A tapered leg describes a jeans silhouette that keeps some room through the thigh and seat, then narrows gradually from the knee down to a closer fit at the ankle. The taper is what separates this shape from a straight leg, which keeps roughly the same width from knee to hem, and from a skinny fit, which is close fitting along the whole leg.
In practice, a tapered fit suits anyone who wants comfort through the upper leg without the fabric bunching up above the shoes. Because the leg narrows toward the bottom, tapered jeans work well cuffed or hemmed to a shorter length, and they layer easily under boots or low trainers without extra bulk at the ankle. The amount of taper varies a lot between brands, so trying a pair on, and checking the leg opening measurement, tells you more than the label alone.
Tapered jeans sit between the closer skinny fit and the more even straight fit in most size charts, and pairing them with the right rise matters for the overall line, see our guide on rise explained. For a full comparison of leg shapes, our jeans fits overview is a useful starting point.
