Convinced nothing would ever sway me from my beloved straight-leg jeans and boyfriend jeans, I was dumbfounded when what can only be described as the best barrel-leg jeans walked the Alaïa A/W 2023 runway and made me stop dead in my tracks.
Since then the barrel leg trend has just been getting better and better. Agolde, Citizens of Humanity, Frame and more denim brands have seen wide success from their balloon-shape jeans, with the sell-out Sienna Miller x M&S pair making them hot on the high-street, too.
You best believe these are the jeans I’m shopping for S/S 2025.
Image courtesy of Maison Alaia
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While some of you will be welcoming the news of the skinny jeans’ return, I, for one, am dreading it. So much so that I’ve set my sights on their antithesis.
I’m not the only one, either. Google searches for ‘barrel jeans’ are up around 41% on this time last year and the street style set is into it too. Bella Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, prove this pair of jeans is the off-duty model failsafe, whilst Katie Holmes has shown this year that the trend transcends seasons. Mix up light blue and black denim colourways throughout the year, easy to pair with your florals in spring and layer with cardigans and loafers come autumn. Timeless.
Michael Simon
James Devaney
So, what exactly is a barrel-leg jean? Snug at the top, just like the best jeans for women with a high-waist, barrel legs flare out, reaching their widest point somewhere around the knee region before tapering back in towards the ankle. They sound dramatic… and they are.
If mom jeans, wide-leg jeans and baggy jeans had a baby, barrel-leg jeans would be it.
What is another name for barrel leg jeans?
Barrel leg jeans have a few different names – it just depends on which brand you’re shopping from. Citizens of Humanity call them ‘horseshoe jeans’, with this indigo frayed pair being our faves, whilst you might also see them named ‘balloon jeans’, or referred to as ‘tapered’ like Frame’s ‘The Narrow’ pair.
Claudio Lavenia
Arnold Jerocki
Slightly equestrian and adhering to the current cowboy movement, the best barrel-leg jeans are far more wearable than you’d likely first imagine. Try them over a pair of kitten heels or ballet pumps to balance out the oversized barrel silhouette with a delicate and feminine contrast, and opt for something more fitting on top.
For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Senior Commerce Writer Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd, and freelancer Hattie Cotmore @hattiecotmore.
