Cheryl Shops

When I was a kid, I hated shopping for jeans. I would eventually acquiesce to a pair every season...then never wear them. This pattern continued through my adolescence, well into high school, where I found vintage Levi's 501s, which weren't perfect but were better than nothing. When flared, low-rise jeans came into fashion in the late '90s and early '00s, I finally found a fit that I liked, and I've been a jeans person ever since. I may have struggled at first with skinny jeans, but I eventually got used to them—although for the last 15 or so years, my go-to fit has been the straight leg. I will freely admit that since Gen Z declared that skinny jeans were "cheugy" and everyone started seeking out wider, higher-rise, and baggier fits, I have struggled to find a variation of this that works for me. I have a feeling I am not alone. Nowadays, the denim fit options are overwhelming—barrel, kick flare, palazzo, trouser, wide-leg, relaxed, reverse, '90s, whatever—and the sizing is frankly all over the place. It's enough to make a woman want to go back to her trusted skinnies, and if you want to do this (or never left them in the first place), you have my full permission. I still wear my slim-straight jeans all the time. But after a prolonged period of frankly ugly-looking jeans, I feel like denim has found its happy place. Brands have figured out a good balance of high (but not too high) waist, wide (but not too wide) leg, and relaxed (but not too relaxed) fit, and I'm especially liking all of the dark-wash options at the moment. Here's what I've learned in my wide-leg denim research.

When it comes to wide-leg jeans, the waist is the most important part. It needs to fit snugly, but obviously not so snugly that you can't sit down or breathe. If the waist is too loose, it throws off the entire fit through the hip, and you end up with too much fabric, which looks sloppy at best. Also, be mindful of how high-waisted of a fit your body can accommodate. I have a pretty short torso for someone of my height (I'm 5' 7"), so any rise over 11 inches results in a super-weird bunching of fabric above my crotch; thus anything super high-waisted is out of the question for me. (Thankfully most retailers give pretty detailed measurements, so make sure you check before ordering anything online.) The next most important thing is the fit through the seat; the problem with a lot of wide-leg jeans is that they're so baggy, they don't cling to your butt the way more fitted jeans do, and if, like me, you are suffering from Flat Middle-Aged Ass Syndrome, this will only exacerbate the problem. The solution to both proper waist and ass fit is often to size down.

These are the Mother Spinner jeans, and I'm wearing my usual size (28).

I bought these jeans on sale early this year; they're from Mother, which makes really soft yet substantial denim and while this is only my second pair from the brand, they tend to fit incredibly well. They are also somewhat expensive; I recommend buying yours on (returnable) sale if you can because I've heard their sizing can be all over the place. The fit I'm wearing is the Spinner; they're a high-waisted pair that clocks in just under my limit of 11 inches (these are about 10-3/4"), they fit my seat thanks to a great cut with a decent amount of stretch, and they're wide (but not too wide!) through the thigh and leg. If you click through to the link, you'll see that mine look much different (e.g. more snug and less exaggerated) than on the model, but that's actually how I prefer it—if we often have to size down in wide-leg jeans, the same applies to a probable size 25 model who's in a sample size 27. In other words, don't completely trust the photos. For what it's worth, I am wearing my usual size 28 in this fit. Of all the wide-leg jeans I've tried over the years (and there have been a lot!), these are my favorite. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: Isabel Marant Nelly jacket | & Other stories blouse | Madwell Western belt | Mother The Spinner jeans | Isabel Marant sparkly red socks (affordable dupe) | Chloe Nama sneakers

Of course, that hasn't stopped me from looking at all the new wide-leg jeans hitting the market. Like I said, the denim brands are really refining their fits and adding cool details like a cuffed hem. Here are some of the best-looking pairs I've found.