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You may not want to wear jeans to a wedding, but other than that, there is now a pair for every occasion.
You can wear wide, loose-fitting jeans with a high collar to the office, or with elegant, fitted flared trousers and a velvet jacket you will be ready for a cocktail party.
These days, the average woman is expected to own as many pairs of jeans as she does earrings—one for every imaginable event in her life, from walking the dog to a job interview—and, frankly, we’re overwhelmed by the options.
Marks & Spencer offers eight styles of jeans and John Lewis offers ten in total. But you need to know these styles well to make the most of their potential.
With that in mind, I tested 60 pairs from those high-street stores that make the best denim in the season’s four key styles.
After much circling in front of the mirror (sometimes with snorting, eye rolling, and lots of grimacing), I’ve now narrowed it down to ten of the most wearable and versatile styles: wide-leg, flared, bell-bottom, and straight. (If you want skinny or skinny styles, they’re available, but they’re not at the top of my list for fall.)
Typically, most brands offer their popular styles in six shades, including black, grey, and sometimes leopard, but I’m talking about a mid-blue wash unless otherwise specified.
THE WIDE BUNCH
On the catwalk at the Gucci Cruise 2025 show
Striped wide leg trousers, £50, gap.co.uk
‘High Rise Stride’ by Gap, £55, gap.co.uk
Baggy jeans, £35, johnlewis.com
The easiest way to upgrade your jeans is to add volume. It’s that simple. We’re at the point where your twenty-something niece is walking around in jeans that look like a long A-line skirt from afar. But how do we achieve this look?
First, don’t assume that loose legs make your thighs look big (the opposite is often true), so aim for the middle ground, usually described as “wide leg,” rather than “barrel,” “baggy,” or “palazzo.”
I tried on a few tube styles, wide and tight at the bottom, and felt like I’d left the house in an emergency and grabbed the 19-year-old’s jeans. In my opinion, anything wide in the thighs and narrow at the bottom doesn’t do you any favors, so that rules out carrot cuts and mom jeans.
I also say no to cargo pants, another wide-leg style but with pockets on the legs. Slim-fitting cargo pants can look chic, but it’s hard to find a flattering cargo jean style (I tried). And palazzo styles, the very wide and ruffled ones, only work if you have narrow hips and are tall.
So wide legs and flared pants are my go-to, and these are the best on the market.
First up, M&S’s high-waisted wide leg jeans (£35, en:marksandspencer.com). To be honest, I’ve never tried on a pair of M&S jeans before. I’ve always assumed that with jeans you get what you pay for, so I’m surprised to report that these fit perfectly.
High-waisted trousers (with a button at the waist that covers the belly button) are the most flattering and the ones we should all be wearing right now. They are well cut, fall gently from the hip and are made from good quality denim – they are substantial but not heavy and have just the right amount of stretch to provide comfort and a slight corset effect.
I would buy them in black to look more elegant at the office and at night.
Length is important: cropped cuts are not the style of the moment. M&S offers its best jeans styles in petite, regular and long sizes. I am almost 1.75m tall and wear a regular size.
Other wide leg jeans worth mentioning include John Lewis’ Indigo Straight Leg Jeans (£59, en.johnlewis.com). They are called straight, but are very similar in shape to the M&S wide leg jeans, just a little roomier in my size.
I like their stiffness and the yellow top stitching, making them dressy enough to wear to the office with a blazer.
Gap’s ‘high rise stride’ in stretch denim (£55, gap.co.uk) sit at the waist and hips with a wide, relaxed leg. Don’t be put off by the denim belt, which you can remove. They’re flattering at the bottom with big, good pockets, though the raw hems, designed to look like you’ve pulled them down a couple of times, make them more casual.
Gap’s loose-fitting pinstripe trousers (£50) are looser and mid-rise, not high-rise, but still flattering.
There’s a fine line between dad jeans and baggy jeans. John Lewis’ Richmond baggy jeans (£35, en.johnlewis.com) don’t fit close enough to the hips. The same goes for River Island’s wide-leg style (£50, isladelrio.com) with two front pockets, which were too tight.
Marks & Spencer high-rise wide leg jeans, £35, marksandspencer.com
John Lewis Dark Indigo Straight Leg Jeans, £59, johnlewis.com
Wide leg style from River Island, £50, riverisland.com
Flared and boot cut trousers
A word about flared trousers. When they are well fitted, they can look very good and elegant, especially when paired with a cropped or hip-hugging jacket. They should never be tight: forget the seventies and wear flared trousers that are loose on the legs.
Flared or bell-shaped styles can be more flattering and are always flattering. Once again, M&S takes the top spot with its high-waisted pleated-front flared style (£39.50).
I’m starting to understand why M&S is the market leader in women’s denim – you get a lot for your money and I’d happily choose these over most designer brands. They’re worth getting in black too.
For a different style of bootcut, your best bet is Zara (£29.99, zara.comWith a looser fit and longer legs, you could say they are less neat but cooler and better with a pair of mid-heeled boots.
As for wider flares, I’ve gotten more compliments on my old, scruffy Me+Em flares with contrast denim inserts (not for everyone) than anything else I’ve worn below the waist. Me+Em’s current flare style fastens at one side and is very stretchy (£175, meandem.com) and, like all their trousers, makes the bum and legs look good. But I miss the front fly and they seem too stretchy and therefore lack the chic glamour that flares need.
Instead, I’d go for Me+Em’s model with a subtle flare and two front patch pockets (£175). As the name suggests, they won’t spook the horses and will make you look sharp.
With all these wider cuts, it’s important to keep the top neat and fitted, or you’ll end up looking overwhelmed.
Flared jeans, £39.50, marksandspencer.com
Mid-rise bootcut trousers, £29.99, zara.com
Fitted flared skirt with pleats at front, £39.50, marksand spencer.com
Subtle sparkle, £175, meandem.com
STRAIGHT LINES OR COLUMNS
Some people will always love straight leg jeans and the classic vintage style, loose through the hip and thigh Levi’s 501 ’90s’ (£100, levi.com) are still a safe bet and have the prestige of the label, although I don’t think they will do much for me.
Instead, I’d go for Zara’s relaxed fit high-rise jeans (£29.99). This particular straight style has a smart little hem with red detailing on the seams. I wouldn’t normally recommend hems (there are some very pronounced ones for autumn), but this one looks smart.
There’s always a place for a black straight-leg jean in your wardrobe – they have the advantage of showing off your boots or shoes (patent or red) and serving as smart-casual tuxedo trousers, and Next’s column jeans (£32, next.co.uk) fit well and are a good price.
In general, be wary of high-waisted, straight-cut, and ankle-hugging jeans (as they’re known), as they can end up looking like run-of-the-mill jeans. And our jeans for fall are all about looking like we know exactly what we’re doing.
Column jeans, £32, next.co.uk
Relaxed fit straight leg jeans, £29.99, zara.com
90s 501 jeans, £100, levi.com