No brand in particular..I am still at the motivating stage, trying to get motivated to action.

Those are helpful examples, thanks elder and k.

Just one more comment,I see they are both paired with tucked in top. I may have to think on this a bit more as that's not my comfort. I dont think I've tucked in anything for at least 30 lbs. Maybe 40?

Even then I would put belt over the sweater or shirt.

I have one pair of boot cut jeans which are as wide as I am prepared to go. Having narrow hips and no derrierre = wider styles don’t look right on me. And a personal quirk is that I like to see my whole foot when I look down. No tip of the shoe peeking out from a wide pant leg. IDK where that notion comes from as I like the look on others— it makes them look taller if the pants hang nicely. 🤷‍♀️

I tried tucking in my shirt the other day. I had a 3rd piece over it, so I still had a bit of ”tummy camouflage”. I had forgotten how much tucking in a shirt slows me down when I go to the ladies room. I spend a lot of time making sure it is as flat and even as can be, then re-straightening the tail of the top after I pull up my jeans. It was so annoying! Truth be told, it was probably more flattering to have my shirt tucked in, but I don’t think I’ll be doing it unless I’m wearing a 3rd piece.

My jeans are all Talbots slim leg, which my sister and DD tell me isn’t all that slim, or Talbots straight leg. When you see me in wide leg jeans, rest assured, the trend is on its way out.

I mostly wear a sneaker type shoe these days also, and seldom wear jeans. When I finally found some recently I liked (Loft Rivete line in curvy fit), I’m wearing either very casual loafers (ECCO) or AllBirds lace-up black wool with a gum sole. I also have black Reef Neptune sneakers (have them in pale gray almost white too) that look fine with a casual jeans look. I don’t care for the wide leg look on me. It looks and feels like too much denim, and forget those balloon leg things. I wear mostly straight leg jeans with a high rise because my torso is long.

I wear sneakers most often -- over boots and sandals (though I do occasionally wear both). I have many different styles for different occasions. Sure I am self conscious when dressing sometimes but I press through it. Wearing a sneaker is better than tripping and falling.

I don't care for how wide leg jeans look on me-- like Outside said, it is just too much denim. I mostly wear straight leg jeans-- I'd wear a flare but my legs are short and most are too long.

I did order a pair of barrel jeans as I have seen them look nice on other women my age/body type. I havent tried them yet and I am not overly optimistic lol.

I really don't feel the need to keep up with denim styles.. I wouldnt wear low rise hip huggers if they came into style either lol.

All I want is some elastic waist jeans. I used to find them at Kohls but they don't carry the brand anymore. Nor any other elastic waist jeans. I checked Walmart once and there were only the leggings-type. I know, but I'm 72 and comfort is what I want. I still have a nice pair of jeans in the armoire but zipping them up and getting them buttoned is somewhat of a chore. Probably because I'm so used to the elastic waist.

I wear nice sneakers, flats, ballet shoes, or low-heeled booties with mine. One of my fav outfits is wide or flared jeans and untucked cami with open button-up shirt (usually white) over. It can be dressed up or down depending on shoes and jewelry.

Bbstx there is a way to button a shirt that I saw. You somehow button diagonally..

It take away the bulk.

Salon, you can certainly wear a sweater or top out. It just has to be a bit cropped.

For a button-down, look at UnTuckit.

How cute is this?

Low profile sneakers, suede Hush Puppies and Chelsea boots are what I mostly wear. Another trend I'm seeing a lot of are glove-like leather flats with a high vamp.

Long pointy toes are trending too, and I really don't wear skinny heels at all, except for special occasions.

My sister is always in fashion and she has something similar to this to wear with wide leg jeans:

I'm of no help as I don't follow/adopt the latest fashion trends. My go to jeans are also Talbots slim leg ankle style - not skinny but slim. I have some other wider leg jeans that I used to really like but every time I put them on now they seem too wide even though wide is in. Many years ago I visited a frugal friend when narrower jeans were in. She was wearing some ancient wide leg jeans and otherwise outdated outfit and it made me sad to think she looked like a "little old lady" way before her time. Sometimes I see that vision when I put on my wider jeans which probably makes me take them off and put on the old standbys.

