Welcome back to Spring Trends Week! Each day, I’m breaking down what’s trending in the biggest wardrobe categories—denim, footwear, accessories, and more. Yesterday, I rounded up 10 wearable trends that will define the season in my post: Spring Fashion Trends: What’s In and What’s Out for 2025, and today, we’re diving into denim.
Right now, just about every denim style is out there in some form, but some silhouettes and details feel fresher than others. Sometimes, it’s the smallest tweaks—like the rise, wash, or cut—that make a pair of jeans feel current. Let’s discuss!
Washes & Colors
Classic blue denim is having a major moment, with everything from light to dark washes in rotation. Darker washes feel especially fresh this season, so if you don’t already have a pair, they’re an easy way to update your spring wardrobe. Ecru and white denim are coming in strong for Spring 2025. While grey and black washes are still in the mix, I don’t expect to reach for them as much once the weather warms up—though light grey could be a nice option.
Colored denim remains on the fringes, with olive and muted shades being the most popular. I’m also seeing some earth tones and light neutrals, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing more dusty pink options since it’s a trending color this spring. Leopard-print denim is also making an appearance, as animal prints continue to have a moment this season.
Lengths & Rises
All lengths of denim are out there right now, from floor-grazing full-length styles to crop lengths, which is great for versatility as we move into warmer months. I haven’t reached for cropped jeans much this winter, but they make more sense for spring. As for rises, mid and high-rise jeans still dominate, though there are rumblings that lower rises are creeping back. I haven’t seen them take hold in a big way just yet, but it’s something to watch.
So, what are the biggest denim trends for Spring 2025?
The Hottest Denim Trends for Spring 2025
These are the top denim trends I’m seeing this season—at least, the ones that feel the most current and wearable for everyday women. I’ll start by going through the most popular silhouettes, and then I’ll highlight some of the micro-trends and details shaping denim right now.
#1. Wide-Leg Jeans
photo credit: LOFT
Wide-leg jeans continue to dominate in full-length and ankle-length styles. As spring approaches, I expect to see more cropped options. I especially like the shorter full-length versions that just graze the top of the shoe without breaking—this look feels fresh and modern, plus it’s a great way to elongate the legs while showing off a cute shoe.
When it comes to styling, wide-leg jeans pair well with everything from sneakers and sandals to slingbacks and ballet flats. The key is getting the top right—fitted or cropped styles work best because they emphasize the waist and create a balanced silhouette.
#2. Relaxed Straight-Leg Jeans
photo credit: Banana Republic
This ‘90s-inspired silhouette remains a major player this season, with its slouchy, lived-in vibe. Most styles are full-length, with a slight break over the shoe, but some trendier versions are extra-long and pool at the floor. While styling relaxed straight-leg jeans can be trickier—especially for those of us who prefer a more structured look—they’re undeniably on-trend. This style works well with loafers, sneakers, or even a sleek pointed-toe boot for a little contrast.
#3. Slim-Straight Jeans
photo credit: rag & bone
For those who aren’t quite ready to let go of their skinnies, slim straight-leg jeans offer the perfect middle ground. This cut has been gaining traction and feels especially current in an ankle-length fit. The best part? They’re incredibly easy to style. A slim straight ankle fit looks great with loafers and boat shoes, ballet flats and Mary Janes, and low-profile sneakers—which are all trending this spring.
#4. Bootcut & Flare Jeans
photo credit: Evereve
Bootcut and flare jeans remain a flattering, feminine option. They’re available in all lengths, but darker washes and full-length styles feel especially on-trend this season. Whether you prefer a sleek bootcut or a dramatic flare, these jeans pair best with heeled boots, platform sandals, and pointed-toe shoes. You can also wear them with sneakers and flats—especially cropped lengths—but I’ll also make a case for wearing full-length flares with sneakers for a relaxed, casual vibe.
#5. Barrel-Leg Jeans
photo credit: LOFT
The barrel-leg silhouette has been on the rise for a while, and this season, it finally feels more mainstream. While it’s still a trend-driven look, it’s gaining wider appeal, especially for those who love a modern, architectural shape. These jeans create an interesting voluminous silhouette that pairs well with structured tops and fitted sweaters to balance the proportions.
