I spent a good few years thinking straight leg meant boring leg, the jeans equivalent of oatmeal, and I stuck to a bootcut because it felt like it did more for me. What put me right was a pair that actually sat properly on the hip instead of gripping it, and I realised the shape wasn't the problem, the cut I'd been buying was.
A good straight leg pair works with almost anything you'd normally throw a bootcut or skinny at, but it does it with less fuss. A jumper tucked in sits better because there's no flare to balance out. A boot works, a loafer works, even a plain trainer works because the leg doesn't taper in and fight with the shoe the way a skinny jean does. I wear mine with a long cardigan and nothing else trying too hard, and that's most days sorted. The cheap ones let you down here because the leg is either too narrow through the knee, so it's not straight at all, it's just a softer skinny, or it's cut so wide it reads as a different trouser entirely. A proper straight leg keeps the same width from thigh to ankle, give or take, and that's the whole point of the thing.
Fabric is where you feel the price difference fastest. A thin stretch denim with no weight to it will bag at the knee by lunchtime and never recover, whereas a denim with a bit of substance, even with stretch in it, holds its shape through the day and across a few wears before it needs a wash. Look at the inside seams too, a cheap pair has them pressed flat and fraying within a season, a better made pair has proper flat felled seams that don't curl. The hardware matters more than you'd expect from something nobody sees, a button that's just stamped metal will eventually seize up or the thread around it will go, a riveted one lasts years. For fit, straight leg forgives a lot through the hip and thigh but it's unforgiving at the waist, so try sitting down in them before you decide, a gap at the back waistband when you sit is the fit problem that ruins an otherwise good pair. Go a size down if you're between sizes rather than up, because they stretch with wear but they never shrink back on their own.
The ones that start a bit stiff are usually the ones worth having, because they soften properly with washing, the colour fading unevenly in a way that looks earned rather than just worn out, and the hem starts to fray a little at the heel in a way I've come to like rather than mind.
White JeansThe Edit: White Straight Leg Jeans
White JeansWhite Stretch Straight Leg Jeans That Make Dressing Easy
White JeansWhite Slim Straight Leg Jeans Edited Down to the Best
White JeansOur Kind of White Relaxed Straight Leg Jeans
Rigid JeansHandpicked White Rigid Straight Leg Jeans We Keep Coming Back To
White JeansThe Best Looking White Mid Rise Straight Leg Jeans Out There
High Rise JeansShop Our Favourite White High Rise Straight Leg Jeans
High Waisted JeansOur Kind of White High Waisted Straight Leg Jeans
Cropped JeansWhere to Find the Best White Cropped Straight Leg JeansAlso worth a lookStretch JeansThe question I get most about stretch jeans is whether they’ll go baggy by the time you’ve sat…See the collections →
White JeansShop Our Favourite White Button Fly Straight Leg Jeans
Black JeansThe Washed Black Straight Leg Jeans We’re Eyeing Up This Season
Turn Up Straight Leg Jeans: The Edit
Tall JeansOur Kind of Tall Stretch Straight Leg Jeans
Low Rise JeansOur Pick of the Best Tall Low Rise Straight Leg Jeans
Tall JeansTall Mid Rise Straight Leg Jeans With Real Wardrobe Staying Power
Dark Blue JeansTall Dark Blue Straight Leg Jeans That Earn Their Place
Tall JeansTall Black Straight Leg Jeans: Our Honest Shortlist
Tall JeansOur Top Tall Blue Straight Leg Jeans Right NowAlso worth a lookSlim JeansThe thing worth knowing before anything else is that slim doesn't mean tight, and the moment you find…See the collections →
Super Stretch Straight Leg Jeans on Our Radar
Slim JeansStretch Slim Straight Leg Jeans We’d Recommend to a Friend
Stretch JeansStretch Straight Leg Jeans Worth Adding to Your Wardrobe
Button Fly JeansThe Edit: Stretch Button Fly Straight Leg Jeans
High Rise JeansStretch High Rise Straight Leg Jeans That Make Dressing Easy
High Rise JeansStone High Rise Straight Leg Jeans That Work From Desk to Dinner
Mid Rise JeansThe Best Stone Mid Rise Straight Leg Jeans to Shop Now
Relaxed JeansOur Pick of the Best Stone Relaxed Straight Leg Jeans
Stone Straight Leg Jeans That Work From Desk to DinnerAlso worth a lookBlack JeansFor years I thought black jeans were just navy jeans with more confidence, and treated them the same…See the collections →
Stretch JeansStone Stretch Straight Leg Jeans: Our Current Favourites
Straight Leg Jeans That Have Caught Our Eye
Standout Split Hem Straight Leg Jeans to Shop
Slim JeansSlim Straight Leg Jeans With Real Wardrobe Staying Power
Shaping Straight Leg Jeans We Rate
Sculpt Straight Leg Jeans: The Edit
Low Rise JeansRigid Low Rise Straight Leg Jeans That Feel Special
Rigid JeansThe Rigid Straight Leg Jeans We’re Eyeing Up This Season