@eld6161, thanks for that video. However, it looks like it just puts all of the bulk around your waist. And it would take me forever to remember what to do!

I think sneakers work well with wide leg. I do think women are wearing a nice variety of jeans right now: wide leg, bootcut, flare, straight, and still skinny. At least those I see in their 30s-50s. I recently had a company event and noticed a lot of sneakers with jeans of all styles.

I spotted some Adidas Sambas and Vejas on a few ladies.

I wear jeans everyday, unless it's super hot. I'm short with short legs and I prefer straight leg throughout changing trends. I always wear running shoes and like the pants to stop just at their tops without bunching up my leg. I hated skinny jeans and after breaking my leg I wasn't even going to pretend. Right now I'm wearing Old Navy and of course they've been discontinued, because everything I grow to love and depend on gets discontinued. I have a couple pairs of JCPenney brand that fit like custom made. Discontinued. I would pay the going price for any jeans that fit perfectly, but they're few and far between. Not everyone has legs like a racehorse. I usually need ankle-length to fit.

Wide legs, including boot cut, make me look stunted. It would be another matter if I wore heels but I refuse to. Ah, back in the 70s with flares that skimmed the ground and inside 3+ inch platforms. It made for a great leggy look.

You have to have several pairs of jeans so you can have a few that are hemmed for flip-flops/sneakers/flats and a few that are hemmed longer for med/high heels.

Most of my jeans are boot-cut.

Carol, My DD has those sneakers in brown suede. They are so cute on her.

If anyone is looking for comfortable, sort-of wide leg pants (not jeans) I love the Collette pants from Anthropologie. They are a mix of viscose, cotton, linen and some spandex and really have a nice ’give’ where you want it, like in the waist. Plus they fit nicely around the hips and to the upper thighs and then have some width from there down. The fabric is really light so it’s not like the feeling with jeans where you feel as if there is too much fabric. They come in various lengths and colors.

@OutsidePlaying, the Collette pants sounded like exactly what I need for a trip in a couple of months. Do you own a pair? Do they actually fit like the pictures show? In every color, they have these folds/creases at the crotch area.

If you do actually own them and they don’t fit like the photos show, how do they wash up? I need something that can be washed and dried commercially. I will not have access to a dry cleaner.

I never buy wide-leg jeans or slacks as I'm short and do not think wide anything is a good look for me. I've been pretty much limited to sneakers, comfy fabric slip-on's and 'fur' lined ankle boots given my foot issue. It always was sneakers or sandals with jeans for me.

Because of back pain, I can only wear clunky tennis shoes - think New Balance and Hokas, nothing cute about them. I like wide leg jeans and have no problem pairing them together. I have super long legs and need long pants. Cropped wide leg jeans or any cropped pant looks absurd on me.

No need to tuck in your shirt if you don't feel comfortable doing it.

I'm trying to step up my game a little, which for me means bothering to put on necklaces and a ring.

Outer wear with a bit of cut to it would be nice too.

Bbstx, I often tuck my shirts into my undies. The shirttail is contained and pants fit more smoothly. I tuck in all button up shirts and lately have been tucking in the occasional sweater.

I appreciate allthe comments on here. I am "digesting" them all.

I am not one to follow trends blindly, but there's somethig to be said for looking more current and sometimes it's nice to venture off a little bit.

At least I feel better about wearing my narrow leg jeans for now. Re shoes, I do sometimes wear ballet flats ( and of course, in the warmer weather I happily wear sandals but FLAT sandals with good support) but if I 'm not getting (for me) dressed up, I will wear sneakers.

I typically have one pair that I wear to death..

It's so helpful to read everyone's take on this. Thank you again

@Kswl, I’ve tucked my shirts into my undies too. Totally forgot about that! I’ll give it a try next time I tuck something in.

