Big and baggy bottoms rule right now and while I don’t usually advocate trend hopping each season, here’s the case for baggies: if you get it right, it’s comfortable and works with almost everything in your closet and you can return to it year after year if you don’t go toooooo extreme. So tuck away your skinnies, leggings and jeggings (for sure jeggings will come back in a highly ironic way, I’m sure it’s already brewing somewhere deep down in Depop). My take on baggy jeans is that styling-wise, they work just like skinnies (and hello comfort), but the trick is the fit. Get that right and then have some fun.
Go for a medium- to high-rise. Low-rise baggies can look sloppy faster than you can say Avril Lavigne 1999. Make sure the lines are slim and clean around the waist to give emphasis to the change in volume in the legs. This will make them fun to style (see below).
Your pant legs should brush the ground, but not drag, with your shoes on. You have a little leeway here (say an inch), but don’t go too short or too long. Most sizing guidelines for baggy will follow basic boyfriend jeans fit. So if you wear a size 28 in boyfriend jeans, you’ll be the same size in baggies.
Stick to a chunky shoe. Playing with volume is one of my favorite styling magic tricks, however, it doesn’t always work: a baggy jean is harder to pull off with a dainty shoe–a ballet flat or narrow shoe, even an oxford–can make your foot look teensy weensy under a wide leg. Keep it casual with sneakers or chunky sandals (my favorite).
Have fun with your tops. Just like skinnies, the baggy offers a lot of outfit options–don’t feel like you always have to tuck in a shirt to emphasize the waist. I love a big (Carhart WIP for example) sweatshirt or a super-sized knit with sneakers. For work, a tiny top with a classic blazer and a crossbody bag is my go to. Oh! And a trench with a white tank and the same sneakers–Bonjour, Jane Birken. Or a shacket over a cut-out top…Okay I’ll stop, you get it.
