Item of the week: the baggy jeans

What it is:

While loose fit jeans have been at the forefront of popularity in recent months, upcoming seasons have seen this trend taken to the next level. For AW22 and SS23, designers have been steering more towards oversized baggy jeans, which has formed from the merging of two popular trends – the loose fit and the low waist. The result, also often referred to as ‘dad jeans’, is denim with exaggerated fits that hang loosely at the waist and have baggy cuts, similar to that of styles favoured by 90s hip hop and skater stars. While mostly seen on menswear catwalks for this season, the look has also been adopted by popular female celebrities and in genderless designer collections, each bringing a twist to the reemerging style.

Why you’ll want it:

Like the loose fit, baggy jeans are here to replace the once popular ‘mom’ and ‘skinny’ jean styles which Gen Z have denounced in favour of more comfortable and size inclusive denim. It comes as younger audiences have begun to draw their fashion inspiration from the past, specifically from the 90s and 2000’s eras that have been merged together to form the infamous Y2K trend that is taking over runways and retailers. Nostalgic looks, like the baggy jeans, have led this movement, with many young shoppers taking on the staple styles in their own experimental ways. Baggy jeans further build on the lifestyle trends that prioritise comfort, an offset of the ‘work-from-home’ culture that has been established over the past two years.

Where we’ve seen it:

This trendy jeans fit was spotted on the runways of multiple youth-centred brands, each potentially attempting to steer their collections towards the young consumer. For the eccentric JW Anderson collection, for example, oversized jeans were paired with baggy jumpers laced with bike handle bars or layered, cut-out t-shirts. Hed Mayner’s multi-pocketed jeans were shown alongside a puffy denim bomber jacket, while Glenn Martens’ Y/Project twisted up the baggy cut using gathering techniques to create unique silhouettes from the trousers. Meanwhile, Vetements’ non-binary collection featured more toned down iterations, with distressed or floor-skimming denim. For Louis Vuitton’s final Virgil Abloh send-off show, the baggy jeans’ music-orientated origins were explored, with styles shown alongside a boom-box turned backpack.

How to style it:

In keeping with the baggy jeans’ beginnings, draw inspiration from nostalgic skate or hip hop attire from the 90s and early 2000s, making sure to modernise and elevate the looks for a young modern audience. For example, pair baggy jeans with an oversized sweater, layered over a collared shirt, and skate shoes, tying the look together with chain necklaces and other simple accessories. For girls, style the cut with cropped t-shirts or strappy tops, similar to that of noughties style icons, adding an eye-catching belt and colour popping accessories to bring a bit of fun to the outfit. Don’t be frightened to keep with the baggy theme throughout too, as this jean look can also work with items like oversized blazers too.

Keep on trend and in favour of the younger generation with casual pieces that draw inspiration from “vintage” designs. Baggy jeans are a perfect way to appeal to the comfort-centred trend while also tying in to the ongoing Y2K hype making its round in fashion.