How to Wear Wide Leg Jeans or Pants

I know there have been terrible rumors that skinny jeans are dead. That is simply not true. Unless you want to ditch your entire wardrobe that works with all your skinny jeans, that is. And I don’t think anyone wants to do this.

However, I do think it brings up a good point that there can be jeans other than skinny jeans in your wardrobe. Skinny jeans, to me at least, are the most universally fitting jean so that’s why I’m so partial to them. But I am trying to branch out and a new-ish to me and this pair of wide leg denim might just do the trick. They’re super comfortable and easy to wear and pair! In fact, I thought I’d show you 8 ways to wear them below!

(PS: These are from LOFT — super comfortable, as I mentioned. Almost more like a canvas pant than a jean with some stretch as well! These are the 29 but I could go down to a 28. But overall true to Loft sizing. Find them here.)

1 / monochrome

Loft Henley / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Loft Modern Loafers / Madewell Layered Necklaces

2 / puff sleeve tee

Loft Puff Sleeve Tee / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Loft Modern Loafers / Madewell Layered Necklaces

3 / relaxed button down

Loft Relaxed Button Down / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Golden Goose Sneakers / Madewell Layered Necklaces

4 / striped tee

Target Striped Tee / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Kahmune Leather Flats / Madewell Layered Necklaces

5 / simple cardigan

Line & Dot Cardigan / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Kahmune Leather Flats / Madewell Layered Necklaces

6 / graphic sweatshirt or tee

Anine Bing Logo Sweatshirt / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Golden Goose Sneakers / Madewell Layered Necklaces

7 / cropped sweater

Line & Dot Cropped Sweater / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Gucci Princeton Loafers / Madewell Layered Necklaces

8 / Puff Sleeve Sweatshirt

 Amazon Puff Sleeve Sweatshirt / Loft Wide Leg Jeans / Golden Goose Sneakers / Madewell Layered Necklaces

Styling Tips

The trick with wide leg jeans is to keep your tops fitted and proportionate to your body. So for example, with skinny jeans we can wear tunics with them because skinny jeans taper at the ankle vs a flare out on the leg, thus creating a visual effect of elongating one’s silhouette. With a flare or a wide leg pant, you’ve got to create shape somewhere else, so keeping your top tailored (not necessarily tight, but more fitted) and tucked in or cropped, you are elongating your bottom half by visually giving the most weight to the jeans. In other words, keep it simple, sister! Think of your pants are the wild card and pair a tailored, neutral top with them for the easiest way to wear this new jean.

Another trick is to mind the waistband, as in don’t hide it but also don’t belt it. You want to keep the outfit as seamless as possible and when you hide the waistband by leaving your shirt untucked, or layering under a loose jacket or blazer that hits below the waistband, you’ve hidden the silhouette the pants naturally give and  you’ll end up looking like a rectangle. A fashionable rectangle, but still. As someone with broad shoulders, I tell you this from personal experience. If you need a layer, choose a shorter, cropped jacket that hits above or at the waistband (like a fitted denim jacket). And try to tuck or front tuck your tops, to expose the waistband showing the break in the outfit. You don’t have to have an hour glass figure to pull these off — I certainly don’t. But by leaving the waistband exposed, it gives the illusion of just that. And I personally would suggest against breaking up the outfit with a belt, as it creates an unnecessary definition between the top half and bottom half.

Someone also asked if this look is made for curvy or plus size body types and I say yes, absolutely! Wear a shorter more fitted top and get your wide leg on, my friend. Same with petite, if you need some height with the wide leg jeans to give you more of a proportionate look, pick a nude heel or wedge to give the look some lift.

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Which look from above is more you?? Let me know!