I love jeans. And I love following the newest trends. But as a woman of a certain age, I have struggled with how to show off the latest silhouettes without feeling like I’m chasing my youth. When baggy jeans came back into fashion, I was thrilled! But as I tried to style them on myself, the tees and sneakers I paired them with made me feel a little bit like a teen. My foray into baggy jeans moved me to further investigation – I decided to find out about all the new styles being worn here and now, and how to help me (and others!) wear them best.
The denim landscape of 2026 is full of fun new denim cuts, some new and some which I’ve definitely seen and worn before. To help me figure out how to best style them without feeling like without feeling like a teenager or an influencer, I tapped the knowledge of four well-known stylists. I relied on them to point me in the right direction for cut, fit and comfort, and to help me properly style my new looks with tops, jackets and shoes.
As executive stylist and creative director Karima El-Hakkaoui says, “Ultimately, I want my jeans to work hard in my wardrobe. The more ways I can style them, the better.”
‘The wrong length can ruin even the best denim’
Liz Teich, a celebrity stylist and founder of The New York Stylist, appreciates more timeless styles, and her choices for women over 40 include a focus on dark and brown denim, cleaner silhouettes, strategic/minimal distressing, wide-leg cuts and more tailored fits. The right style for your body type is any style that you like – but if you need or want a little guidance, she includes this handy guide on her site. Rise, or how high the pants sit on the waist, is also a personal choice – and if you’re traumatized from the low-rise jeans of the past, this is crucial. “The rise is really dependent on your torso,” she said. “The wrong length can ruin even the best denim.”
An all-around crowd pleaser: mid-rise wide-leg jeans
Teich pointed me in the direction of wide leg jeans, which she claims can work for everybody. “The brilliant thing about wide-leg pants is that almost anything goes, but it really is all about giving yourself shape, or a waist,” she says. Hem length and footwear choices also impact how the pants will look. “Flare and wide-leg denim look most flattering when the hem barely kisses the ground, or even covers most of your shoes,” Teich said. “Elongated toe boxes like point, square or almond shapes work best for these styles.” And when it comes to tops, it’s all about balance – a tucked-in blouse or anything with a nipped waist will help balance out the width at the bottom.
J Jill Modern Fit Wide Leg Jeans
J Jill is a moderately priced brand aimed squarely at women over 45, a group which CEO Mary Ellen Coyne believes to be underserved in the industry, according to her 2025 annual report. These wide-leg jeans hug my waist and hips nicely up top, but still give me the wide-leg silhouette that Teich recommends. The pants go from a size 2 to 28 and are made of a blend of cotton, Tencel, polyester and spandex . I wore them to the theater with two girlfriends, and one immediately went online and bought a pair for herself. She was also thrilled with the reasonable price point.
Spanx Supersmooth Authentic 360 High-Waist Super Wide-Leg Jeans
Spanx jeans have come a long way since the first pull-on pair debuted back in 2014. Their latest iteration, the Authentic 360, still offers the SpanxSupersmooth, 360-degree hidden panel on top, which means the high waist pulls me in at the tummy, back and waist, so I still get the benefits of Spanx with a more traditional look. These jeans are extremely lightweight, though they still appear like traditional denim. Now they’ve done away with the faux zipper and button and replaced them with the real thing, so you can tuck in your tops without worrying about showing an elastic waistband. I get many compliments when I wear these, and a lot of surprised expressions when I divulge the brand.
Brown jeans
Brown denim is another of Teich’s favorite trends this season, especially when it’s paired with shades such as ivory, cream or oatmeal – or even other shades of brown. “Keep it in the same color family (ie: warm brown with warm, and cool brown with cool),” she said. Also consider mixing it with other colors including burgundy or powder blue, Teich said.
Hudson Jodie Loose Wide-Leg Jeans
I dig the roomy fit and mid-rise waist in these chestnut brown jeans from Hudson. I was a little nervous about adding this color denim to my wardrobe, but since much of my wardrobe is in the neutral range to begin with, I had no problem pairing them with white, cream, black and even different shades of brown. And because they are made from about 99% cotton and 1% Lycra, they molded to my waist and tummy perfectly, allowing for that chic, baggy drape on my legs. So no, even though I would never have considered buying denim this color, they ended up adding some surprise fun to my mainly blue jean collection.
Levi’s Cinch Wide-Leg Jeans
I’ve been wearing Levi’s for more than 30 years, and I’m always thrilled when I find a new style. These linen-blend, wide-leg jeans are outrageously comfortable. They fit the bill for the brown denim trend, and also come with button adjusters on the back of the waist so you can cinch them in to adjust for any gapping at the waist. I also love how the high rise and flowy legs do wonders for my 5 ft 7in frame. And because they look more like an actual pair of trousers than regular jeans, I can dress them up or down.