#6. Beyond-Basic Denim Jackets
photo credit: Talbots
Denim jackets are evolving beyond the classic trucker style, with fresh silhouettes taking center stage. Look for cropped, oversized, collarless, or belted versions—anything that feels like a modern update. A unique denim jacket is a great way to complete an outfit while keeping it fresh and fashion-forward.
#7. Denim Dresses & Skirts
photo credit: Gap Factory
Denim skirts and dresses are still going strong this season, with a wide range of silhouettes to choose from. From midi and maxi denim skirts with front slits to structured sheath and shirt dresses, these pieces offer a modern take on a classic fabric.
#8. “Jorts” (Jean Shorts)
photo credit: Evereve
Longer denim shorts are making a quiet comeback. While still more of a fringe trend, knee-length and mid-thigh shorts are showing up in spring collections. Some have a more polished, tailored feel, while others lean into the relaxed, vintage-inspired cutoff look. Either way, they’re much easier to style than their early 2000s predecessors and pair well with loafers, sandals, and even sneakers.
Along those lines, I’m also starting to see the return of skinny denim capris. While still on the fringes, they’re beginning to pop up here and there, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they gain momentum—if not this season, then definitely by next.
#9. Reworked Denim
photo credit: Evereve
Denim is all about the details this season, with unique finishes and construction elements taking center stage. Some of the biggest trends include:
- Pintucked Seams: These add structure and dimension, making jeans feel a little more polished.
- Front Patch Pockets: A carryover trend from last year, but still very much in style.
- Contrast Seams & Paneling: Deconstructed details like exposed seams, insets, and mixed washes give denim a reworked, one-of-a-kind look.
- Embellishments & Unexpected Finishes: Think bejeweled accents, brocade cuff trims, and even drawstring details on wide-leg jeans.
These elements work across different silhouettes, making it easy to incorporate the trend in a way that suits your personal style.
#10. Sweatpant Jeans
photo credit: Nordstrom
Blurring the line between loungewear and denim, sweatpant jeans are an emerging trend that’s all about comfort. These “jeans” are often made of fleece or French terry but printed to look like denim, offering the illusion of jeans with the softness of joggers. While still on the fringe, this is one of those trends that could pick up steam, especially for those who love the idea of denim but crave the comfort of athleisure.
What Denim Styles Are On Their Way Out for 2025?
Honestly, not much, so I’ll keep this section brief. Almost every style is out there in some form, but some look more current than others. If staying on-trend matters to you, here are a few denim styles and details you may want to retire—or at least move to the back of your closet for now.
1. Ultra-Skinny, Low-Rise Jeggings
Everyone always asks about skinny jeans, so I’ll reiterate that the low-rise, painted-on, legging-style skinnies we wore for so long have been out for a while. While slim-straight jeans and slightly more relaxed skinnies are making a quiet return, the ultra-stretchy, super-tight styles still aren’t mainstream. I don’t expect them to be for at least a few more seasons. You can read more about my take on this topic in my post: Are Skinny Jeans Making a Comeback in 2025?
2. Extreme Ripped & Destroyed Denim
Overly distressed jeans with major rips, shreds, and holes all over are starting to feel tired. If you love a little distressing, a fresher approach is clean knee rips or subtle vintage-inspired fading rather than full-blown destruction.
3. Ultra-Low-Rise Jeans (For Now)
Low-rise denim is creeping back in, but mid and high rises still dominate. Super low-rise, hip-hugging jeans still look more dated than current, unless they have a slouchy, relaxed fit. If you’re considering dipping your toe into the low-rise trend, look for styles with a looser leg instead of the tight, Y2K-era fits.
4. Super Cropped, Mid-Calf Capris
While cropped denim is still trending, the classic mid-calf capris (especially the super-tight ones) aren’t making a big comeback just yet. Instead, ankle-length slim-straight jeans, cropped wide-leg styles, and longer jorts feel like the more modern way to wear shorter denim this season.
