Flare Jeans and Wide-Leg Jeans: How to Wear the Two Shapes of the Season

This autumn I have stopped reaching for anything close-fitting. Flare jeans and wide-leg jeans are the two pairs I wear most, because the leg does the talking and everything above it can stay simple. Add a baggy pair for the weekend and the week is covered.

Below are the shapes I keep coming back to: wide-leg jeans, flare jeans, the high-waisted bootcut, baggy jeans, and a short section on the loose shapes for him. One simple rule holds them all together.

The rule: one wide half, one neat half

If the leg is wide or flared, keep the top half close and let the shoe show at the hem.

Wide-leg and flared jeans give you volume from the knee down. Balance that with something with a defined shoulder or a hem that stops at the waist: a fine-knit top, a fitted long-sleeved tee, a jumper tucked in at the front. The eye needs one clean line to read the outfit as deliberate rather than accidental.

The same rule works in reverse. If you want the oversized jumper, choose the straighter wide-leg pair rather than the fullest flare, and make sure the shoe is visible. Get that balance right and you can wear denim every day of the week without looking like you gave up.

Wide-leg jeans: the pair you will wear most

Wide-leg jeans fall in a straight, generous column from a high waist to the floor. They look tidy with a blouse and still feel like denim, and nothing digs in when you sit down.

Three ways I wear mine. With a light chiffon blouse tucked in they carry a work day without a suit. With a turtleneck knit and a long wool coat they become the whole outfit and you just add a bag. With a simple tee and chunky loafers they are the weekend answer to the same question.

One fit note: check the rise before anything else. A high waist makes the leg look longer and is kinder under a jumper; a low-rise wide leg reads younger and wants a cropped top or a short jacket to keep the middle defined. Both exist in the shop, so pick by how you like to dress.

Start with the shape that suits you in Trousers.

Flare jeans: how do you wear them without looking costumed?

Flare jeans are fitted through the thigh and open from the knee. They are the one denim shape that asks for a little heel, because the hem needs somewhere to fall. High-waisted stretch denim is the comfortable version: it holds the waist and moves with you.

With a heeled ankle boot hidden under the hem for the long, clean line. With a fitted knit and a cropped blazer jacket if you want the outfit to look considered. With a plain tee and chunky loafers on a low-key day, hem shortened so it clears the ground.

The fit detail that matters most here is length. Flares should almost touch the floor with the shoe you actually wear, so buy the shoe first, then decide the hem. Nothing kills the shape faster than a flare that stops at the ankle.

Pick the flares in Trousers and the tops to go with them in Tops & Blouses.

Bootcut jeans: the quieter cousin of the flare

A bootcut opens more gently than a flare, just enough to sit over the top of a boot. It is the shape to choose if a full flare feels like too much, and high-waisted stretch denim keeps it smooth over the hip.

With a fitted jumper and heeled ankle boots it reads polished without trying. With a collared button-up blouse half-tucked it goes to lunch. With a long wool coat the hem peeks out at the bottom and finishes the line.

Light blue bootcuts look fresh next to cream and camel; darker washes sit closer to a smart trouser. Find them alongside the flares in Trousers.

Baggy jeans: the relaxed pair for weekends

Baggy jeans sit loose through the hip and thigh as well as the leg. They are the easiest denim to live in, and they take a thick sock and a boot without a fight.

With a fitted knit and ankle boots for anything that involves being seen: the boot lifts the hem off the pavement and the knit keeps the shape honest. With a fine long-sleeved top tucked in and a belt when you want the waist to show. With a soft cable-knit hoodie and trainers on a Saturday, hem just brushing the laces.

Take your usual size: baggy jeans are cut loose already, and going up a size only gives you a waistband that slides down all day. The full run of shapes is in Trousers.

For him: baggy jeans and a relaxed leg

Daniel, who does the menswear side of most of our shoots, has swapped close-fitting jeans for more room this year. His pair of the season is a washed baggy jean with proper room in the leg, and for smarter days a washed straight leg with a relaxed fit that falls flat over the shoe.

Baggy jeans with a ribbed crew-neck jumper and brown cap-toe boots is the weekend. The relaxed straight leg with a knitted polo and leather Chelsea boots works for dinner. Either pair with a plain long-sleeved tee and an open check overshirt covers almost everything in between.

The same rule applies to men: wide below means neat above. A fitted knit or a polo keeps baggy denim looking chosen rather than borrowed. The knits and polos to wear on top are in Shirts & Polos.

Which shoes go with flare and wide-leg jeans?

The hem decides the shoe. Flares want a slight heel: a mid-heel ankle boot lets the fabric fall to the floor. Wide-leg jeans want something visible at the hem, a chunky loafer, a Mary Jane or a clean trainer.

Baggy jeans look best with a shoe that has a bit of weight, a chunky boot or a thick-soled trainer. A delicate flat disappears under all that fabric. Everything I have mentioned is in Shoes.

Layering: what goes over wide-leg jeans

The layer on top decides whether a wide leg reads relaxed or sloppy. My order is always the same: a thin base, a knit, then something with structure.

A blazer over wide-leg jeans is the quickest upgrade I know. The shoulder line does all the work and the volume below suddenly looks like a choice. A longer coat works too, as long as it is open and the denim shows in a clean strip down the front.

Keep the middle layer simple. A ribbed knit or a plain jumper leaves room for the jeans to be the interesting part. Jackets and coats are in Jackets & Blazers, and a scarf or belt to finish is in Accessories.

Texture and wash: making blue look expensive

Denim is flat by nature, so texture has to come from everything around it. Cable knit, ribbed wool, suede boots and a vegan leather bag all lift a plain pair of jeans without adding a single colour.

On wash: light blue feels fresh and casual and looks best with warm neutrals like cream, camel and oatmeal. Mid blue is the all-rounder. Deep indigo is the one to wear when you want a flare to look sharp in the evening, especially under a black coat.

Mixing washes is fine as long as they are clearly different. Light denim on the bottom with a much darker top half reads as deliberate; two nearly identical blues read as a mistake. Knitwear to test this against sits in Tops & Blouses.

Fit, care and the most common mistakes

Mistake one: the wrong hem length. A flare that stops at the ankle loses its shape, and a wide leg that pools on wet pavement frays and stays damp. Hem to the shoe you wear most.

Mistake two: oversized on top and wide below. Two volumes cancel each other out. Choose one wide half and keep the other close.

Mistake three: sizing up. Wide-leg, flared and baggy jeans are already cut with room. Take your usual size and let the cut do the work.

Mistake four: washing too hot and too often. Denim keeps its colour and its shape far longer on a cold wash, inside out, hung to dry rather than tumbled.

Mistake five: a flat shoe under a flare. The hem drags and the line breaks. Give it a small heel and it falls the way it should.

If you are starting from scratch, buy in this order: a high-waisted wide-leg pair for every day, a flared pair for evenings, a bootcut if a full flare feels like too much, and a baggy pair for the weekend. For him, a washed baggy jean and a relaxed straight leg. Everything for her is in Trousers.