Wide-Leg Ankle Jeans

Late last year, I parted with almost all of my old jeggings and skinny jeans, keeping only two pairs as an insurance policy. I used to love their stretch and ease, but now they just feel like relics from another era. For years I held on to them, imagining a moment when nostalgia or utility might pull me back. That moment never came… and as someone with an overflowing closet, the justification for their continued presence wore thin.

In their place I’ve built a new rotation of six pairs of wider-leg jeans: some (extra) generously cut, others more tailored, all offering a renewed sense of ease. Something about the volume and the way the fabric hugs or moves feels lighter and more “forgiving.” The only puzzle I haven’t solved is footwear: In the summer I often want nothing more than the flattest flats or barely-there sandals, but they mostly disappear in the volume.

The pair that I’m wearing here, The Gap’s High Stride Wide-Leg Ankle Jeans (currently 40% off), was added to my closet after I ordered (and returned) these jeans in multiple sizes and lengths. I decided on the shorter inseam to make them friendlier for flats but the longer version might have stayed if I hadn’t just bought the Mid Rise UltraSoft Baggy Jeans, also from The Gap.

The fabric–99 percent cotton and 1 percent elastane–is in a sweet spot for denim: structured and substantial, but with enough give to avoid stiffness. The high cotton content keeps the jeans from stretching into shapelessness, though creases are inevitable. The cropped length is more casual, and I find it works best when paired with a dressier top or shoe, adding some balance to the silhouette’s relaxed air.

I think we are very much still in the “anything goes” denim era, but I keep coming back to relaxed silhouettes in lighter or medium washes. For summer I like to style them with bodycon or cropped tops in fresh summer shades–pale lemon, soft lavender, crisp white–and then add a chunkier piece of jewelry to give the look more intentionality.