As the skinny jeans debate between Millennials and Gen Z wages on, we're chiming in—not to take sides, but to sing the praises of one of our favorite denim varieties: the best wide-leg jeans. Not all are created equal (more on that ahead), but when you find the right pair of relaxed, roomy-legged denim, it offers the same versatility that all the best jeans for women do: a trusty, reliable pair of bottoms that, with some up-styling and a few choice accessories, can adapt for your wardrobing needs.
Baggy jeans are a widespread fall 2024 denim trend, and recent runways offer specifics on how to style them. Chloé, Dries Van Noten, and Michael Kors all sent out refined and roomy designer denim paired with chunky turtleneck sweaters, lady jackets, and cropped bombers—all smart options for fall work outfits. Celebrity street style offers ideas, too; Katie Holmes wears white wide-leg jeans with butter yellow tees, Jennifer Lopez teams baggy jeans with crop tops, and Zendaya styles acid-wash relaxed denim with feminine, flower-embroidered blazers.
Now, let's find which pair of baggy jeans is best suited for you and your denim demands. Seven categories of wide-leg silhouettes and 28 options are available for your shopping consideration. The skinny versus baggy discourse by no means ends here, but the below will give you insight into the fervent fanbase for bigger, baggier silhouettes.
High-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans
A high-rise jean can always "rise" to the occasion. Pair yours with a chunky boot to elongate your legs and a cropped button-down shirt in a color that coordinates with your tonal blue jeans.
Low-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans
Admittedly, big, baggy, and low-rise jeans are a silhouette loaded with (some might say, cringe-y) connotations of 2000s fashion trends. But the hip-slung style doesn't have to reference the early aughts. Teamed with statement outerwear—consider either luxe faux fur or a sharp leather bomber jacket—and a designer handbag, wide-leg low-rise jeans feel distinctly modern.
Baggy Wide-Leg Jeans
Baggy jeans don't have to read grunge (unless you want them to). Combined with the tailored vest trend or a blazer (or both, as Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike exhibits above at Paris Fashion Week), you'll come off polished and utterly cool.
Barrel Wide-Leg Jeans
If you are an early adopter like Katie Holmes, one of fall's pioneering forces behind the barrel-leg jean trend, you already know how great this style can be. It might take a little while for others to get accustomed to the curved-then-tapered silhouette since it departs from a standard wide-leg. When styling the rounded bottoms, add definition by playing up proportions with a tucked or partially tucked-in top.
Wide-Leg Denim Trousers
In the more formal realm, the best wide-legged denim trousers are what you want on demanding work days. Try styling the bottoms with a confidence-boosting top or blazer you swear by and your best ballet flats for a low-risk, high-reward pairing.
Distressed Wide-Leg Jeans
Pair a strategically ripped, faded, or worn-in pair of jeans with statement elements—either a must-touch furry coat, the leopard print trend, or both at once—for a punched-up take on the inherently relaxed style.
Cropped Wide-Leg Jeans
Wide-leg cropped jeans with a well-placed cuff or chopped hem are a nice ankle-baring alternative to the trendy puddle jeans silhouette that sweeps the ground. Try styling ankle peek-a-boo denim with a stiff shacket and a clean pair of pumps.