@salonva, I’m terrible about getting into a rut and wearing the same shoes on repeat, even though I have a nice selection.

I was reading something today about shoes with jeans (can’t remember what or where, but it was for 2026). Supposedly, the fashionable shoes to wear are backless loafers (like a flat mule with the ”penny” band across the vamp), low profile tennis shoes (Samba-esque ), and fabric ballet flats, the more like a real ballet slipper the better (actually the ones that were shown looked more like pointe shoes - satin with the square toe but no ribbons).

This is the style of flat that's trending right now...

Bbstx, i own 2 pair I think. One pair is from a couple of years ago. I was trying a couple of them on today. I’ve lost weight and couldn’t recall when I bought which color. I don’t remember seeing that today when I had them on I was mostly looking for that baggy look pants have in the seat after a weight loss. I do wear about the same size in these as I do in jeans. I will put them on again in the morning to make sure I didn’t miss that.

My hips and legs are “ample” so I love wide leg pants. Today’s style are usually mid to high waist.

Looking at proportions, this is what I pit together:

Skinny leg, flowy untucked top or a tee plus something lile a mid length komono or long cardigan. Shoes are flat, low chunk heel or tucked into tall boots

.

Wide leg/high waist, tucked top or tee with a crop jacket or sweater

Wide leg/mid waist slimmer sweater or top untucked

Shoes are pointed flats, heeled sandals or heeled short booties

If there’s a lot of walking involved, then all bets are off nowadays and it’s sneakers with a chunky sole or trainers. Real life sometimea takes over.

.

My jeans are either Lands End or LL Bean - the basic straight leg style, dark rinse, natural waist. They lack any noticeable features - not skinny, not barrel, not flared, no bare ankles. They're my daily uniform and I wear them with sketchers, sneakers, clogs or my one and only pair of low heel boots. As they fade and wear they only become more relaxed and comfortable. They go well with just about any top - T shirts, sweaters, blouses with or without a blazer or cardigan, sweatshirts. I also have black jeans but they don't age well - fading doesn't become them. Jeans are the only item of clothing in my closet I have in multiples and dread the day when I have to shop for new ones.

@OutsidePlaying your favorite Reef sneakers look like Olukai's which I love. Unfortunately, the Olukai's have a negative heel and really hurt my back. Would you say that the Reef's have a negative heel? I can't really tell from the photos.

I agree about shoes. They can make or break the outfit.

I don’t wear jeans a ton, but Im particular about the ones I wear. I rarely wear baggy anything because i just don’t think its flattering to anyone. I like a flare leg and even though I’m short, i have found that cropped jeans and pants can still be my friend. They must be somewhat fitted through the hips and you must wear the right shoe. The same goes for wide leg jeans and for me, they cant be too wide.

i reallly cant understand barrel leg. I don't find them flattering either.

I have found that a mule type of shoe with a medium height chunky heel works for me with some crops and wide leg jeans. I must have a square or pointed toe. I’m one who wears what I like and what looks best on me. Of course there are trendy items i like, but I dont try to follow trends. I would rather have more of a personal/unique look.

Salonva - if the jeans are overall baggy, they look best with a fitted and tucked in shirt. But jeans that fit in the hips but have wide legs can be worn with not tucked in shirts.

I almost never wear heels. A couple of weeks ago I would have said never, but I did buy a pair of brown suede boots with a kitten heel and they are comfortable enough if not doing a ton of walking. But most of the time I wear loafers, ballet flats or sneakers. I love my sambas with almost any pair of jeans.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect jeans for months. Still searching. I did buy a couple of pairs from Banana Republic and they're fine. Order a pair of Mother jeans from Nordstrom. They looked horrible on me. Sent them back.

I'm tempted to try to Quince jeans. I mean they are $50! And their return policy is so good. I'll probably pull the trigger. My plan is to take a day and go to Nordstrom and try on every pair of jeans. I'm willing to pay the price if they look they way they do in my head!

@jsk what style are you looking for?

