During each season, there comes a trend so undeniable that we have to try it. Is it timeless? Flattering? Will it bring us joy? This season, it’s barrel-leg jeans.
Characteristics of barrel-leg jeans include a fitted waist, flared-out shape around the mid-leg, and tapered silhouette at the bottom, which exudes the look of, well, a barrel. It’s the vibe of a cowboy ready for a showdown in the Wild, Wild West. At first glance, the curvy shape might seem a bit controversial. Especially if your point of reference is the strikingly dramatic pairs that Alaïa sent down the runway in its fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection. However, barrel-leg jeans are more flattering than you think.
Our hunt has lead us to gather the best barrel-leg jeans to shop, along with some tips on how to style them. The TL;DR? We love pairing them with pointed-toe kitten heels (or mary janes), a belt, and a simple top to let the jeans stand out.
So, you’re looking for the best barrel jeans?
➼ Free People We the Free Good Luck Vegan Barrel Trousers
➼ Madewell The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean
➼ Gap High-Rise Horseshoe Jeans
➼ DL1961 Taylor Barrel Ultra High Rise Jeans
➼ Citizens of Humanity Ayla Undone Hem Crop Jeans
➼ Agolde Luna High Rise Pieced Taper Jeans
➼ Tibi Classic Wash Denim Sid Jeans
➼ Rag & Bone Charlie Barrel Jeans
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Asia Milia Ware, fashion and beauty writer
↪ Free People We the Free Good Luck Vegan Barrel Trousers, $128
I’ve been a barrel-leg-pants girl for as long as I can remember. Yes, way before it was trending. Why? Because the shape is so flattering for my hourglass figure. The dramatic legs are a way to highlight my smaller waist and larger bottom half-stylishly. Free People’s barrel trousers fit me faultlessly (a miracle, because I must get everything tailored). While I have a few denim barrel pants, the leather ones add character and texture to my wardrobe. Plus, they’re so easy to style. I can wear them with classic pieces like a button-down and blazer, or I can wear a statement top to add to the statement of the silhouette. I’ll wear these pants in multiple ways all fall because they’re comfortable. They’re also not restricting like a lot of leather pants tend to be, and the length that they land at is perfect for heels and flats.
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Maridelis Morales-Rosado, photo editor
↪ Madewell The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean, $138
As someone who is five feet tall, I’ve always struggled to find a pair of jeans. I bought a pair of barrels back in June that I could not stop wearing. Why? It’s hard to find a roomy pair of jeans that are also flattering. The pair I got from Madewell is a size 27 petite, and while they don’t touch the floor, they still puddle a bit at the end. I love being able to dress them up or down — just a T-shirt and flats for running errands — but I can also wear a nice blouse and my favorite kitten heels from Vagabond for a more elevated approach.
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Chinea Rodriguez, shopping writer
↪ Gap High Rise Horseshoe Jeans, $90
As someone who wears a plain black top 99 percent of the time, I like to make my outfits a little more interesting with barrel jeans. I really like a wide-leg fit, and barrel jeans usually hit right at the ankle, so I can wear sneakers or flats. I love this pair’s wash and exaggerated shape (and also the price point). They’re interesting enough for every day without being too over the top, but if I wanted to add some drama, I definitely could dress these up. I went with my usual Aritzia tube top and some Y/Project x Melissa mules with a teeny heel for a bit of height. When I wear them day-to-day, I pair them with an oversize button-down and ballet flats so I can be comfortable while still looking put-together.
