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The denim-covered pendulum has swung back toward ease and comfort. The masses – especially Gen Z, and unlike their skinny jean loving millennial counterparts – are favouring a looser and wider fit of jeans.
This isn’t the first time the baggy fit has gone mainstream. The 70s saw flares taking over dance floors, while the 90s loved a pair of skater style jeans more akin to today’s fashion. Stylists Glenn Martens at Diesel and JW Anderson at Loewe have put baggy jeans back on the runway, while celebrities like Troye Sivan and Katseye put looser fits front-and-centre of their recent GAP collaborations.
But, with the rising popularity of a more relaxed silhouette, definitions can shift and lose all meaning. Words like baggy, wide leg and loose become interchangeable, making it hard to really know what you’re looking for as you make the brave switch from skinny to relaxed (and about time, too).
Wide-Leg, Baggy, or Loose? How to Master Modern Relaxed Denim
1. Wide-Leg Jeans: Structured, Architectural & Clean
This term is interchangeably used with baggy and loose. However, a wide leg’s structure features a consistent width, appearing more column-like. Its ‘baggyness’ looks controlled, with the top part being able to look relaxed, fitted or regular.
Our pick: Studio Nicholson Paolo Denim Wide Leg Pant
- Price: AUD $510
- Styling: A wide leg offers a clean and structured silhouette. Pairs easily with cropped tees and jackets and for an intentional, smart-casual look.
2. True Baggy Jeans: Roomy, Slouchy & 90s-Inspired
A true baggy is roomy in the seat and thigh. Where the wide leg has a consistent structure, a baggy fit doesn’t have a clear structure. Often found in a low rise and a dropped crotch. Often resulting in a more ‘puddled’ appearance towards the top part of the leg.
Our Pick: Venroy Baggy Denim Jean
- Price: AUD $220
- Styling: A baggy fit provides comfort. It’s forgiving and can give off an ‘effortless’ attitude to your outfits. Pair it with a structured, fitted top for balance or go all out and wear baggy and baggy that errs on the side of undeniable confidence.
3. Loose-Fit Jeans: The Everyday Tapered Middle Ground
A loose fit, sits between a baggy and a slim fit trouser. It gives a relaxed fit without being too oversized with some structure and a subtle taper at the bottom. Allowing for a fit that gives movement and freedom without an overly exaggerated fit.
Our Pick: JJIEDDIE JJIORIGINAL 768 Loose Fit Jeans
- Price: AUD $129.95
- Styling: Versatile and good with a variety of body types. A loose style also fits into a wide variety of aesthetic styles, working well with minimalist and streetwear looks.
4. Barrel-Leg Jeans: Workwear Utility Meets Statement Curves
This distinctive silhouette offers a fitted waist and flares from the hip and thigh, creating that curved shape, before tapering at the ankle. Inspired by traditional workwear, a barrel fit offers comfort while retaining a clean shape that doesn’t restrict movement, sitting comfortably between a baggy fit and a straight cut.
Our Pick: COS Belted Denim Relaxed-Fit Barrel Leg Pants
- Price: AUD $225
- Styling: This gives a more structured look, good for layering and crop tees and jackets. Barrel trousers act as your statement piece. The strong shape of the trouser is evident even in lighter fabrics giving you volume without extreme length.
5. Balloon Jeans: Maximum Thigh Room & Oversized Movement
Often used interchangeably with barrel trousers, balloon trousers have less structure than a barrel. The volume gives extra room around the hips and thighs before tapering at the bottom. Its structure embraces space, movement and freedom.
Our Pick: ZARA Balloon Fit Jeans
- Price: AUD $69.95
- Styling: Similar to the barrel fit, Balloon trousers act as the statement piece of the outfit. Because of the volume, pairing them with a fitted tee or cropped shirt can help balance the outfit. Making it versatile.
How to Choose the Right Relaxed Fit for Your Body Type
For stylist Ewan Bell, “fit and longevity is king” when it comes to finding the perfect pair of jeans. It’s about understanding what type of fit best suits your body and your body type.
Moving to relaxed denim is about controlling proportions, not hiding your body. Where the extra fabric sits determines whether it looks sharp or sloppy.
- Tall or Athletic (Thicker Thighs): True Baggy or Wide-Leg. Athletic legs need room to breathe. Wide columns match broad shoulders, while baggy fits stop denim pulling across glutes and thighs.
- Shorter or Compact Frames: Loose (Tapered) or Barrel Leg. Avoid puddling hem lines that shorten your legs. Barrel cuts add volume up top but crop clean at the ankle to preserve height.
