THE BIGGER THE BETTER

The 21 Best Wide-Leg Jeans to Shop This Season

The voluminous style has become a staple for Katie Holmes, Rihanna, and Dakota Johnson.

Updated: May 24, 2023

Originally Published: Aug. 17, 2022

Collage by Ashley Peña

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For the second summer in a row, wide-leg jeans are winning out over cutoff shorts as the warm-weather denim look of choice. And we’re not talking about the high-and-tight-waisted, sailor-inspired silhouettes of the 2010s. What feels fresh today is a lower or medium rise that’s cut baggy all the way down the leg. We’ve seen Jennifer Lawrence rocking a perfectly faded pair by The Row, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky stepping out in coordinating baggy looks, and Tracee Ellis Ross looking the picture of laid-back elegance in a stone-washed situation with a slight drop crotch.

While we love the simplicity of a classic five-pocked look, some of our favorite pairs this season turn up the volume with sparkly trouser-inspired pleating a la Dakota Johnson, unconventional fastenings or sparkly embellishments (see Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift’s recent springtime street style). Plus, the loose look is surprisingly versatile: it plays well with slim T-shirts, tucked-in tanks and tailored blouses—or for cooler summer nights, try a cropped knit a la Gigi Hadid. Below, browse all of our favorite summer denim pieces that are guaranteed to keep things easy and breezy.