Easy life jeans: why we’ve been crying out for the new straight leg trend

Ask anyone who’s ever fought their way into a fitting room with 27 pairs of jeans and they’ll tell you: choice is the curse of the modern day shopper. Certainly, it’s the curse of anyone intent on making a snap retail decision, and a full-blown catastrophe for those hoping for a quick and painless denim shopping experience. The decision making process involved in selecting, trying on and eventually (if you’re really lucky) exiting your chosen denim emporium with a new pair of jeans has a difficulty rating to rival Liszt's Campanella. And it’s made worse with every new season, as denim brands continue to evolve and diversify at a rapid pace.

It is out of this overwhelming array of opportunity that a simplified jeans style has emerged. An energy saver and a future classic that’s free of bells, whistles and exhausting details, the straight-leg jean is a modern day must have for anyone on the hunt for hard working denim that works for every day and with everything. Undoubtedly it’s out of our collective demand for a simplification of the saturated denim market that has ensured that every label worth its YKK flies has a straight leg style among its hero offering for spring.

Of course this shape is no new addition but look closely and you’ll find that there are more of them around than ever before. The women who once clung to their skinnies with the same ferocity they did their extra hot cappuccinos are switching up to a more contemporary straight fit (and an oat milk flat white, supped from a Keep Cup, obviously). On the street style scene, the straight leg is as ubiquitous as an iPhone with styles that fall to ankle height serving as a fine companion to this season’s oversized blazers and supersized shirts. The shape looks as great with an ankle boot, as it does a pair of runners so such broad ranging appeal is understandable.

Undoubtedly the key to selecting the pair that works for you (with as little brain power as possible) is to simplify the process. Begin by choosing a wash – a mid or classic blue is undoubtedly the most versatile while black versions are hugely flattering – before focusing on length. The most contemporary styles fall at ankle-bone height.

Essential for keeping things simple is that you think of your straight jeans as a basic – or wardrobe building block – in the same way you might a pair of black trousers or a marl sweater. This isn’t a statement purchase designed to turn heads, but a wardrobe addition that, when chosen well, will blend in beautifully. And better still, see you through seasons to come.