Even the “capris” I am seeing on the fringes look more like what I used to call pedal pushers—they hit just below the knee rather than mid-calf, making them feel a little fresher than their early 2000s counterparts.
5. Traditional Trucker Denim Jackets
Classic denim jackets will never really be out, but the traditional, boxy trucker style and the fitted, shrunken versions we wore for so long are taking a backseat to more fashion-forward updates. For a more modern look, go for cropped, oversized, belted, or collarless styles, as we discussed above.
You might also like my post on Denim Mistakes You May Be Making (and How To Fix Them).
In Conclusion
At the end of the day, you should always wear what you love and what feels most authentic to your personal style. Maybe you’re excited to jump right into some of these new trends, maybe you prefer to wait and see how they play out, or maybe you’re planning to sit them out entirely—and that’s okay.
Like all things style-related, it’s all about how you interpret trends in a way that works for you. I’m open to trying new things, but I don’t take big fashion risks, so I tend to be a slow adopter when a trend doesn’t immediately resonate with me. The most important thing? Have fun with it and wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident!
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46 Responses
Hi JoLynne—Enjoying your posts this week. I can’t help but chuckle when I see barrel jeans. They give the illusion that the person is bow-legged. Why would anyone want that? Does anyone else think of that when they see them?
Lol, I agree with you. A big no and not going to happen for me. I have said that before about something and eventually come to like it, however, I don’t think I would ever come around to this style but who knows what I might do down the road.
Yes, I see the same with barrel jeans. I think I will stick to my straight leg jeans and slight flare leg lol. I love the look of some of the wide leg styles on the models but when I have tried them on I feel like I am a 3 sizes larger or look like a pirate:(
I think that the less severe ones look good – I actually have one or two pair (in my storage unit, can’t remember what I own) that I really like. The more extreme ones, though, I agree.
Same. I will wear bootcuts and flares, but I look like a Lego-person in wide-leg pants. It’s a lot of fabric, lol.
I see barrel jeans that same way too, Rose. I’ve tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, but I’m not planning on trying it…especially as a 5ft pear myself.
My first reaction to seeing barrel leg jeans is to laugh, and then I think of other styles over the (mutter here) years that seemed to have been designed to make the wearer look funny. I’ll skip the barrel legs on this go-round. But I will admit as Delaine said, sometimes I have been known to get used to a silhouette and change my mind.
I thought the exact same thing! Not doin’ it.
I bought barrel jeans from Gap and loved the way they looked until I looked at my backside. My legs looked too bowed. I was disappointed because they were really cute in front.
Same…I don’t mind the front view (on the less extreme styles), but once I take a look at the back, I cannot get them off fast enough.
Glad to see that Denim skirts are still trending since I bought a longer one last year but never seemed to find the right place to wear it. I did wear a shorter version a lot last spring/summer. My goal is to update my denim jacket, which I do wear a lot, but it needs to be refreshed to a new style
Jolynne what is your personal feeling on the denim sweatpants, do you think you will give them a try? I saw them on Good Morning America last week, and my first thought was “hmmm I wonder how Jolynne would style these?” lol
I do want to give the denim sweatpants a try. I hear some look very convincingly like jeans!
Isn’t one of your pairs of Frank & Eileen “jeans” more of a knit, pull-on jean? I think they were a slim straight ankle as well. I love knit jeans that look like traditional jeans but are soft and “sweatpant-like”. I need to find my pair that I packed away because it has a warm weather vibe.
My Derry slim straight ankle jeans have a hook-and-eye closure with a zipper, but the Derry Illusion Pull On jeans (I have them in black and ivory) are a pull-on style. Neither are what I would call sweatpants jeans, though. The fabric is more structured than that, but very soft and comfortable. I did try the rag & bone Miramar in a skirt, but I want to try the jeans.
Hi Jo Lynne,
I like most of the denim styles except for the barrel leg. It’s a comical look to my eye, like a caricature of a cowboy. Probably a teenager could pull it off but I would feel conspicuous and like I’m trying too hard. I also don’t see myself wearing dark denim in late spring and summer. Do you think dark denim will be trending into summer? Also, can you remind us/me (again, sorry!) about the difference between cropped and ankle length, and which is more current? Thanks and I look forward to and enjoy your trend reports!