- Lean or Slim Builds: Balloon or Wide-Leg. Thin frames get lost in unstructured fabric. Curved balloon cuts create intentional shape without looking like hand-me-downs.
- Midsection Weight: Mid-Rise Loose Fit. Low-rise baggy jeans cut into the waist awkwardly. A mid-rise loose fit glides straight down from the hips for a clean vertical line.
Quick Fitting Room Rule: Always shop your true waist size. Modern relaxed jeans add volume through the leg, not the waistband – no need to size up.
Bell says it’s also important to notice how clothes make you feel. Similar to how stars in the 1950s like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean popularised the jean, look at other celebrities or icons whose style inspires you and try to emulate that in your wardrobe. A question he asks is “who do you want to feel like? Whether that’s Jacob Elordi, Brad Pitt or JFK Jr.
How to Style Baggy Jeans
Stepping away from skin-tight denim doesn’t mean sacrificing shape altogether. The secret to pulling off baggy jeans lies in intentional styling: managing your proportions, controlling where the fabric breaks, and grounding the extra volume with the right footwear so you look deliberately styled rather than overwhelmed by fabric.
Here are three golden rules for styling baggier jeans:
- Balance Volume with Proportions (The Rule of Thirds): Avoid going oversized both top and bottom unless you’re intentionally aiming for an extreme streetwear look. Contrast extra room in the legs with a more structured or slim-fitting top – such as a cropped boxy tee, a tucked-in shirt, or a fitted tank. Defining your waistline ensures the extra fabric doesn’t swallow your frame.
- Anchor the Silhouette with Chunky Footwear: Sleek, low-profile shoes tend to get lost under wide hems, making your feet look disproportionately small. Pair your relaxed denim with substantial footwear – think chunky leather loafers, heavy-soled boots, or retro thick-soled sneakers – to create a solid visual anchor at the bottom.
- Control the Break and Hem Height: Pay close attention to how the fabric hits your shoes. A subtle “puddle” over your sneakers works great for 90s skater-inspired baggy fits, but wider or barrel-leg styles look sharper with a clean break or a slightly cropped length that clears the shoe entirely. If the denim drags beneath your heels, it’s time for a quick hem adjustment.
Why are Baggy Jeans Back in Fashion?
Today’s discerning shopper “has a lust for nostalgia, particularly around the 90s and early 2000s,” Ewan Bell told Man of Many. He reckons buyers have a craving for simplicity and safety, and are yearning nostalgically for an era they never experienced. It’s also much easier to be nostalgic when a generation of references – old photos, music videos and streaming services full of 90s TV archives – are now available on our smartphones 24 hours a day.
Today’s Gen Z fashionistas are re-creating the simpler times their parents grew up in and remember fondly. And who could blame them? For a generation of younger people who lived through a pandemic, a global cost-of-living crisis and a changing world order – the relatively laid-back 90s look like a safe haven.
But Bell points out a major difference between the baggier fits of today, compared to what you might find in an op-shop in Newtown or Fitzroy; In the 90s/2000s, finding a pair of baggy jeans meant sizing up by 6 sizes. Today, the modernised version is a baggy jean with tailoring that actually fits.
Denim and Baggy Jeans FAQs
No. Modern relaxed jeans are designed to fit your true waist size while building extra volume through the seat, thigh, and leg. Sizing up will only cause the waistband to sag and bunch under a belt.
It depends on the fit. Wide-leg and baggy styles should break slightly over your sneakers or boots with a subtle puddle. Barrel and balloon cuts should clear the shoe entirely, resting just at or above the ankle to keep the curved shape clean.
Yes, if you choose a structured wide-leg or loose fit in a dark indigo, black, or raw denim wash. Pair them with a tucked tailored shirt, a structured blazer, and leather loafers or dress boots to balance the relaxed silhouette.
Straight-leg jeans maintain a uniform width from the knee down, keeping a slim profile through the hip and thigh. Wide-leg jeans drop continuously from a roomier hip and stay wide all the way to the hem, creating a much fuller, column-like silhouette.
Focus on top-to-bottom balance. Pair wide or baggy bottoms with a fitted upper half – like a tucked tee, cropped jacket, or structured knit – and choose heavier-weight denim (13oz+) that holds its shape rather than sagging.
Absolutely. Skip extreme low-rise 90s skater cuts and opt for tailored wide-leg or structured loose fits in clean, dark washes. They offer the same comfort while looking refined rather than juvenile.
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