Last updated on March 28th, 2024 at 09:33 pm

How to wear the latest jeans trends is a question I’ve asked myself many times. So I thought if I was thinking about it, you probably are too! I think we’ve all heard the “skinny jeans are no longer in style”, which can be tough. I don’t know about you, but my closet is filled with skinny jeans. That’s all we wore for so long.

I will still wear skinny jeans – I am not going to give those away. But I have wanted to branch out and try the new styles because I think there are plenty of new styles out there to love. So, I tried most of the latest jeans trends: straight, flare, bootcut and wide leg to see what I liked the best. So, I am sharing my findings with you, along with some tips on how to style each different pair.

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Jeans Trends: Straight Leg

So, if you still love your skinny jeans, then straight leg jeans will probably be your new favorite style. Straight leg jeans do not taper at the hem which is what makes them different from skinny jeans. They are straight up-and-down through the entire pant leg. There can be different styles of straight leg jeans with looser fits like boyfriends jeans or they can still have a classic slim fit.

You can find straight leg jeans in low-cut, mid-rise and high rise styles. The hem should typically hit at the ankle, but can be worn cuffed or cropped. If they go past your ankles, they can tend to bunch up and not look as sleek.

As far as tops go, you’ll want to accentuate your waist so tucking your shirt or wearing more cropped shirts will help with that effect.

Here’s a great video on how to do a french tuck.

For shoes, you want to choose a pair that flatters the untapered pant leg. A great option is high top sneakers or loafers (without socks). Pointed toe boots will give you a chic look. If you’re a fan of ballet flats, I would give them a try as well.

My Look: My straight leg jeans are a mid rise, raw hem style by Kensie. I’ve had them since last year so they are no longer available. Kensie jeans are sold at Nordstrom Rack. I do love shopping for jeans at Nordstrom Rack – they have great brands, trending styles, all at a great price. I have another pair of Kensie jeans listed first below.

Raw hems are very much on trend this season – so what I’ve read is that if you don’t want to take your jeans to get them hemmed, just bring out the scissors and cut them off!

Bootcut Jeans

The bootcut jean is probably the most flattering for most body shapes as they balance out a curvy hip, bigger booty, elongate a petite frame and give shape to a lean figure. Silhouettes are slightly slimmer, and lengths range from cool cropped kick-flares to longer, puddle-length jeans. 

As with any flared jeans, the key to how to style bootcut jeans is to balance out your look by keeping the top half a little more fitted. Finding tops that highlight your torso will automatically balance out the width of the hem of a bootcut jean. By keeping the volume balanced at the hem line, you create the illusion of a narrower waist. As with straight leg jeans, if you don’t want to fitted top, you can tuck in more looser fit, flowy tops. Look at tops with shoulder ruffles, or a blazer that has a strong shoulder line to balance and align with the hem of your jeans. 

For length, a full length bootcut jean will give you an elongated silhouette and looks great with heels. You want the hem to hit just before the base of the toe. If there’s a break in the long line of the leg, it’s too long. You can also go with something more cropped which should fall just above the ankle or below the calf. Pretty much any style of shoe works with a bootcut jean with the exception of over the knee or riding boots.

My look: My bootleg jeans (with the cropped trench) are from one of my favorite jeans brand, Democracy. Their “Ab-Solution” jeans are amazing. They do just what it sounds like – they keep your tummy tucked in and the waist is so comfortable. It is an elastic waist on the inside which is what I love about this brand. They have all the technology on the inside to make you look good, but are designed to look stylish on the outside. They are the first pair in the carousel.

My other new favorite jeans are the FlexX jeans from Express (with the oxblood sweater). What I love about these is that they come in sizes, S, M, L and have a range of multiple sizes. I am wearing the “Medium” which covers sizes 6, 8, 10. They “flex” with you. So if you gain or lose a few pounds, you don’t need a new pair of jeans! They are the second pair in the carousel.