I’ve seen grown women pull off barrel jeans and look great, but I don’t love them on me.
Dark denim should be trending into summer, yes.
Crop is shorter than ankle, and both are current, depending on the denim silhouette and how you style them.
I’ll always love ankle skimming jeans! Fun and interesting read today! I agree with and have laughed at the barrel jeans comments!
Hi Jo-Lynne! GO BIRDS! What a fun game to experience (if an Eagles fan!!) I love your Denim trends report. Since I have jeans galore, I was more interested in the jackets and skirts (and even those interesting “sweat pant” Jeans!) I bought a longer, belted denim jacket from J.Crew years ago and I’m so glad it will look current when I wear it now (even though I’ve been wearing it for years!) It’s a darker denim and I love wearing it with light jeans. There are so many cool denim pieces out there, I feel the need to wear both tops and bottoms in denim to wear it all! HA!!!
I loved your report, although as usual I guess it all depends on where you live. Jort(s) below the knee shorts were all over Los Angeles last year, which is funny because I bought several pairs to take to Greece, having no clue they were going to be on trend this year, I just absolutely love this style, they are beyond comfortable and super flattering (for me at least), glad they finally made mainstream. We are also seeing low rise again (que the happy dance) and lots of baggie styles, like everyone is wearing super baggie jeans – not my thing but as I always say do what works for you.
Great post and quite helpful! I agree with the previous posts:
Can’t see myself wearing barrel jeans;
Question about crop vs. ankle and which is more modern;
Denim Jackets: do you keep classic style denim jackets as they will come back around (being classic)? Is there an in between style as longer length and belted in heat will be too hot (although I like and gravitate to them!)
Wonderful post and so on point. Thank you!!!!!
Crop and ankle are both modern, depending on the style of jeans and how you style them. I don’t usually hold onto much hoping they come back around because I feel like they always change them in subtle ways. That said, I did put a couple of my denim jackets back out on my rolling rack (where I keep things I’m not sure about and blog inventory.) I’m not ready to part with them, but I didn’t want them cluttering my closet.
Great post. Would love to see you test run some of the sweatpants jeans for us! Question: the best rise for me is 10 inches- to MAYBE 11″. Is that considered mid rise or high rise? It is so frustrating when the website doesn’t say. When I shop in person I bring my measuring tape.
There is no official benchmark, so without measurements, it’s hard to know what to expect from a website description. I consider 9-10″ mid-rise and 11-12″ high rise, but I have seen 10″ called high rise. 🤷🏻♀️
You really covered every single jean out there. Thanks for the great info.
Thanks for this very informative post! The one thing I know about denim for my body, those that are not more fitted under my booty just don’t work for me. And my husband can’t stand them on me. I will try a pair of jeans with some embellishment, as well as the denim sweats.
Same here, even with wide leg styles, I prefer them to fit close to the bum and thighs.
I’m with you and Ginger. Slim fit through the hips and thighs, please. Love the slim fit straight or baby boot silhouette.
I have the Gap Factory barrel jeans and I really like them! They are in inexpensive way to try out the trend. I’m really excited about the knee length shorts but hope they become available in less expensive retailers as we go along. Just FYI your posts haven’t shown up in Feedly 2 days in a row now. Don’t know if that means you’re having trouble with your RSS feed or if it’s on their end but thought I would let you know. Thanks for the posts. I love the trend weeks!
I have encountered the same thing in Feedly. None of the posts this week have been in my feed.
I don’t know anything about my RSS feed. I did try to clear my Cloudflare cache, hoping that would help.
Great post! I’m glad most of the current denim styles are sticking around—my favorites are the flares/bootcut & straight-leg jeans. Funny about all the barrel leg comments! I tried several pairs, & they all looked too wide/odd on me, but I just found a non-denim pair at Old Navy that are more cropped & lightweight that will be cute for spring. I’ll probably skip the embellished jeans, but I do like the released hems. I recently bought a pair of relaxed straight leg jeans with released hems & got lots of compliments when I wore them on a recent trip to CA!
