How to style wide-leg jeans, according to the street-style set

“The great, and also most challenging, thing about shopping for denim—especially wide-leg jeans—is that every single silhouette and treatment seems to be trending at the same time,” Vogue’s Daniel Rodgers noted in his guide to the autumn trends that everyone is already buying. Denim trends will come and go, but the best approach is always to find a fit that makes you feel the most confident and resonates with your own personal style.

Wide-leg jeans tend to have universal appeal because, unlike a skinny jean, which has a more uniform look, this silhouette can be tweaked to have very different end results. You can go for a more baggy, skater style, a flared fit that will appeal to wannabe Chloé girls or even a more tailored pair that will resemble more formal trousers. This variety also means that the styling opportunities are plentiful – thankfully, they have become a street-style staple, meaning there is no shortage of outfit inspiration.

If you are after a more fashion-forward styling approach, at Copenhagen Fashion Week, baggy, wide-leg jeans were predominantly styled with white cotton nightie dresses or lace slips styled over the top. Note that you want your dress to have movement, rather than sitting in a block over your jeans, so look for styles with tiered, waterfall or asymmetric hemlines, or tuck part of the skirt into the waistband to create this look.

When it comes to everyday dressing, you really don’t need to overcomplicate things, as this style of jeans arguably looks best when paired with a boxy white T-shirt and a leather jacket – a ’90s formula that continues to define model off-duty style. It also pays to lean into the oversized look, and pair your baggy jeans with track jackets or sports jerseys that have the same proportions. Keep scrolling for more styling ideas that’ll make wide-leg jeans the hardest-working piece in your wardrobe this season.