When you're covering a muffin top, opt for a mid-rise trouser or jean. A low rise creates a shelf for your roll, but a waistband that hits too high -- at or above your belly button -- only makes your middle wider and your backside bigger.

A mid-rise hits just below your belly button; make sure that any pants you buy fit perfectly through the waist, without any binding or gaping. If you get a little roll over the top when you button them, go up a size.

Gap Essential jeans, $59.50. These have a wide leg, which helps to balance your hips.