Breathing room

Say goodbye to denim sausages and embrace roomier style with the welcome comeback of the classic straight leg jean, writes Josie Steenhart.

Don’t shoot the messenger, but super skinny jeans look to be well and truly over right now. That’s not to say they won’t come again, but for a few years now denim has been undergoing a (welcome, in my opinion) metamorphosis towards roomier cuts, with a return to classic straight leg styles.

And this season, things are blowing out even further (literally) for our beloved blue (and black) jeans, with wide-leg styles launching a near full fashion takeover – and reader, I’m ready for the roominess!

For those like myself endowed with legs that are neither long nor especially willowy, you could be justified in concerns that the aforementioned wider-leg designs might not be super flattering, but hey, it’s 2021 and we’re all about embracing body diversity and dressing to feel good, so who really cares if your legs look a bit short or wide (it’s probably because they are, and we’re okay with that).

And hey, at least they won’t be trapped inside a constrictive casing of skinny jeans like a pair of denim sausages.

Do go for slightly cropped pairs if you want to avoid looking totally swamped, or insouciantly cuff the bottoms, and look to footwear that sits low on the ankle or adds height back with a heel (I’m all about platforms and wedges right now in that regard).