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Wide-Leg Jeans Are A Spring Style Saviour
Here, see the styles the ELLE fashion editors are eyeing up
Conventional wisdom might dictate that floor-skimming wide-leg jeans ought to be reserved for the drier months, when their hems don't slurp up the puddles lining the floor. But, there is sun on the horizon – we have been promised – so please, ignore those shaky forecasts currently sweeping the country and look to brighter days ahead.
In the spirit of summoning spring, here we are, talking about wide-leg jeans with all the verve that they deserve, even if they can be something of a hazard through an impromptu May (or June, or July) shower.
The humble wide-legged jean appears to have hit something of a style nerve. Over the past twelve months, according to Google Trends, searches for wide-leg jeans have been rising steadily, with Marks & Spencer and Mango among the most popular labels to buy them from. On TikTok, low-slung, hip-flashing wide-leg jeans have been en vogue for much of the past six months, with people increasingly wearing theirs with shrunken T-shirts and bookish loafers.
‘Wide-leg jeans are great because they look instantaneously relaxed yet ultra sophisticated,’ Marianne McDonald, Creative Director of Citizens of Humanity, tells ELLE UK. ‘There’s a versatility to them that the public has really responded to, and it makes sense - I love that idea of wearing something that feels cool and vintage, but really modern at the same time.’
Denim purveyor Agolde’s best-sellers this season have been the wide-legged Low Slung Baggy and Harper silhouettes. According to the brand’s Vice President, Jordan Fink, Agolde’s wide-legged offerings are so successful that all of its slouchy silhouettes will be carried over into next season.
Larger-than-life, pavement-sweeping jeans began their journey back to the forefront of desire last year, when the likes of Gucci and Bottega Veneta suggested we scale up our proportions with a stellar series of loose and languid jeans (or in the case of the latter, butter-leather trousers treated to look just like jeans). Fast-forward to 2024, and wide-legged styles are only building in popularity, offering a rebellious, youthful alternative to the sensible straight-leg jean. Jonathan Anderson took the look to extremes on his SS24 Loewe runway, offering cuts belted perilously around the hips, while Alaia inched closer to the emerging barrel-leg jean silhouette, combining voluminous legs with a neatly tapered ankle.
‘This year we’ve seen a shift towards more oversized and wide-leg silhouettes,’ Net-a-Porter's Market Director, Libby Page, tells ELLE UK. ‘Street style has embraced the baggy, low-slung styles by adding a more androgynous touch to give those off-duty-model vibes.'
As for how to wear them? The beauty of the wide-leg jean is that it’s chameleonic. This is an example of denim that defies styling advice. Agolde’s Creative Director, Karen Phelps, wears hers with oversized shirts and T-shirt combinations for casual days and with tight-fitting layers for more elevated occasions. Team ELLE UK advises experimenting with pieces that contrast each other in attitude and silhouette: think, a boyish bomber jacket and ladylike kitten heel.
However you choose to style yours; these are the wide-leg jeans to make a beeline for now.
Reformation Cary High Rise Slouchy Wide Leg Jeans
Reformation jeans are the stuff of fashion folklore, and the Cary is many an insider's go-to cut. It sits high on the waist and flares just the right amount without being OTT. The perfect wide-leg jeans don't exis... Oh, wait.
With just the right level of slouch and soupiness, Levi's '94s are a wide-legged classic that you'll keep on returning to.
For the summery months when the sun decides to put - and, more importantly, keep - its hat on, light-coloured wide-leg jeans are a no-brainer. The art of finding a wide-leg that also sits comfortably on the hip is a fine dance, but Italian brand Haikure has managed to hit the nail on the head with its swiftly swlling-out Bethany jeans.
A darker indigo denim makes a wide-leg cut feel elevated – ready for evening, even. Mango's loose-legged jeans are stiff enough to look much more expensive than they really are. Team them with a black blazer and high heel, and see what we mean.
Tick off two trends in one with Ganni's wide-legged cargo jeans. Available in both deep indigo and faded grey, they sit wide through the legs and are detailed with contrast-stitch patch pockets. Use them to bring a boyish twist to the brand's cult puff-sleeve tops.
Trust us: Weekday's denim is some of the best on the high street. The Rail cut is loose but straight, so looks great with flats and heels alike. This opaque, deep black makes a more polished proposition than classic vintage blue.
This gently washed pair from Frame features the ultimate confidence-boosting cut. High on the waist and just-wide-enough through the legs, they're guaranteed to make you feel exceptional.
In true-blue denim, Agolde's Low Slung Baggy style is the perfect vintage-style choice. They're unfussy and precisely shaped to sit neatly on the hips. Wear then with a simple white tank, adding a red lip for the ultimate French-girl finish.
Marks and Spencer has nailed it with these (surprisingly) spot-on wide-leg jeans. The added lyocell means they'll stretch a little – ideal if you want all-day comfort – while the loose-legged cut is longer than most, so ideal for taller wearers.
Ba&sh jeans are not only cool but they're comfy too, meaning stiff and restrictive can become firmly a thing of the past. Praise be.
Reiss' Marion style is more of a wide, straight leg than a full-on flare: a good in-between choice for those who want stay in the sartorial shallow end.
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