Now that the cold weather has rolled around again (bye, summer *sob*), we are back to wearing jeans all day, every day. Except maybe on those work-from-home days...
Still, jeans are easily the most universally worn item of clothing – meaning there's no end of options on where to source your denim inspo. However, a great place to start for the new season is by turning to the designer runways, and we're pleased to report that the autumn/winter 2025 collections were full of different jean trends.
While a number of different leg silhouettes were spotted across the different shows, last season's breakout barrel leg style continues to reign supreme alongside billowing, baggy styles. In a similar ‘more is more’ approach, along with more fabric, jeans are being embellished and distressed to new extremes.
Coloured washes also made an appearance on the AW25 runways. Alongside true blues, neutral brown hues were also spotted, adding a seasonal feel. “I'm slightly biased, as I'm obsessed with the Dark Olive wash we’ve just launched,” Rosie Ingleby, Creative Director at denim brand DALA, says of the trend. “Greens are so grounding and look great clashed with other colours or used as a more tonal base,” she advises for making the look work IRL.
“The best thing about denim is that it's so easy to customise due to the construction of the fabric. You can cut the hems off to change the silhouette, draw on them, patch them, dye them – whatever you think you want to try – denim can handle it,” Rosie says. But, if you're not a crafty queen, we've scoured the high street to find the best denim styles that fit autumn's biggest jeans trends. Happy shopping!
Distressed denim
Perhaps one of the more surprising jean trends to emerge this season, worn-in denim featuring distressed details from gentle fading to rips and tears was seen at Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga, Coach, À La Garçonne and Ottolinger. Pair with feminine tops to keep the look feeling less grunge, more glamorous. Depending on your workplace dress code, you could even take a pair of jeans with minimal knee rips to the office if you style with a sharp blazer and Mary Janes or kitten heel slingbacks.
The new barrel leg
Our current fave jeans silhouette, the likes of Prada, Bally, Kseniaschnaider and ELV Denim agreed, all showcasing a new wave of barrel leg jeans that had an extreme, exaggerated curved leg. If you have yet to try the look for yourself, we promise they're not as intimidating as they look with the high street offering options for the full range of the balloon scale. Cool and comfy, you'll look like you've made serious effort with your outfit – even when you haven't.
Coloured denim
As well as playing with shape, designers including Calvin Klein, Acne Studios, Louis Vuitton and Coach also played with denim colour. Following brown's immense popularity in AW24, it's no wonder the hue has finally taken on jeans this season alongside other earthy neutral hues like dark olives, khaki green and washed pinks.
Super baggy
They say bigger is better, and that seemed to be the mentality for the jeans on show during the AW25 collections from Stella McCartney, Zimmermann, Khaite, Coach, Balenciaga and Markgong. Oversized silhouettes with low-slung waists, exaggerated wide-legs and super baggy fits throughout the seat oozed a laidback ease. Translating the trend to the streets, stick to a boyfriend 'fit that offers the same comfort and wear with polished or fitted and cropped top halves to balance out the proportions and keep things feeling refined.
Abercrombie Linen-Blend Ultra Wide Leg Jean
Embellished
Speaking of more is more, if you don't want to go bigger in size, what about bigger in impact?! From Dolce & Gabbana's bejewelled beauties, to Etro's painterly patterns, Coperni's subtle sequins, Stella McCartney's fabulous fringing and Blumarine's nature-inspired adornments, embellished jeans are still big news this autumn. And they're surprisingly easy to wear – just keep the rest of your look simple with a plain white tee and tailored blazer to nail the effortless, cool-girl aesthetic.
Dark wash
The easiest way to dress up your denim is to stick to the dark indigo washes that were seen across Khaite, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Zimmermann, Chanel, Tory Burch, Isabel Marant and Ulla Johnson. Possessing an everyday elegance, dark denim will seamlessly take you through the entirety of your day – be it work or a day of errands, to exciting evening plans and beyond. Coming in every leg shape going, our favourite way to wear the look is in flares and wide-leg silhouettes for a trouser-like fit that emphasises the denim's formal feel.
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Alexandria Dale is the Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from the celebrity style moments worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there’s nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she’s passionate about sustainable fashion and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!
