If you thought a year was a long time in politics, try keeping up with denim. The humble jean, patented 152 years ago as durable workwear, has spent 2025 proving itself as fashion's most fickle and divisive garment. As the year closes, the question remains: was there a definitive 'jean of the year'?
The Silhouette Shift: From Skinny to Spacious
Gone are the days of a single, universal 'trendy' cut. 2025 has been characterised by a dramatic loosening and widening of the jean silhouette, a shift many trace back to a single, iconic performance. In February, during his headline-grabbing Super Bowl halftime show, Kendrick Lamar dissed Drake to over 133 million viewers while wearing a pair of women's low-rise, blue-wash, bootcut jeans from Celine.
This moment acted as a catalyst. Retail data confirms the trend. At John Lewis, wide-leg cuts have outsold straight and skinny styles in its womenswear range of 1,349 different jeans. Market leader M&S, which sells an astonishing 10 pairs of women's jeans every minute, reports its current bestseller is a wide-leg indigo wash style. The retailer has also seen huge success with its 'barrel leg' jean—a balloon-like shape that hangs wide on the hip and thigh before tapering at the ankle—selling 47,000 pairs of its mid-rise version since April.
A Market of Multiplicity: No One-Size-Fits-All
Despite the baggy boom, the landscape is fragmented. Vogue's recommendations alone swung from 'baggy white jeans' in April to slim cigarettes in August, before endorsing the 'sweet spot' of straight-leg cuts by December. Meanwhile, GQ hailed vintage slim-cut Levi's 501s worn by Ben Whishaw as the "sexiest movie jeans of 2025."
Denim expert Amy Leverton, founder of Denim Dudes, attributes this to social media and increased competition. "Consumers have never been more in control of the narrative when it comes to fit trends," she says, contrasting today with the simpler, slower-moving 'universal uniform' of the late 90s and early 00s. Brands are responding to this demand for choice. A Gap campaign starring K-pop-inspired band Katseye showcased six members and dozens of dancers each in radically different jeans, from extra-baggy to flared.
This individualism presents a challenge. "A regular high-street brand really has to carry every fit and size in store, which isn't great for the environment," Leverton notes. "But it is positive when it comes to easing the social pressure for consumers to jump on the new trend 'just because'. Finding what you love and sticking to it is more acceptable."
Generational Crossover and Political Statements
The appeal of relaxed fits is cross-generational. While Levi's notes "bigger traction" for low-rise and baggy styles with Gen Z, its popular 'XL Straight' and 'Baggy Dad Barrel' jeans have resonated across all ages. Even Gen X icon Parker Posey was pictured in Gap's baggy 'Carpenter' jeans.
Denim also found itself at the centre of political and cultural flashpoints. In August, Gen Z actor Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle campaign, accused of pro-eugenics messaging, saw her endorsing baggy and flare styles. Despite criticism and commentary from Donald Trump, the campaign fuelled brand interest, with shares rising nearly 60% after its July launch. In another viral moment, 71-year-old US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr was filmed doing a gym challenge in baggy blue jeans.
So, are skinny jeans dead? The answer is a firm 'no'. Hedi Slimane, the designer behind Lamar's Celine jeans and the architect of the skinny jean revolution at Dior Homme and Saint Laurent, still has devout followers known as 'Hedi boys'. Their style is gaining fresh traction thanks to bands like The Hellp. Even Demna, the ex-Balenciaga designer known for XXL sizing, hinted at a shift, though he cautioned: "We don't want the whole world to look like sausages."
Looking Ahead: What Does 2026 Hold for Denim?
Fashion is pushing extremes, from Jonathan Anderson's "really weird" pavement-scraping extra-long styles to Lewis Hamilton's bank vault-circumference jeans at the F1 finale. Leverton suggests these will "always live on the fringes."
As for the next big trend, Leverton predicts the pendulum will eventually swing back from peak baggy towards slimmer silhouettes, but not the super-stretch 'jeggings' of the 2000s. Her bet is on a 'twisted baggy' style, where seams curve around the leg. Levi's is betting on continued fluidity, with consumers moving "between silhouettes – loose and baggy one day, skinny or low-rise the next."
One thing is certain: the era of a single denim dictator is over. 2025 proved that in the world of jeans, personal choice is now the ultimate trend.