The 7 for All Makind brand wide leg / trouser leg Dojo is a style I've worn on and off for years. On me (larger rear, hips, thighs) they are fitted in the hip area and then go wide at the bottom and sit mid-waist. I've been seeing the Dojos everywhere so they seem very in right now. Just wanted to share that in case it's an option you might like. I was very excited to see a 32" inseam option from 7s (and Paige) now which sometimes lets me get away with no tailoring.

The jeans that fit me best are American Eagle, they have a mid rise style for people with no backside. However, because of their clientele their garments are not well made or long lasting. 🤷‍♀️

Since we are talking jeans, has anyone run into any lightweight jeans …. fabric about the weight of a heavy chambray or of a chino? I want to take jeans on my trip this spring but ordinary jeans are too heavy to travel with IMHO

bbstx I Iove these L L Bean lakewashed pull on chinos, wide leg chambray pants. They aren't too wide legged, are very light, soft and comfortable. I have them in the lightest wash.

Sorry the link keeps defaulting to their Canadian site:

https://www.llbean.ca/llb/shop/126607.html?CORECRD=true

Thanks for the link. I found them on the US site, too. I just ordered “summerweight” jeans from Banana Republic Factory. I may have to order the ones from LLBean for comparison

And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I weighed my jeans, chinos, and dress slacks today. I want the easy care of denim in a linen weight and I want them to look as polished as dress slacks. 🙄😂

@bbstx, I am sorry i didn’t get this posted earlier. I forgot i had an event this morning. It was outside, kinda cold, and came home with a migraine and sore throat, which I found out was due to air quality from controlled burns 50+ miles away! Anyway, I actually have 3 pair of the Collette pants. The newest are the olive green ones, which i wore recently for a couple of hours when we had some warmer weather. Hence some wrinkles from sitting. The ivory ones are older and have a wider leg i think(and closet wrinkles!). I didn’t put on the other pair (navy), but they are the same size.

I’m wondering if the model in the photo you posted has a very long torso and it causes the ’pulling’ effect in the photo because she has them stretched upward in front?

@deegw, The Neptunes are not a zero drop. they are probably a low drop but definitely not zero. I have a pair of merrell zero drop sneakers and haven’t quite become used to those yet. I’m weight lifting weights in the Reef Neptunes and they do provide some nice support without being too cushy that seems very neutral.

Funny I decided to order a pair of their slip-ons and they came today. I ordered the same size and they seemed a little too big. So I’m exchanging for a half size smaller. They are so easy to return and either get a refund or re-order. if you are uncertain, I found their size chart is pretty accurate, and I kinda ignored it. I have one foot that is almost a half size larger than the other, so it’s a struggle.

So this just showed up in my newsfeed and I thought of this thread...

https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/what-shoes-to-wear-with-baggy-jeans

@pricklypearcactus thanks for the recommendation. I'm looking for straight leg. I have a few pairs of wide leg. I really want a pair of very straight leg, medium wash, mid to high rise. Not cropped. Want them to my ankle/top of shoe/sandal. Willing to get them hemmed if everything else is perfect.

Bbstx and Jsk, try The Gap. They have both lightweight (Ultrasoft) jeans, as well as straight leg regular jeans with mid/high rise options. Most styles come in petite, regular and tall.

I have wide-leg jeans and wide-leg casual pants, and usually just wear sneakers with them. But I recently witnessed a lovely woman who looked to be in her late 50s/early 60s wearing wide-leg jeans with stiletto heels exiting the metra train steps with grace and style (impressive). The jean hem was such that most of the shoe was exposed, which made me think she probably wore those jeans with any type of heel. I made a mental note.

@Feathers11 I used to wear stilettos with wide lege jeans, though I would typically have them hemmed to be close to the ground. I loved the look. I used to wear stilettos to work daily and would mix between trousers and jeans. Now I so rarely wear heels and honestly my feet aren't conditioned to them for a long day anymore.