Skinny jeans: ‘They’re baaaack!’
El-Hakkaoui, the executive stylist and creative director, curates several different styles of jeans for her clients each season, giving them a handful of different shapes, lengths, washes and silhouettes. “This allows them to feel aligned with their personal style yet be able to create a completely different look each day,” she said.
This season, she sees a good mix of straight-leg, wide-leg, barrel, bootcut and flared jeans. But the biggest surprise? “If you’re old enough to remember the skinny jean era of the 2000s and early 2010s, you’ll appreciate this little nod to Poltergeist: they’re baaaack!” El-Hakkaoui saw the style on the runways at Celine, Valentino and Gucci this season, which means they will eventually trickle down to stores (so be forewarned).
Straight-leg jeans
“Have you been living in wide-leg and barrel jeans for the past few years? If you’re ready for a change, let me introduce you to the straight-leg jean again,” said El-Hakkaoui. These offer a completely different silhouette, one that follows a straight line from hip to hem, and they are a perfectly grown-up alternative that sits nicely between the volume of a wide leg and the skintight feel of a skinny cut. For the most part, these jeans can be styled two ways, she says – “uncuffed for a clean, classic straight-leg look, or turn up the hem for something a little more relaxed and playful”.
Agolde Lana High-Rise Vintage Jeans
Because these jeans are made from 100% cotton, there is no added stretch. El-Hakkaoui likes them because they’re comfortable, yet offer a different fit and feel if you’re used to exclusively wearing wide-leg or barrel jeans. You’ll also get more structured denim, with the leg sitting closer to the body, which is a cleaner, more streamlined silhouette. A versatile, yet timeless, straight-leg jean that feels modern without being overly trendy.
Gap Mid-Rise Relaxed Straight Jeans
The Gap has been a steadfast and reliable source for good basics at accessible prices for as long as I can remember. And you can’t go wrong with a pair of these laidback, loose-fit straight jeans in low-stretch denim. They run up to a size 35 and come in a range of washes. Throw them on with a plain white tee, a silk scarf around your neck and a pair of Converse, and you can go just about anywhere.
Barrel jeans
Barrel jeans have become a wardrobe staple because they are incredibly versatile. “I love barrels because they’re such hardworking jeans that you can style in so many ways,” says El-Hakkaoui. With a nipped waist, a higher rise and legs that dramatically curve out then nip back in at the ankles, this dramatic shape is just begging for balance. “Contrast the volume of the jean with a fitted top or cropped sweater that hits at the waist,” she said. “This gives the outfit some balance without all that volume overtaking you.”
GU 3D Barrel Jeans
GU is Uniqlo’s trend-driven, youth-focused line, and you can’t go wrong with its affordable, Japanese basics. These barrel jeans are crafted from 100% cotton (20% of which is recycled fibers) and come with an unique two-sided cut, with darts at the knee that create an even greater bowed shape. I dig this silhouette especially because it ends up making my waist look smaller, and I tend to wear these either with more formal sneakers, such as these Adidas Japan Shoes that play almost like flats yet still offer a more relaxed style.
Madewell The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean in Comfort Stretch
These Madewell barrel jeans are less of a statement, and read almost subtle in comparison to the extra-bowed GU look. A mix of about 70% cotton, 20% Tencel, 10% polyester and 1% stretch, they are soft and comfortable, and sit lower on your hip, creating a relaxed, slouchier style. One thing to note if you’re ordering online is that they do run big, so you may want to go down a size. I like to tuck in a tank and throw on a cropped cardigan with these.
Baggy jeans
The moment baggy jeans came back in style, I couldn’t wait to figure out how to wear them. But I needed help on the styling front, lest I look like I did when I was a teen. “Baggy jeans are such an easy way to look effortless yet put together. Heels and flats both work beautifully. You can choose a cropped style or, if they’re longer, simply fold them up to wear with loafers or sneakers. It’s an easy way to get more looks out of one pair,” says El-Hakkaoui. For winter layering, she suggests layering a tucked fitted tank or cami, then adding a relaxed sweater with a little front tuck. “Or try a fitted sweater under a cropped jacket for an easy, polished office look.”
