The leaves are turning, and a fresh crop of jeans has landed in a shop near you. While the season’s shifting, some questions remain perennial: what styles are going to be “in” this autumn/winter, and how do we go about finding some that actually fit?
Finding the right answers feels more worthwhile than ever. You only have to look at last season’s highest-profile shows to see that jeans have officially graduated from informal weekend wear to catwalk-ready.
The mid-wash jean has been a mainstay in Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel collections, while Jonathan Anderson’s latest jazzed-up Dior jeans were embellished with sequins and beads.
The key might be meeting somewhere in the middle, though it’s interesting to note that both designers seem to have honed in on what we might think of as a “soft straight” style. These are far from skinny jeans (thank god) but could be referred to as “slim-legs”.
Best women’s jeans for 2026
Cos Chord jeans: £85, cos.com
& Other Stories Straight-leg jeans: £97, stories.com
WNU Crawford jeans: £150, withnothingunderneath.com
Citizens of Humanity 90s French straight jeans: £340, citizensofhumanity.com
JW Anderson Straight-leg jeans: £605, jwanderson.com
The great thing about them is that there are plenty of hybrids around too; they could have a subtle kick-flare, or nod almost imperceptibly to now-ubiquitous barrel legs.
This means you can hedge your denim bets rather than betting on a silhouette that will feel tired this time next year.
Perhaps the best example on the market at the moment is WNU’s Crawford jeans, a close-ish fitting straight-leg style that’s available in a lovely light and mid blue wash. They’re one of the three styles launched in WNU’s debut jeans collection, which also features wider leg and cropped kick-flare styles.
Founder Pip Durell wanted to hone in on the classics, while tapping into denim’s current elevated mood. “I think there will be a real shift towards clean-cut silhouettes that are easy to wear but can be dressed up this autumn/winter,” says Durell.
“Denim is usually considered quite casual — a traditional workers’ form — but a well-cut, well-made pair of jeans should be able to perform for both work and play.”
“A well-cut pair of jeans should be able to perform for both work and play”
Pip Durell, With Nothing Underneath founder
The design team at denim-focused brand Citizens of Humanity is striking a similar note. “We’re seeing a shift away from baggier, wide-leg jeans towards slimmer, more streamlined silhouettes,” says Marianne McDonald, creative director at Citizens of Humanity. “The cigarette jean is a key shape for AW26, while the barrel is evolving into a more refined taper.”
On the high street, the season’s slim-leg styles can be found in abundance at Cos (you can bet that the “Chord” straight-leg style will be everywhere at London Fashion Week) and Gap, which is still riding high after its sellout Hailey Bieber denim collaboration.
If you’re taller than average, & Other Stories has great options, while petite fashion insiders tend to opt for M&S.
If you’re willing to splash out, JW Anderson has just dropped a supremely cool “Twisted Denim” collection with a campaign starring real-life couple Dree Hemingway and Nick Delli Santi. Just don’t ask if they’re men’s or women’s — they’re unisex. Obviously.
How to find the right fit
So, you know what style to go for this season. But what about the fit? You could take the advice of a GQ article published in 2025, which was entitled “New jeans should hurt”. In the piece, the writer extols the virtues of buying denim tight and breaking it in, which can reportedly take months, and is the “menswear equivalent of going up a weight on the leg press”.
I get that great jeans feel like they’ve moulded to you, but I can’t help but think that the writer might not have considered having something as inconvenient as a vulva. Most women I know, even the ones willing to suffer for fashion, simply aren’t up for long days of dual-sided wedgies and circulation loss. The thing is, most jeans do give within a few wears — but it’s hard to tell how much they’ll stretch on first try.
As a general rule of thumb, high street options tend to stretch further than more rigid (and expensive) pairs. This is not always true, of course. Take denim brand Mother, which tends to be stretchier, or Citizens of Humanity and Agolde, which you can often size down in.
WNU’s new offering, in contrast, seems to work best when sized up. Though as Durell points out, it all depends on how you want them to fit. “It’s about your personal style,” she says. “I’ve always loved a straight-leg jean, as I like being able to balance out the straight cut with a more oversized fit on top. However, I like to get my jeans in two sizes: my usual size for a clean silhouette and also one size up for a cooler, slightly more boyish fit.” The best thing to do is try them on in person and ask someone working in the store for advice about how much give to expect.
If you can’t make it in person, you can also glean a fair amount from the label or online reviews.
“Always pay attention to the fit description,” explains McDonald. “If a style is designed to be relaxed, it will naturally sit looser on the body. If you prefer that same silhouette to feel a little more tailored, you may want to size down.”
For the final word on finding jeans that fit, I asked Sophie Tobin, the best stylist I know and a connoisseur of great denim, for advice that’s as streamlined as all those new season silhouettes.
“They should feel quite stiff when you buy them but make sure you can sit down and that the back doesn’t gape. Then they’re fine,” she says. Turns out good jeans don’t need to hurt.
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