladies are tall and lean and, therefore, may not have much of a waist.
Pick a straight jean to show off your pins, but watch out for any high-rise waists that could lengthen your legs and shorten the torso. Stick to mid or low-rise styles. Experimenting with shaded denim will add extra shape to twiggy limbs.
Kate says: Having long legs isn't the worst of burdens, but it's often futile searching for jeans with a 32in leg that flatter everywhere else, too. I tend to carry any weight around my middle, so high-waisted jeans make me look like a badly wrapped parcel. Donna was right - both the mid-rise and shading were flattering.
Pick a straight jean to show off your pins, but watch out for any high-rise waists that could lengthen your legs and shorten the torso. Stick to mid or low-rise styles. Experimenting with shaded denim will add extra shape to twiggy limbs.
Kate says: Having long legs isn't the worst of burdens, but it's often futile searching for jeans with a 32in leg that flatter everywhere else, too. I tend to carry any weight around my middle, so high-waisted jeans make me look like a badly wrapped parcel. Donna was right - both the mid-rise and shading were flattering.
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