Jeans and trouser silhouettes are ever-evolving. While baggier shapes have dominated the past five years, trend analysts say we’re likely to see the pendulum swing back. In womenswear, we’re already seeing a shift towards slimmer trouser silhouettes, which started during the fall 2024 shows and has been brought into the mainstream by TikTok creator Alix Earle. The Gen Z star released a pair of skinny jeans in January in collaboration with Frame, prompting a viral TikTok trend where users have been showing off how they’re styling the silhouette for 2025.
Analytics platform Heuritech predicts sales of wide-leg jeans to decline 3% over the next year, while slim and straight-leg jeans are expected to grow 2% and 4%, respectively. “This shift illustrates the influence of quiet luxury, with its emphasis on more tailored, refined shapes, now making its mark on streetwear and casualwear as well,” says Heuritech fashion analyst Frida Tordhag.
Hedi Slimane, who was creative director of Celine until October, was the force behind the popularisation of skinny jeans for men, which he introduced at both YSL and Dior Men. “Celine—whose jeans Lamar is wearing—has been pushing this skinny-ish to mid-flare hybrid for a bit,” says Vogue Runway’s Luke Leitch.
In some ways, bootcut is a middle ground between baggy and skinny jeans. “We’ve seen male shoppers embracing baggier styles and this feels like a natural evolution, with multiple ways to style and wear,” says Katy Lubin, VP of brand and communications at Lyst. Searches for men’s flared and bootcut jeans have increased 12% on the fashion search platform over the past three months. Yet, bootcut still feels like a more daunting silhouette than slim or baggy to the average man—like GQ’s Hine says, bootcut is often associated with a more fashion-forward retro look.
“The bootcut or flare jeans trend definitely has the potential to take off commercially in menswear, but it will likely follow a gradual adoption rather than an overnight explosion,” agrees buying consultant Natasha Advani, who is former head of menswear buying at Selfridges and founder of Not/Applicable Vintage. “While high fashion and influential artists like Pharrell and Kendrick are already embracing flared silhouettes, mainstream menswear tends to take longer to shift, especially when moving away from the dominant baggy, straight-leg cuts that have been popular for years. If major denim labels and retailers introduce more subtle bootcut variations before going fully flared, it could ease the transition for mass-market consumers.”
