How to style the jeans of the season? Read on …
Speaking on a recent episode of Irish fashion podcast Desert Island Dress, the London fashion editor Jo Ellison (Instagram @jellison22) called out barrel jeans as one of her indispensable fashion items. “They bridge the gap between smart and casual nicely,” the How To Spend It editor said. It’s apt as smart denim was entirely present at Paris Fashion Week: Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut at Balenciaga saw jeans walking the runway next to gowns that riffed on the heritage houses’s couture roots. The message? The right pair of jeans can hold their own anywhere. If barrel leg jeans are the smartest kind of denim to wear now then what’s the best way to style them for autumn? From the best shoes to team them with, to nabbing the pair that has just the right amount of slouch, try these ten ideas below.
The jeans of the season excel when styled with tonal layering. Think a lightweight knit or long-sleeve T-shirt with a similar-hued knit slung over your shoulders. It’s a preppy aesthetic that’s hardened by the unexpected shape of the barrel leg. Black Miro mid-rise barrel-leg jeans, Citizens of Humanity, €370; www.net-a-porter.com.
When COS isn’t channelling the season’s modern-minimal aesthetic, its barrel jeans are going viral. Team these exaggerated leg jeans in dark denim with a V-neck knit for a current outfit choice. Indigo barrel-leg denim trousers, €99, at COS.
Sports luxe fan? Embrace old school sporting references by finishing your look with a striped rugby. White high-waisted barrel leg jeans, €59.95, at Massimo Dutti.
At the investment end of the scale, and loved by fashion insiders, Alaïa’s high-rise barrel jeans look great with a cropped tee and a splash of leopard. Black exaggerated hem barrel jeans, Alaïa, €1,090; www.net-a-porter.com.
Because barrel jeans can be slouchy too: this relaxed cream pair make an excellent foil to suede brown trainers (which, in case you missed it, are autumn’s footwear of choice). Cream tapered puddle jeans, €285; www.meandem.com.
Speaking of jackets, there’s no cooler way to offset white curved-leg jeans than with a starchy, structured trench coat (shop our edit of the best ones here). White Bloom barrel leg jeans, €89; www.arket.com.
When choosing the right knit to wear with your jeans, make it a luxurious one. Black Bree horseshoe-shape jeans, €140; www.hush-uk.com.
Pale denim is contrasted perfectly by decadent brown suede boots. Light denim Low Slung Barrel boyfriend jeans, Frame, €340; www.net-a-porter.com.
While barrel jeans tend to taper off at the hem, it’s important to nab the right length. Opt for hemlines that cut off just around the ankle and you can wear yours with ballet flats all season. Black mid-rise barrel jeans, M&S Collection, €43, at Marks & Spencer.
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