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Straight-Leg Jeans Are (Finally) Having Their Moment In The Spotlight
These fuss-free, forever jeans are a worthy investment for every wardrobe.
After the death of skinny jeans was hailed in 2021 – their final days were cemented after they were decried as 'cheugy' by New York Magazine – their humble, more playful cousin, the straight-leg jean has elbowed its way to the fore.
'The straight-leg jean is one of those silhouettes that’s easy to dress up or down and it feels as fundamental as skinny jeans did in the past but has a sense of effortlessness to it,' Marianne McDonald, Creative Director of Citizens of Humanity, says, noting that the label’s straight-legged Daphnes are her style of choice. 'The right pair can give you a really leggy look that feels modern.'
Their return to the pantheon of desirability can be dated back to Matthieu Blazy’s sophomore collection for heritage Italian brand Bottega Veneta. During the label’s Milan Fashion Week spring/summer 2023 show, Kate Moss made an appearance clad in a lumberjack-esque checked shirt, white tank top and straight-legged jeans (that were secretly leather, FYI). The effortless look went viral. The following season, Blazy repeated his winning formula and once again sent straight-legged jeans and white tank tops down the runway. And so straight-legged jeans’ return was confirmed – this is a jean that offers more panache than a slouchy wide-leg, without the clinginess of the skinny.
Agolde’s best selling style of jean is its straight-legged 90s Pinch Waist, which, its Creative Director Karen Phelps describes as 'an easy, classic straight leg with endless versatility.' The same pair is also Net-A-Porter's bestselling straight-legged jean. ‘A straight-leg jean should form the basis of your wardrobe as they never go out of style,’ Phelps tells ELLE UK. ‘I style mine layered with rib knits and blazers during the colder months.’
'The beauty of a straight-leg jean is that they can look like a prized vintage pair but have been rigorously tested to ensure a great fit,’ Libby Page, Net-A-Porter's Market Director, says, confirming that searches for straight-leg jeans spiked by 80% this year.
The style set is in firm agreement – the best way to wear these straightforward, fuss-free jeans is with simple T-shirts and boxy jackets. Playing with proportions is key to avoiding any skinny jean connotations. These are jeans designed to remove the headache of getting dressed. Sturdy, solid and reliable, they are to any wardrobe what a cup of tea is to a cold winter’s day – inexplicably essential. These are a few of our favourite straight-leg jeans to buy now.
The Best Straight-Leg Jeans Of 2024
Agolde 90s Pinch High-Rise Straight-Leg Jeans
Agolde 90s Pinch High-Rise Straight-Leg Jeans
Agolde's straight-legged 90s Pinch jeans, which are understandably the brand's bestsellers, sit comfortably at the waist and end just above the ankle making them an example of some of the very best straight-legged jeans that money can buy.
Reformation Val 90s Mid Rise Straight Jeans
Reformation Val 90s Mid Rise Straight Jeans
Since debuting its denim offering in 2017, Reformation has established itself as a leader in the field of earth-first denim. The label's Val straight jeans sit slightly lower on the hip but flatter the leg in all the right ways nonetheless. Just add barely-there kitten heels for a modern way to wear straight jeans.
Claudie Pierlot Blue Straight-Leg Jeans
Claudie Pierlot knows a thing or two about quality denim, and what it doesn't know, frankly isn't worth knowing. Style circles opt to tuck their oversized shirts into its straight-legged jeans for an elevated take on French fashion.
Ask any fashion editor worth their salt where their jeans are from and, in no uncertain terms, they'll say Frame. If you're wondering where to start with straight jeans then look to the Californian label to equip your arsenal.
Available in black and blue, Mother's offering is one of the slimmest, sitting high on the waist and ending at the ankles. They're cut to sit close – but crucially, not skin-tight – for a flattering look that feels entirely on-point.
Dark denim has a more polished, sophisticated feel than paler hues. Pair Jigsaw's leg-lengthening pair with your brightest, zestiest knits for a modern take on weekday dressing.
Whistles Straight Leg Full Length Jean
Whistles has been a leader in the realm of denim since its inception in 1976. For straight jeans that hug in all the right places - and hit the sweet spot just above the ankle - look no further than this pair.
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