Since the death of the skinny jean was declared a few years ago, a fresh crop of denim fits have been dominating our wardrobes. A vast departure from Kate Moss and Alexa Chung’s sprayed-on skinnies circa 2015, this is denim that feels like denim; looks like denim; acts like denim; by all intents and purposes, is denim. Thicker, stiffer, often in a true-blue hue. Cut looser to the body. Sometimes flared. Sometimes straight. In 2024, denim has moved on. And so has Kate Moss (who according to Vogue is the queen of the blue jean). In 2023, the model took to the Bottega Veneta SS23 runway in slouchy, loose-fitting denim (that actually turned out to be leather, but nm, it looked like denim), and cemented our belief that skin-tight, can-barely-breathe jeans are no longer the one.
So, what jean shapes should you be looking for in 2024? Baggy, slouchy, loose-fitting, oversized, boyfriend, low-slung; whatever you want to call them, jeans are having a laidback moment. Fuelled by our never-ending ‘90s infatuation, the iconic silhouette has secured its spot back in our denim rotation. A symptom of the pandemic and a return to dressing for comfort, our jeans are working with our bodies and wardrobes, not against.
In a similar camp, wide-leg jeans are back in play. The key difference to their baggy counterparts? More of a deliberate shape. Cut to flare out at the knee and hit the floor, they’re being styled with everything from ballet flats to pointy kitten heels. In a similar camp, wide-leg jeans are back in play. The key difference to their baggy counterparts? More of a deliberate shape. Cut to flare out at the knee and hit the floor, they’re being styled with everything from ballet flats to pointy kitten heels.
And last, but definitely not least, a classic pair of straight-leg jeans in a true-blue hue will become one of the most important pieces in your wardrobe. With some serious flex, they can be dressed down with sneakers, up with heels, worn with chunky boots and partnered with some of the season’s biggest footwear trends du jour - ballet flats, buckle boots and loafers. They really can do it all.
When it comes to denim washes, blues – dark, mid, light and true blue – are reigning supreme, but there’s space in your wardrobe for jet blacks and pale greys too.