Prickly, (sigh) I love stilettos, but they don't love me. :-(

@jsk for straight leg I have enjoyed the 7 for All Mankind style called Kimmie. Definitely comes in full length. (I can't pull of the cropped look.) My favorite Paige straight leg has unfortunately been discontinued or I'd recommend that. Is it obvious that I love jeans?

So I went to Old Navy today to give it a whirl. It was very helpful because next to each style of jeans ( and they probably had at least 15...... Flare, Straight, Slouchy, Bootcut, Wide, Barrel and so on) they had a photo of a model wearing that style.

I haven't been to ON in a while and I thought their stuff looked way better than I remembered. I was of course, overwhelmed so I did just try on a few things and didn't buy anything.

I was so impressed with the merchandise AND GET THIS--- in the dressing room, it scans what you bring in and there is a screen asking you if you want xyz in a different color or size and the assistant will bring it to you! I so rarely shop in stores but I have never seen that and it worked. I needed a different size of jeans and I didn't have to get dressed and go back out o the floor! Old Navy budget prices and nice service. Go figure

I tried on flare jeans and they were nicer than I expected, along with some shorter tshirts that were a very nice weight and not at all see through. I just was in the wrong frame of mind but I will definitely go back.

The flare jeans looked absolutely fine with my sneakers.

Salonva - Thanks for the encouraging Old Navy review! There are two near me and I can't remember when I was there last. I had no idea they had that kind of dressing room shopping assistance. I'll definitely have to check that out. I think Funky has mentioned buying t shirts there and seemed satisfied with the quality.

Ah yes, I am a recent Old Navy fan -- well, not that recent but I never shopped there until a few years ago. I was losing weight and didnt want to invest much in a smaller size jean when I knew I had further to go. Their price was perfect! I wait until they are in the $15-20 sale range and then I buy a few in the current size and the lower size. I like the wow jeans but have tried some of the others. The straight leg style in regular length is perfect for my height but the flares are too long for me in regular sizes and the petite are too short for my long waist. I have short legs :(

I also really like their v neck everywhere tees and also the long sleeve snug tees. I don't wear much else from them but I havent had any complaints about the items I have purchased.

I get not being in the right state of mind but it sounds like you had a good experience, Salonva and some options! I also think the price point is good for trying new styles -- especially if you catch them on a sale!

I haven't tried Old Navy jeans before. I have a few old t-shirts that are reasonable quality, especially for the price. I do also have a pair of American Eagle jeans I bought on sale when I wanted something affordable. They are surprisingly comfortable and flattering. Maybe a little more stretchy than I prefer.

I like old navy for the quality/price -- they work well for my transient sizes and for my not-so-fancy lifestyle. I not sure you'd pull them over a pair of your more stylish brands, Prickly ... but maybe? It usually comes down to the fit for me.

I did finally try on the Old Navy barrel jeans that arrived over the weekend. I had gone down a size because I am on the cusp in my regular style. Even going down a size, they are too big. It is hard to say if I'd like the barrel style -- there is just too much room in the waist, stomach and hips to know for sure. I think they would need to fit perfectly on top to look nice.. and maybe not even then. For now, I am sticking with the wow straight leg (but going down a size woohoo!)

I think that many of the discount retailers - Old Navy, Target - have upped their game in the last few years and the quality is so much better than it used to be. I remember buying stuff from ON years and years ago and it just didn't last. One wash and it looked like garbage. That is not the case anymore. And many years ago I would never even have considered Target for clothing and shoes. But now I find a lot of cute stuff there.

I just got a pair of mules delivered today. Told DH I'm trying not to spend the $150 for the Olukai ones I saw in a store in Florida. He asked but aren't they better quality and will last longer. Absolutely, but I'm so fickle and I get sick of things so quickly that I'm fine spending $30 instead. We shall see if I actually keep these or cave and get the Olukais. They were really nice. I'll be back in Florida at the same location next month, so...

---

@pricklypearcactus thank you again for that recommendation. The Kimmie straight leg on the model on the website look more like skinny jeans. Is that what you find? I have a pair of skinny jeans I love. I want something less fitted, but not wide leg.

Thanks @OllieJane!