Buck Mason Off-Duty Jeans
Buck Mason, a smaller Los Angeles-based heritage brand, is one of my favorites, and though I have bought other well-crafted pieces from them, including sweaters and blazers, I hadn’t tried their jeans until now. These baggy, 100% cotton, mid-rise jeans sit comfortably right below my waist and give that super-relaxed style I was craving. I wear them with tighter tops to even out the oversized style, and even rocked a sheer cropped shirt over a tank to a party with a pair of wedges to give me height. These jeans do run big, so I would suggest sizing down, and Buck Mason also offers free, in-store hemming if you need to shorten them.
Kancan Rebel 90s Low-Rise Loose Baggy
At just under $100, these mostly cotton jeans have a tiny bit of stretch at just 0.5%, and they bring me back to my 90s glory with their low-slung look, loose-fit legs and distressed details. I also like the built-in, 4in single cuffs, which feels more modern and allows me to show off my footwear. These are the kind of jeans you could live in, and I especially liked throwing them on with a chunky belt and a distressed tee tank or vintage concert tee, because they reminded me of my years at university.
Fit matters the most
For personal stylist Phyllis Leibowitz, the main concern around denim is less about what is “age appropriate” and more about fit. “A woman’s body proportions may start to change as she enters her 40s, so my target is to first analyze a woman’s body, and then accentuate a clean line from the waist to the ankle,” she says. She also points out, not unkindly, that women tend to accumulate relatively more fat around the abdomen as they age, and this may make your legs look comparatively slimmer than your midsection – which is why she focuses on making that area more form-fitting.
Midrise flare jeans
Leibowitz likes a flare that begins just below the knee because the fitted upper leg emphasizes the narrower width of the thigh and knee, which can visually elongate the leg. And for a more formal denim option, she suggests black, which can be worn to a business lunch or dinner date. “With the narrow flare, always make sure that the styling on top presents a sleek, polished silhouette. The extra fabric below the knee has a somewhat floppy boho vibe. It has movement when you walk, so I love to pair it with a more structured shape on top,” she says. As for footwear, she likes to keep it sleek and minimal, such as simple leather mid- or high-heel boots for the cooler weather.
Sézane Le Crop
Made of 99% organic cotton and just 1% recycled elastane, these mid-rise, cropped jeans have nearly zero stretch, and they feel like a pair I have had forever, thanks to their soft denim and broken-in look. The flare is subtle and because these are cropped, the inseam on all sizes is 27in, so if you like your pants to cover your ankles, these might not be the ones for you. For me, though, at 5 ft 7in, when paired with a chunky heel, my legs looked longer. I like to pair this with a shorter blazer over a slightly longer blouse. And at $130, they’re not the most expensive jeans on this list, which I also appreciate.
Lucky Brand Mid-Rise Sweet Flare
These extremely comfortable jeans are more of a bootleg than a flare, kicking out at the lower leg a bit more over my feet than the Sézane. Though they are mostly cotton, the 2% stretch makes them fit in all the right places without sagging – though it’s also something to be aware of if you’re not a stretch denim fan. I also like that the faded denim goes well with almost any top, and I like to add clogs to give my outfit a vintage look.
Ankle cropped cigarette styles
The classic cigarette style, made famous by icons including Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, sits at, or just below, your natural waist. But the updated silhouette has shifted to include mid- and even low-rise versions. For this silhouette, there is much more flexibility for styling, from fitted tees to big chunky sweaters – since the pants themselves don’t have much volume in the leg, you can get a little more dramatic up top. “One great styling trick is to partially tuck the top in, to create the illusion of a slim waistline, while still not feeling too ‘buttoned up’,” Liebowitz said.
Citizens of Humanity Savannah Cigarette Jeans
I had no idea how much I would love these jeans when I got them, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how many wears they get. Yes, they have a slim silhouette, but are most definitely not skinny. I have worn them with a partially tucked-in tee, blazer and moto boots, but I’ve also thrown on a sweater and my favorite Salomon XT-Whisper sneakers for a stylish Saturday jaunt. And though they aren’t necessarily cropped (the inseam is 29.5in), I tend to roll them up to show my ankles, yet still have the option to wear them longer when the weather gets cold.
Frame The Cigarette
Frame is known for making comfortable and long-lasting denim, which makes the higher price tag well worth it. I was most attracted to this updated vintage look, which gives the classic Cigarette style a lower waist while keeping the cropped silhouette, with less than 1% stretch and sizing up to a 34. You can choose from four washes of denim, in deeper shades of blue or even black, and if you’re interested in a serious splurge that is a buy-for-life purchase, check out the buttery black leather version. I like pairing mine with a partially tucked blouse and low, chunky boots for the winter.
Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter, the Guardian’s guide to buying fewer, better things:
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The 13 best women’s shoes for the office, vetted by stylish professionals
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