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The Style Debate: Straight-Leg Vs. Wide-Leg Jeans

Do you favor the laid-back ease of wide-leg denim, or prefer the polish of straight-leg silhouettes? Here, two NET-A-PORTER style experts and denim obsessives make a case for their favorite jean shape

As told to Colleen RossFashion editor Millie Parry
Fashion
Lydia Zacharis

Lydia Zacharis, buying manager

I like to dress in a feminine but relaxed way…

…so, a pair of straight-leg jeans, being neither too tight nor baggy, offers a good balance. If the fit is good, it can elongate one’s legs and prove very versatile when it comes to footwear pairings.

Jeans tend to become a canvas for the rest of my outfit

I like to wear them with something simple at the top: a gray or black knit, an oversized shirt, a white T-shirt, or sometimes I’ll go full Canadian tuxedo [double denim]. Then I elevate the outfit with great shoes, a bag and gold jewelry.

My preferred denim length is…

…ankle-grazing or slightly cropped, to cover the leg but give sufficient visibility to the shoe.

I never wear jeans with a sneaker as the look becomes overtly casual

Instead, I pair them with low-heel point-toe pumps or ballet flats for juxtaposition. I don’t wear denim often, but when I do, I still want the effect to be polished.

I used to save indigo washes for winter, white denim for summer…

…and mid-washes throughout. Increasingly, however, the lines have blurred. For example, cream denim can look great in winter with a cashmere knit, flat ankle boots and a brown suede shoulder bag, while dark or even black denim can be very smart for an urban summer outfit if combined with a slinky silk cami top and kitten-heel sandals.

Rachel Nimmo, buying manager

My style is always guided by comfort…

…as that’s what makes me feel most confident. Wide-leg jeans are typically a baggier, looser fit, which ticks the comfort box for me. I am also heavily inspired by Parisian style and I feel that wide-leg jeans are at the root of all my favorite French fashion muses. There is something less pristine and more vintage-inspired with wide-leg jeans, which I tend to lean towards.

I’m a flats girl through and through

I can’t remember the last time I wore a pair of heels, even kitten heels. I go quite masculine when it comes to my footwear, so all my jeans are styled back with a substantial brogue or chunky loafer.

It’s impossible to choose between dark and light washes…

…especially when I appear to have every wash under the sun covered in my wardrobe. It sounds obvious, but I’ll typically wear lighter washes in summer (including ecru) and darker washes in the winter (including gray). I’m particularly obsessed with true indigo rinses, as well as gray washes, which adds some variation to the true blues we have seen dominating the market for so long. This summer, I intend to play around with color-pop washes. I am seeing lots of acid greens, bold reds and grungy pinks coming through that I am up for trying.”

For evening, I love to style wide-leg jeans with…

…an elevated camisole and a statement jacket. A slick belt will always get added, too. For daytime, I’ll play around with a casual fashion top to avoid looking too ‘uniform’ or quiet. I like to keep my styling as eclectic and playful as possible. Tibi or Kallmeyer are my go-to brands here. Both do great color blocking, checks and stripes for daytime that aren’t too casual.

Some of my favorite wide-leg denim brands are…

…Róhe and Nili Lotan, without fail. Róhe for core wardrobing and everyday style. Nili Lotan for something with a little more of a fashion point of view.”

Rachel Nimmo

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