You didn’t mention cuffed jeans—are they still current?
Yes, they are. I meant to include them in the Reworked Denim section.
I bought a denim shirtdress recently on clearance from Dillards, and I love it! I will wait til it’s warmer, of course, to wear it.
I like barrel jeans, as long as they aren’t too exaggerated. I found olive ones on clearance from Kut and they are so cute! I will wear them to work on spring and summer. My work is quite business casual.
I’m rolling looking at the jorts! Especially the Frame wide !
I love the new jean trends. It’s so nice to have more choices and see women expressing themselves in their denim choices. I’m tempted to order the Gap Factory high-rise wide-leg pull-on jeans. I like the look, but I have a feeling I won’t like the look on me. I do wear wide-leg jeans, but mine are slimmer in the thighs. That said, as I approach 63 trips around the sun, I find myself wearing a few things that might not be the most flattering, but I like them, or they’re too comfy to resist. As I age, I want to continue to dress in a modern way because it makes me feel good.
Great post, thank you. I am passing on most of these, basically because I am trying not to buy much right now; I have to figure out my new style based on lifestyle and weight changes. I’ve got a classic denim jacket that I almost never wear, but I love it, and will probably keep it forever. I imagine that it’ll come back into style eventually.
Looking at some other fashion reports, I’m seeing on some that puddle pants are going to be huge for spring. Can someone please explain to me why you would want to drag an inch or more of fabric around filthy city streets? And then go home? I don’t really like the look of them, but to each their own – I’m more concerned with how disgusting they must be after about 15 minutes of wear.
Solidarity, sister! #gross
Well I love my barrel jeans, despite what seems to be the pop consensus here! My AG Hattie’s are super comfortable and flattering to my 5’6″ straight frame, but granted they’re a more subtle cut than some appear to be. I’m excited to try the denim sweatpants, as long as the wash looks authentic. Have you ordered any yet to try? I’m anxious for your reviews!
I did try the rag & bone Miramar in a skirt, but I haven’t tried the jeans. I want to, though. And I’m glad you found barrel jeans you like. They’re not the best look for me, but I have seen them look really cute on other ladies.
I’m also team barrel leg 🙂 I have a few pairs in a cotton twill but not denim.They work really well with most shoes and jazz up my rather simple rotation of tees, button downs and crewneck sweaters. When I’m feeling really spicy I wear my second hand Nili Lotan Shon pants…the fabric and construction are seriously next level. Definitely considering a denim pair, not sure I would reach for a dark wash in spring…maybe ecru/white…so many options! My first thought on R&B Miramar denim up close was that I’d rather wear a quality pair of sweatpants then paying for printed ones, but maybe a darker pair(gray/black) for cooler weather with slim boots and a cozy oversized coat and sweater for dinner out may make me reach or them. Interested in how others would wear and style.
Love your piece on denim!! I would love to have those embellished jeans from Old Navy but I just can’t do high waisted.
Im feeling pretty good about my choices this season. Can’t wait for what you have the rest of this week
I ordered relaxed straight leg jeans from Quince. I liked them but I probably need a smaller size so I returned them. They seemed a lot like my wide leg jeans from Loft that I bought 2 years ago. The Quince ones feel better but I don’t need two jeans that look the same. I liked the feel of their denim so I’m going to order another style. They are now offering shorter inseams. I can’t compare to premium denim since I don’t have any but they are better quality than Gap factory and Loft. I like the idea of organic cotton too.
All looks super cute, but I just can’t embrace the lantern leg look. It’s a weird place to put width on the legs, IMO.
Hi Jo-lynne –
Love your post on jean trends for 2025. Would you consider evaluating Quince jeans? Not sure if you’ve included any in your try-on hauls. I’m seeing more about Quince lately and am considering trying a flare or straight style. I remember you tried several of their cashmere sweaters recently. Thanks!
I love the reworked denim! The barrel legged/wide jeans that come just below the knee- not so much.