Denim continues to trend strongly for 2024. I have yet to see as large a variety of jeans silhouettes as right now. If denim is your thing, milk it and enjoy the enormous assortment of jeans silhouettes year round.
First, some general points, and then I’ll summarize the strongest trends by style.
- Lengths: All lengths of jeans are on-trend. There are cropped lengths that expose the ankle bone, or graze the ankle bone. Two inches above the ankle is a sweet spot for cropped lengths. There are full lengths that skim the vamp of the shoe without a break line. The point is to showcase footwear at that length. Some full lengths are longer thereby covering more of the shoe. Last, there are fashion forward floor-sweeping “puddle lengths”.
- Rises: Low rises are back, but aren’t mainstream yet. Mid and high rises are mainstream and here to stay. For the first time that I can remember, three rise lengths are on-trend and available. Low rises can be achieved by wearing a fitted front low rise of about 8 inches or so. Or they can be achieved by wearing the waistbands of higher rise slouchy silhouettes on the hips.
- Washes: You’ll see every wash of blue denim, with an emphasis on very light, and very dark washes. There is black, grey, white, and cream denim too. There is also non-neutral denim, embellished denim, acid watch, patterned denim, and patchwork denim.
- Distressing: Shredded denim with lots of holes and extensive sandblasting takes a major backseat. Denim is light and faded, but you’ll seldom see hectic intentional distressing. Raw-edged hems are still there. They are easy to hem shorter since you simply hack them to the desired length with scissors.
- Fits: Fits range from tailored and fluidly tailored shapes to fluid and slouchy oversized silhouettes. Generally, denim fits are roomier and more relaxed than they’ve been in decades. If you want to update your jeans with a more on-trend pair, choose a silhouette that has a bit or a lot of width somewhere on the hips and legs, or in both areas.
Here are the top denim trends as I see them. Some trends are mainstream, and some are fringe, Sometimes, one pair of jeans showcases multiple trends. For example, a pair of wide leg, pintucked jeans with a mega cuff covers three trends.
1. Relaxed Straight Leg
This ‘90s inspired jeans silhouette is mainstream and still going strong. The cut is relaxed on the leg, straight down to the hem, and low, mid or high in the rise. Mid and high rises are more available. The fit is fluidly tailored or fluid, and NOT tight. The style is fitted on the seat and hips. They are similar to tailored boyfriend jeans. Lengths vary so take your pick.
2. Wide Crops and Wide Legs
This ‘70s inspired mainstream silhouette is mid or high in the rise, fitted on the seat, and wide from hips to ankle (or above the ankle when lengths are cropped). They are much wider than bootcuts, which are fitted from hip and thigh to knee. Lengths vary from floor-sweeping and skimming, to a version of cropped. Their widths vary greatly. Some silhouettes are slimmer than others. Some versions are embellished or pleated, and some have elaborate pocket detailing.
3. Bootcuts and Flares
‘70s and ‘90s inspired bootcuts and flares have high and mid rises, and are mainstream. The low-rise versions are fringe. The waist and seat are tailored. Leg fits are streamlined until the knee, and flare out to the hem. Hem widths can be subtle or more flared. Lengths can skim the surface of the ground in heels, boots, sneakers, flatforms and flats. They can also be worn at the new shorter full length where the hems skim the vamp of the shoes without a break line.
Bootcuts and flares can be tight on the knees – or “knee-sucking” – before the volume flares out to the hems. Personally, I prefer a more fluid knee fit on my flares so watch out for that if that’s your preference too.
4. Oversized Jeans
Jeans that are slouchy all over are a fringe trend and acquired taste. The waist can be big to slide down to the hips, which lowers the crotch point. The big waist can be reined in with a belt to create structure. Or the waist can fit in a tailored way, with the rest of the slouchy volume of the jeans below the waist. Some waists are pleated. For an extra dramatic effect, inseams are floor-sweeping and sported at “puddle length”. Puddle lengths can be tripping hazards so please be careful if you like the vibe.
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5. Denim Sets
Denim on denim is alive. Denim items worn on the top and bottom are made of the same denim to create a pukka set. The vibe can be elaborate and dramatic when silhouettes are complex and embellished. Dressier denim pants suits are one way to wear a denim set. This is a fringe trend, a lot of denim, and an acquired taste.
6. Cargo Pocket
Jeans with cargo pockets and utility detailing are a fringe trend. Some cargo pockets are huge and three dimensional, while others flat and more subtle. The cargo pockets can be placed anywhere along the leg. Hems are wide or taper back to ankles.
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7. Balloon, Barrel, and Lantern
These jeans are mid and high in the rise, tailored on the seat, and voluminous on the hips and legs. The side seams ‘balloon’ away from the thighs and lower leg, or resemble a “barrel” shape, which is how the style gets its name. The hems taper back to the leg. Some retailers call them horseshoe jeans. Some versions balloon out more than others. They are a more architectural version of what we wore in the early ‘80s. Lantern pants are a version of barrel or balloon jeans. The silhouette is fringe, but gaining momentum.
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8. Cuffed Hems
Jeans with broad cuffs at the hem are fringe, especially in relaxed, flared and slouchy cuts. Some of the lengths are cropped, while others graze the top of the foot or the ankle bone. Some are at a puddle length. The dark washes create a high-contrast cuff, while the low-contrast cuffs on light washes are more subtle. Sometimes you can create a cuffed look with a pair of relaxed straight legs, narrower, or wide crops if the hems are long enough.
9. Pintuck
A pintuck is a very narrow ornamental fold or pleat that is sewn in a straight line to add contour and decorative stitching to the item. You’ll find wide legs, wide crops, relaxed straights, and flares with pintucks down their centre fronts. Some styles have pintucks down the centre backs too. Visually, a pintuck creates vertical integrity. This is a fringe trend.
10. All Things Denim
Long denim shorts are having a fashion moment. Denim skirts across all sorts of lengths are going strong. Denim shirts are a classic, and a way to create a denim set with denim bottoms. On-trend denim jackets are oversized and longer. There are also denim coats, shoes, boots, dresses, jumpsuits, bustiers, hats, handbags, and vests.
As far as denim goes, I enjoy wearing jeans, denim jackets, shirts, and dresses. I also wear denim on denim.
As far as jeans go, I am well covered in most of these trends because jeans – and bottoms in general – are the most on-trend component of my style. I am an early adopter of trendy jeans silhouettes, and often go for fringe looks. I enjoy mainstream trends too.
I have relaxed straights, wide legs, wide crops, sailor jeans, trouser jeans, slit hems, cuffed jeans, flares, tuxedo stripes, pintucks, slim boyfriends, barrel legs, cropped flares, patterns, and some bright colours. Rises vary from mid to high. I have two denim shirts, many denim jackets, a denim boiler suit, a jumpsuit, and a denim dress. Washes are mostly blue and white. Here’s my current denim collection:
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I feel quite set with my blue jeans for 2024. Four old pairs have been demoted to wearing on “outdoorsy trails with doggies only”. I’d like to replace them with a few more pairs of white jeans, and maybe some bright green jeans.
Over to you. Which denim trends tickle your fancy?
