It’s tricky enough searching for the best women’s jeans without taking ever-changing trends into consideration. The good news is, there’s no official womenswear denim staple now. Fashion is more fluid than ever.
That said, there are key moments worth paying attention to. In the past six months, Net-a-Porter has seen a huge spike in searches for both wide-leg jeans and dark denim (two trends that can be ticked off nicely with one purchase). And after Kendrick Lamar was spotted in Celine denim at Superbowl Half Time show in February, customer interest for bootcut jeans increased by 700 per cent on the luxury e-tail site.
But at Bazaar we’d have to argue that, as cliched as it sounds, the best jeans are the jeans that make you look and feel good. So if you can’t fathom a low-rise Y2k revival, you’ll look just as chic in in a floor-sweeping flare. And if you’re not ready to dip your toe back into skinnies again, you can nod to the Nineties with a supermodel-inspired slim leg shape.
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Find your go-to pair in our helpful guide to each cut below.
How to shop for denim online
It’s normally recommended that you try on several pairs of jeans to find the perfect cut, but sometimes shopping for denim in-store can be overwhelming. When browsing online, look at every model image on e-tailer product pages; check out the flat shots too, as they can highlight any sneaky (and misleading) stylist pinning. Check if the size runs small or big, and read as many reviews as you can.
Checking these factors before immediately adding to basket will hopefully prevent you from doing a mass order-and-run. The more shipments and returns you generate, the more you add to your carbon footprint. If this is a big consideration for you, then look for the ‘sustainable denim’ tags in this edit – there are so many great denim brands out there doing their bit for the planet right now.
Best barrel-leg jeans
Since the skinny jean’s demise 10 years ago, denim shopping has been all about securing that perfect straight leg. Until the autumn/winter 2023 shows, that is, when Alaïa sent an avante garde (then, at least) look down the runway: the horseshoe jean.
Instead of tying in with the rest of your outfit, this cocooning style was the main character. And it soon transpired to be universally flattering, too – ideal for women with wider hips and thighs, or for those who want to create the illusion of curves. The hems don’t trail, so it won’t swamp petites, while still suiting taller figures, too.
Basically, the barrel-leg jean carves its own shape, so the wearer’s body becomes insignificant. Something, on some days, women yearn for. This is denim that does the talking.
Best bootcut jeans
Another Y2K resurgence is in our midst: bootcut denim is back. Meghan Markle has been elevating hers with cashmere and heels, while Bella Hadid is going full-blown Noughties with low-rise styles.
Not to be confused with wide-leg or flared jeans, which sit looser around the thigh, the bootcut is slim on the leg and kicks out below the knee. Cropped styles might be referred to as ‘kick flares’, while the traditional bootcut jeans usually have a longer hemline.
Best wide-leg jeans
The term ‘wide-leg’ can mean all manner of things when it comes to denim. You can have boyish, wider-than-straight jeans that change instantly depending on the rise you go for (the style set is loving low-slung right now). Or, you can go for something even more dramatic, like a palazzo cut.
There’s good news for those who want to switch up their style but can’t get on board with bootcut: you can dip your toe into the trend with its more grown up counterpart, the wide-leg flare. This denim style is everywhere at the moment thanks to the boho renaissance, courtesy of Chemena Kamali’s Chloé.
Best slim-leg jeans
The style set has long swapped its skinnies for slim-leg jeans, which are just as versatile. Not to be confused with straight-leg (as it so often is), this design still showcases the contours of your legs but without clinging, to create a sleek but not skin-tight silhouette. Think of them as what drainpipes would have been in the Eighties and Nineties, before denim got tighter and stretchier.
Slim-leg jeans work well with everything from blazers, boots and heels, to trainers and slouchy knits. If you need inspiration, just look to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who has stayed true to this cut for years.
Best straight-leg jeans
Straight-leg jeans are slightly looser than slim styles, falling from the waistband into a column shape. The sheer amount of denim on show can feel a little overwhelming (unless grounded with heels, in which case it’s leg-lengthening), so temper this with a cropped or cuffed hem.
Can’t decide which colourway to go for? Indigo rinses have an elegant, ladylike feel (like the styles Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor wore in the Fifties), dark washes feel early Nineties (think Brooke Shields), while lighter hues have a streetwear edge. This simple shape really shines when paired with basics like a Breton top or white T-shirt.