Jeans Trends: Flare

The flare jean is similar to the bootcut jean, just with a more “flare” (pun intended). They can be paired with everything from a casual T-shirt to a blazer. Oversized sweaters and cropped tops all look great also.

If you want to dress up a pair of flared jeans, wear heels to elongate your silhouette. The hem of your pants should hit the top of your shoes to make your legs look longer. For spring, you can wear wedge platform sandals or casual flat sandals. These look great with cropped flare jeans. Of course, all styles of boots look great with both full-lenght or cropped flare jeans.

One interesting tip I read is to minimize your accessories when it comes to flare jeans – let the jeans speak for themselves.

My Look: My flare jeans are from I.N.C., the in-house brand by Macy’s. What I love about these jeans are that they are pull-on! What I love about a pull-on pant is the smooth look that it gives you – no zipper or belt loop bumps! I like this flutter sleeve sweater with it (also from Macy’s) because the shoulders do balance out the flare leg.

New Pair! I just found this pair and had to share! It’s from Coco + Carmen, a new brand to me that I found of Good Morning America’s Deals & Steals. They were 50% off so it was easy to try something new. But after getting them, I would have paid full price! I love the fringe bottom and they are so comfortable! They are not on LTK, so if you are interested in this pair, click this link to go to cococarmen.com.

Wide Leg Jeans

So, I will admit that this style intimidated me the most. I wasn’t even going to try them until I walked past a pair on a mannequin in Old Navy and found a pair I wanted to try on. And surprise – I love them!

One of my concerns was the fact that I am only 5’3″; so would they make me look sort of “dumpy”? But the answer is no and it’s all because of proportions. The most important part of styling wide leg jeans is keeping your top closer to your body. Tops look best when belted are tucked with this style of jeans. Cropped sweaters are also a good option for wide leg jeans.

Even though I am on the shorter side, I don’t wear petites. While I am short, my frame is a little larger so I dress more like a “regular” size and wear my pants longer as a result. However, if you are a petite, an option for wide leg jeans is to wear them cropped and let some of your ankle show.

As far as shoes go, a pointy toe shoe is the best look for with a wide leg jean as it elongates your leg. I love pointy toe shoes and agree that they. make your legs look longer. FYI – I always size up 1/2 size when buying pointy toe shoes so that my toes are scrunched up in the toe box. I find that works really well for me. You can wear a flat or a sneaker or course. I will be wearing a heeled sandal with my pair this summer.

One last thing. When I was researching how to style wide leg jeans, the one concern I saw a lot was “will wide leg jeans make me look heavy?” The consensus answer is no, because the style is so forgiving. If you have wider thighs or booty, these will actually hide those. And, if you get a high waisted style, like the pair I am wearing, then you will also get a nice cinch in the waist.

My Look: My wide leg jeans are a high waisted style from Old Navy. They are no longer available but the first pair in the carousel are also from Old Navy and seem to be the closest to mine.

To Distress or Not Distress?

It seems there are always articles written about this. Should you wear distressed jeans over 50? What I’ve read and what I personally agree with is yes, but with caution. I like to wear distressed jeans with just a little bit of distress. It makes me feel “on trend” without going overboard. Of course, I do believe that you can wear whatever you want. So, if you want to wear full-on distressed jeans, then go for it!

These are the same straight leg jeans from above. You can’t see all the distressing – there is a little bit by the pocket and some by the knee, along with the raw hem. They are perfect for the amount of distressing I like.

Other New Jeans Styles

There are a couple more jeans styles this season that I haven’t tried yet – cargo jeans and barrel jeans. Here is a link to a segment on Good Morning America about the new jeans trends that I think you will enjoy. It includes both the cargo jeans and barrel jeans.

If you enjoyed this post on jeans trends, you may enjoy “Older & Wiser: The Most Flattering Swimsuits if You’re 50+”. I just updated it a few days ago, so it is ready to go for the 2024 swimsuit season.

What are your favorite jeans trends? Let me know in the comments below.