The topic of women’s jeans is a divisive one; everyone’s favourite shape differs. But if 2025 has taught me anything thus far, it’s that the best barrel leg jeans have us united. Not a single one of my friends or colleagues dislikes them.
It all started in AW23 when Alaïa made a pair the focal point of their entire runway. The barrel-leg trend took flight, and fashion hasn’t looked back since – nope, not even for classic straight-leg jeans.
From Agolde to Citizens of Humanity, Frame and more, multiple brands have seen huge success from their balloon-shape denim, so you best believe they’re the silhouette to shop for SS25.
Image courtesy of Maison Alaia
While some of you will be welcoming the news of the skinny jeans’ return, I, for one, am dreading it. So much so, that I’ve set my sights on their antithesis.
I’m not the only one, either. Google searches for ‘barrel jeans’ are up by around 41% since this time last year, and the street style set is into it too. Bella Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, prove this pair of jeans is the off-duty model failsafe, whilst Katie Holmes has shown this year that the trend transcends seasons. Mix up light blue and black denim colourways throughout the year, easy to pair with your florals in spring/summer and layer with cardigans and loafers come autumn/winter. Timeless.
Michael Simon
James Devaney
Wondering what, exactly, a barrel leg jean is? Snug at the top (just like the best jeans for women with a high waist), barrel legs flare out, reaching their widest point somewhere around the knee region before tapering back in towards the ankle. They sound dramatic… and they are.
If mom jeans, wide-leg jeans and baggy jeans had a baby, barrel-leg jeans would be it.
What is another name for barrel leg jeans?
Barrel leg jeans have a few different names – it just depends on which brand you’re shopping from. Citizens of Humanity call them ‘horseshoe jeans’, with this indigo frayed pair being our faves, whilst you might also see them named ‘balloon jeans’, or referred to as ‘tapered’ like Frame’s ‘The Narrow’ pair.
Arnold Jerocki
Slightly equestrian and adhering to the current cowboy movement, the best barrel-leg jeans are far more wearable than you’d likely first imagine. Try them over a pair of kitten heels or ballet pumps to balance out the oversized barrel silhouette with a delicate and feminine contrast, and opt for something more fitting on top.
For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Senior Commerce Writer Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd, and freelancer Hattie Cotmore @hattiecotmore.
Below, shop the barrel leg jeans trend for 2025.
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