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Ditch the tracksuit bottoms in favour of some flattering denim
If you’re looking to ease yourself back into denim, a great pair of mom jeans could be the perfect place to start.
This popular style is often loose in the leg (ie still comfortable), but the tapered ankle is super flattering for a wide range of body shapes. Finding the right pair for you is a sure-fire way to make transitioning into actually getting dressed again post-lockdown a lot easier.
Versatility is also key when we’re investing in pieces for our wardrobes these days, since the more we wear pieces, the more sustainable our shopping habits become. Depending on the shoes you pair your mom jeans with, they can be super casual (great for park meet-ups with friends with a rolled hem and your favourite trainers), or perfect for date night with a jazzy heel (remember those?) and a blazer for a more refined look.
Shopping for jeans is never an easy task, though. So here we’ve put styles from all over the high street and the most popular denim brands to the test, to make the search for the perfect pair a lot less painful.
Of course, different styles fit every body differently, but we’ve made sure to cover everything from vintage-style blue pairs at the more relaxed end of the scale, to chic summer whites and classic blacks. Some brands are particularly good for petite, plus-size and tall designs too, so look out for those throughout our edit.
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Best: Overall
Weekday is the high street brand fashion insiders turn to for denim. Its huge range of different styles come in lots of different washes (this style, in particular, comes in 10 shades), so you’re bound to find a style that suits you perfectly. The lash mom jeans are made from organic and recycled cotton, so they’re kinder to the environment, as well as your wardrobe. The five-pocket design and high waist are universally flattering, with sizes ranging from a waist 23-34, and three length options too, which meant they just about cinched the top spot. The ankle on these isn’t too tapered or too straight, it’s the perfect shape to balance out the slightly looser leg, and they work both rolled up or not. Basically, we didn’t want to take these off when testing, and they formed a great basis for so many summer outfits in this classic blue shade.
Best: For summer
Made with organic cotton, Warehouse’s mom jeans in this creamy ecru shade are a great option for summer days. The denim is rigid enough to pull you in in all the right places but it’s not as thick as the vintage blue styles that can be quite restrictive. Plus, there’s a little stretch for added comfort. They have a slim taper which you’ll need to roll up if you’re shorter than 5’10, but it doesn’t distract from how good they look when on. And while the rolled ankle feels a little more casual, they’d still work nicely in an evening because of the smart colourway.
Best: If you’re tall
If you’re after a classic blue, vintage-feel mom jean, Hush’s frieda style was one of the very best we found. The denim feels hardy, like it would last a long time and wash well, with a lovely mid-weight to it that works best for a looser style like this. They’re on the longer side and there are no other length options available – but they look best with an ankle roll anyway, which means it’s easy to tailor the length to suit you perfectly. They are very high waisted, so particularly good for those with a long torso. Despite the loose fit on the legs, the five-pocket design hugs the bum and waist nicely to make them extra flattering – the kind of jeans you’ll live in day in, day out.
Best: Plus size mom jeans
Asos never disappoints when it comes to producing inclusive fashion. These slouchy mom jeans from the Curve collection are available in sizes 18-28 with three length options too. They also come in standard sizing and maternity, petite and tall, so really there’s no excuse not to take home a pair of these excellent all-rounders. We particularly loved them for the loose, relaxed feel (they live up to their slouchy name), which makes them extra comfy – a great transitional style if you’re finding it hard to put down the joggers. Made from BCI cotton, the denim also feels really nice; there’s not much stretch to it, but with the looser cut it works here.
Read more: Best plus size clothing shops online
Best: Casual style
Topshop may not have any bricks-and-mortar stores anymore, but luckily for staunch fans of the brand’s denim (one of its most popular departments) it’s still being stocked online at Asos. If you aren’t already a Topshop mom jean follower, you’re in for a treat with this style. Again, there’s length options for you to tailor the fit perfectly – an important factor with mom jeans given they definitely work best when cropped to reveal a flash of ankle. The blue denim means we like these best for casual affairs, as they pair perfectly with a pair of fresh white trainers.
Best: Investment pair
If you prefer to spend a bit more on your denim collection, knowing you’ll get a style that stands the test of time, one of our favourite investment jeans brands is Agolde. Its designs are always expertly considered, so they’re not only super wearable for every day but also extremely stylish. These fresh white balloon jeans are a modern mom jean, with a voluminous leg that’s designed to sit at the ankle without having to roll them, which gives a sleek silhouette. The denim feels super soft to the touch but still nice and crisp, making it smarter than some of the others on this list. As a result, we found them to work just as well with a pair of heels as our favourite casual sandals.
Best: Sustainable style
For a pair of jeans with an eco focus, opt for Levi’s new high loose taper. Sustainably made with tencel fabric, you can tell the denim is very high quality before you’ve even got them on. That is, of course, the Levi’s MO – jeans that look great and last for years to come, making them a good investment despite the higher price point. These were one of the loosest styles we tried, so if you’re after a very relaxed and comfortable fit, we’d highly recommend this pair. A classic washed black jean is a timeless wardrobe staple, but there are also three other colourways including fresh blues and a summery cream if you’re after something specifically for warmer weather days.
Best: Affordable pair
When we’re testing, it’s always exciting when a brand surprises us when we least expect it. We knew Lindex did great value Scandinavian fashion, but we didn’t realise quite how good its jeans were — until we tried this pair on, that is. The denim has a nice sturdy weight to it, and a quality that could easily pass for being from a denim-focused brand like Levi’s, while still being pleasantly affordable. The loose balloon shape was particularly flattering too, hugging the waist and bum in all the right places, making these budget-friendly jeans look much more expensive than they actually are. We love the light beige colour for summer, and the best part? Lindex is also focused on making its denim more sustainable, with BCI cotton and both energy saving and clean dyeing processes. Proof that more responsible shopping doesn’t have to come at a price.
Best: All-rounder
If you’re after a fuss-free pair of mom jeans that you know will last, wash well, and not break the bank, Marks and Spencer has recently added the perfect pair to its denim collection – and with eight different shades to choose from, the chances of finding your dream jeans are high. We tried the medium blue with light rips that gave them a modern, relaxed feel. These sit high on the waist and slim (but not tight) at the hips, with a subtle taper that makes them similar to a straight jean (always a winner in any wardrobe). We loved wearing this style with a chunky dad sandal for casual warmer days, and because there are different length options at M&S (petite, standard and tall) it’s easy to find the perfect fit. The cotton is also sustainably sourced and has added stretch for maximum comfort.
Best: For petites
The struggle to find jeans to fit petite frames is real. Luckily New Look has come to the rescue, with a pair of slim mom jeans that don’t overwhelm smaller frames. You can choose the length here too, and the 30” option allows for those on the shorter side to still get that nice ankle crop that’s hard to achieve with universal sizing. We’ve linked the standard version here, but with Tori being one of the high street hero’s sellout styles there’s also a huge range of specifically petite options (which go down to a size 4) across a vast range of washes. This pair has some stretch to them, meaning they fit like a glove when testing – and despite them not being as loose as others in this list, we’d still give them an A+ for comfort. For the affordable price tag, this is a pair of jeans you’d never regret having in your wardrobe.
Every body is different so it will really depend on your shape and your preferences (loose or slimmer, more straight or tapered) as to which of these mom jeans is the very best for you. But Weekday’s combination of excellent quality sustainably focused denim, great value and eye for design in its lash jeans means its classic blue pair tops the list for us. If you’re after a looser relaxed style for summer though, don’t miss Lindex’s Pam jeans, our second favourite pair.
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For more wardrobe inspiration, here are the best midi skirts for easing into the warmer weather