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Hanna Flanagan, shopping editor
↪ DL1961 Taylor Barrel Ultra High Rise Jeans, $250
These haven’t left my rotation ever since I received them. They’re so versatile — to say I’m a fan would be an understatement. If I wear them with sneakers or flats, they look like everyday baggy jeans. But if I wear them with heels, the barrel silhouette is much more noticeable and becomes the focal point of my look. It’s essentially like getting two pairs of jeans in one, which is probably why I can’t stop wearing them. The color I’m wearing is a vintage-inspired mid-wash called Endless Sea. I wanted to lean into that ’90s vibe for this shoot by pairing the jeans with a classic white button-down and a thick leather belt from Anthropologie. I kept the shirt unbuttoned and layered a CouCou Intimates pointelle slip skirt (I often wear it as a strapless top) underneath to add some texture. Cinching my waist really helped show off the shape of the jeans. I took my usual size 26 and they fit like a glove. One thing to note: Even though I’m pretty tall at five-feet-eight, they’re still a bit long on me when I wear them with flats or kitten heels.
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Morgan Evans, Cut Shop market editor
↪ Citizens of Humanity Ayla Undone Hem Crop, $248
I have been a longtime fan of Citizens of Humanity and had several different styles of its jeans over the years, but the first time I tried these jeans, I fell in love with the fit and style. I like the cool cropped design as well as the slight barrel shape that is easy and breathable, and I appreciate how the “balloon” shape isn’t extreme (especially for people who don’t like the fuller, more horseshoe barrel shape). The Ayla jeans are not only trendy, they’re effortless, super-lightweight, and have a more casual, slouchy fit. I went for a size 27 in these, but because there’s more room in the waist (which makes them very comfortable), I could probably go a size down. Always nice to have that flexibility! I got these jeans earlier in the summer and have worn them pretty much everywhere since. I’ve styled them with everything from a simple tube top and mule sandals to a crisp button-down and sneakers. Here, I styled the jeans with my favorite sheer sweater from J.Crew (with a bralette underneath) and pointed-toe Gucci kitten heels. I like the way flats look with these jeans, but I’m also excited to take them into the fall and wear them with taller boots and tucked-in sweaters.
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Bianca Nieves, senior shopping editor
↪ Agolde Luna High Rise Pieced Taper Jeans, $260
I wore my first pair of barrel jeans last year, and since then I’ve been converted. Yes, it was the We the Free Good Luck Mid-Rise Barrel Jeans from Free People. I’ve bought them in multiple colors since, and always opt to size up so they fall lower on my waist and puddle a bit around my choice of shoe, since they are a bit too cropped for my liking. I also bought the Luna High Rise from Agolde. They are perfect.
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Danya Issawi, fashion writer
↪ Tibi Classic Wash Denim Sid Jeans, $495
Barrel jeans are the most mystifying trend I’m grateful to have existed in my timeline. I love the wide leg. I love the way they puddle at the feet. I love how I can dress them up or down or somewhere in between. Maybe in 20 years, we’ll look back at photos of ourselves in this silhouette and just giggle, but for now, I’m tapped the heck in. This pair from Tibi is so versatile. I styled it here with a dainty little eyelet top from the Gap x Dôen collaboration and a pair of Rothy’s red mary janes (if you know me, you know I wear these whenever possible). I also wore these jeans to the following events, and each time felt the perfect level of dressed: Fashion Week (with black flats, a black tank, and a Yankees baseball cap), honky-tonk line dancing in Queens (with black cowboy boots), and happy hour with a friend (coupled with a black-and-white halter top from Saks Potts). Hello, shape-shifter! Another pair I like at a more forgiving price point are these from Free People’s We the Free line.
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Brooke LaMantia, editorial assistant
↪ Rag & Bone Charlie Barrel Jeans, $268
To know me is to know my proclivity for big pants. What’s so great about this style is that they’re loose and comfy while maintaining structure — something that just plain old oversize jeans constantly lack. The Charlie jeans come in multiple shades, but the dark denim wash is versatile and seasonless. I like pairing them with a plain tank or T-shirt and adding in fun shoes. Since these are cropped, I can pair them with all my shoes, including my daintier flats, like ballets and flip-flops, to play with proportions even more. Who doesn’t like a big pants and little shoe combo?
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More barrel-leg jeans options:
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