The Ultimate Guide to 2025 DENIM TRENDS

JULIE SCOTT @TRANSFORMEDJULIE

I say quite often: “Personal style is PERSONAL and should reflect the personality and aesthetic of the individual”.  We may both buy the same pair of jeans, but you are likely to style them a little different than I am and that is the fun of fashion. So why look at trends?  Trends can be helpful! I don’t need to follow every trend that comes along, and do not encourage others to do that either.  Trends may help us to decide whether it makes sense to invest in certain items though.  There is a difference between following trends and dressing in trends that are clearly outdated. One way to avoid that is to choose more timeless, classic pieces which is funny because that is precisely what has been on trend for at least the last year!  I also believe that personal style can be a place to be creative and have some fun with fashion.  You can feel fresh and confident trying some new things in your wardrobe.  Many trends do come back around, but in slightly altered or updated ways. The first anti-trend recommendation I am making is to invest in tailoring.  Find a tailor that can work with you to update the clothing you want to keep and make sure that what you do keep will fit you beautifully.  

DENIM TRENDS

Most people wear jeans, so pay attention to this. It is one item that can make you look outdated.  These are the denim trends for 2025:  

BARREL JEANS – Still trending positive and picking up more the late adopters now. These are best worn high waisted and fitted through waist and hips then wide through the leg, tapering to the ankle. They can be worn with a slim profile athletic shoe for a relaxed look, but really look best and more “high fashion” when paired with heels, pointed toe shoes flats or heels and even a mule or platform.  I like the proportion with some skin exposed between the hem of the denim and the shoe.

WIDE LEG JEANS (and pants) are still with us and not going anywhere according to any fashion people in my orbit.  Helpful note: pay attention to your proportions with wide leg.  There are different widths that work for different bodies.  My personal preference is fitted at the hip and onto the thigh then softly wider, but not wider than the hips.  If you are taller or have wider hips you can wear them wider. If you are petite, make sure you choose high waist and just as wide as YOUR hips.  

CUFFED HEMS:   This update can be on wide, straight, or slim jeans, but it will have a wide cuff at the bottom. Not the one-inch retro look but sewn in cuffs that add a little detail to a casual look of denim.

FLARE JEANS:  The 70s inspired look of a flare at the bottom. To keep it flattering, remember to consider your proportions and keep the flare size in proportion to your overall dimensions.

DARK WASH JEANS:  The elevated way to create denim sophistication and update your look. Deep indigo is the big trend of the season for denim washes.  Just watch what sells out first.

PINTUCK DETAILING:  Another way denim is being updated to look modern and elevated.  Combine the pintuck with the dark wash and it will create a long lean silhouette if you keep the hem just above the ground.  

HIGH-WAISTED:  High waisted cuts are flattering to help create the longer line and flatter most body types, so it is not a surprise that they are very popular in almost any cut.  . 

STRAIGHT LEG JEANS (and pants) are considered a classic style and always seem to be current so that is a safe investment.  If you liked skinny jeans try the updated SLIM STRAIGHT.

DOUBLE DENIM OR DENIM ON DENIM:  Yes, it is a trend. Pairing a denim top or shirt with denim skirt or jeans of any wash is a popular look. 

NOT CURRENT:

HEAVILY DISTRESSED DENIM: If the jeans have visible larger cuts, or heavy distressing they have been outdated for A WHILE.  Light distressing that doesn’t create an actual cut or hole in the denim is still current on some styles.  (My confession:  I’m not getting rid of my distressed boyfriend jeans that are so soft and comfortable they feel like an old friend.  I can wear them when I stay home to clean the house or put them into my “MAYBE LATER” BIN so they don’t take up closet space, BUT I would not wear them outside my house.)

PUDDLE PANTS OR JEANS:  The not-so-practical  and now, not on trend.  This trend where the jeans were so long that they were intended to drag on the ground and cover the shoe completely – yes that trend of just a year or so ago is already gone. Not a trend I chose to partake in to begin with.  

SKINNY JEANS – STILL NO. I still occasionally hear that there is a debate about skinny jeans, but nobody in my fashion world seems to debate this and it hasn’t been current for a few years now. If you love your skinny jeans, WEAR THEM.  Consider wearing them tucked into your knee-high boots to make that look more current.  I hear that some people are saying they will be coming back, but truthfully, skinny jeans are not the most flattering style for most body types. 

LOW RISE JEANS – Continuing to decline in popularity and in spite of attempts to bring them back, they just aren’t flattering for most body types and are not showing any signs of regaining any wide spread popularity.