Secret Sauce Blog

Making Denim Work: Cracking the Code on Tricky Fits

Written by Admin | Jan 7, 2026 7:30:00 AM

Denim is one of the most beloved and hardest-working categories in fashion—and also one of the trickiest to get right.

The reason? There’s no universal fit formula.

A "size 28" in one style can feel entirely different in another. High-rise, mid-rise, low-rise. Stretch, rigid, vintage cut. Skinny, straight, relaxed. Every variable changes how denim fits—and how customers expect it to feel.

Most fit tech treats denim like any other product: plug in some numbers and hope it fits. But denim isn’t just about measurements. It’s about preference.

One shopper wants that perfectly snug feel. Another wants comfort through the thighs. Someone else is just trying to avoid gaping at the waist.

That’s where Fit Predictor comes in.

By analyzing shopping and return behavior, we understand what customers keep—and why. Instead of guessing how jeans "should" fit, we predict how it will fit and which size they’ll  love.

This approach works because it captures what static tools miss:

  • Rise sensitivity: Fit preferences shift dramatically depending on where the waistband hits
  • Stretch tolerance: Some customers size down for stretch, others want a looser feel
  • Style expectations: A wide-leg fit shouldn’t recommend the same size logic as a skinny jean

Denim is a category where sizing mistakes cost more—in customer frustration, high return rates, and lost loyalty.

We’re helping retailers reduce denim returns by 20–30%, simply by giving shoppers better guidance based on what actually works for them.

Want to make denim less of a gamble and more of a go-to? Let’s talk.

About Secret Sauce Partners

Secret Sauce Partners is a pioneer in AI-powered fit and sizing solutions, trusted by leading marketplaces and retailers worldwide. As a pioneer in the Artificial Intelligence field focusing on fit & sizing, we developed the world’s first Fit AI solution 15 years ago, and continued to optimize it over the past 15 years covering every possible category and price point globally. Our AI has been trained by over 4.1 billion purchases and returns across 140,000+ brands. In Fit AI, the size of training data is critical to achieving success and we have the expertise to show it. Let us help you eliminate sizing friction, reduce returns, and build customer experiences that convert.