More than any other clothing item, jeans can define the look of an era. Think of the flare in the 70s, or the skater styles of the 90s. Or – right now – the oversized jean. The skinny jean was the cockroach of the denim world for a long time: it refused to die. But there are signs it finally has. Maybe that’s the effect of generational wars on social media, with gen Z roasting millennials’ love of the skinnies, or a post-pandemic need for comfort.
Either way, shapes are changing, and bigger is becoming the overriding choice. The online vintage retailer Depop reports that searches for baggy jeans have increased 66% since January, and style icons – Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, Billie Eilish, Dakota Johnson and more – are going for a the-baggier-the-better approach to denim. Gap’s Get Loose campaign with Troye Sivan perhaps cemented the look: it features the singer surrounded by dancers all wearing oversized jeans.
Beyond celebrities, just take a look at young people on a street near you – baggy denim is everywhere.
Amy Leverton, a trend forecaster and the author of Denim Dudes, says the silhouette has been in the offing for a while. “Someone suggested them to me around seven years ago when I was personally not ready for them,” she says. She finally succumbed recently, pulling out a pair of vintage Silver Tab Levi’s. Leverton says this is the most sought-after style among denim-heads where she lives in LA, because the jeans have the 90s energy that is so loved now. “Silver Tab was launched for skaters,” she explains. “It was [a shape] to react to baggy skater style, so all the ad campaigns were skater heavy.”
If some of the popularity of baggy jeans comes back to a love of the 90s, there are also designers who are pushing this silhouette – including Demna at Balenciaga, JW Anderson at Loewe and Glenn Martens at Diesel. Anderson in particular has pursued an almost comically baggy shape, as seen in his spring/summer 2024 Loewe show. Agus Panzoni, Depop’s trend spokesperson, confirms that these are on the radar of their shoppers: “These brands are all known for their grunge aesthetic, where baggy jeans take centre stage. You also have celebrities like Rihanna and Eilish continually reinventing the style.”
As well as catwalk brands and vintage, smaller niche brands are part of this trend. The double-denim outfit that Eilish wore in January was made by a brand called Très Rasché. Based in Paris, it’s far from mainstream: its Instagram bio reads “Wear Whatever the F*ck You Want”.
Haikure, based in Italy, also has a more-is-more approach to clothing. Its style called the Bethany, which is on the extreme end of oversized, has been a bestseller for several seasons now, with the even larger Big Bethany released recently. “We launched Haikure with the oversized look in mind,” explains brand director Annalisa Dalma. “Our customers love this look as it makes them feel confident, stylish and comfortable all at the same time.”
In among the wider shift to – well – wide jeans, there are micro-trends. This winter sees the rise of the barrel leg, a wide shape that curves out at the knee and tapers at the ankle. If that sounds a bit of a head-scratcher, it is. So it’s not a surprise the shape has been picked up by the fashion crowd – in September, Elle named barrel jeans the “denim silhouette of 2024”.
They are also being worn beyond the fashion shows. The LA denim brand Mother says the half-pipe barrel is one of its most popular styles. “Interest really spiked in the first couple months of 2024,” says co-founder Tim Kaeding. “Within the last 30 days we saw a 56% increase in barrel searches over the previous 30 days and a 660% increase in barrel searches compared to the same time last year.” Once you’re used to the oversized fit, the barrel, he notes, is the next step: “Over the last few years, we’ve seen a progression from straight jeans to more oversized and wide-leg styles. From there, I think a barrel fit is an easy transition.”
But if baggy jeans – barrel or beyond – are now the established shape, fashion is always shifting. What seems like a thing of the past can always resurface, and even the much-maligned skinny jean is threatening to make a comeback. It has featured on catwalks of designers such as Aaron Esh, Miu Miu and Celine, and Dazed and Vogue have given their endorsement. But we perhaps needn’t take the skinny jean fightback too seriously just yet. Leverton says their revival reeks of one of Gen Z’s favourite qualities: irony. “They had this whole battle with millennials about the skinny and how they were so disgusting,” she says. “For them, it’s a fuck you, it’s ironic. Fashion is about pushing the envelope; it’s wearing something that’s the least expected. This is a way to get attention – wear a skinny jean.”