In recent years, it seems as though many other styles of jeans are overriding skinny jeans. Now, they’ll never die completely, but celebrities and influencers all over the globe are being photographed with jeans that are the complete opposite of skinny.
The same goes for clothing stores. There are several emerging denim trends that feature a more loose and baggy fit, two of which are flares, and wide-leg jeans!
While the title of this article reads ‘Wide-leg flare jeans’, they are two separate styles that have similarities. This article is going to give you some ideas on how you can style both of these jeans.
What Are Wide-Leg Jeans?
Wide-leg jeans are fitted at the waist, like skinnies, but they become wider from the hips and thighs, and gently flare all the way down the leg.
If fitted correctly, these jeans can be very flattering, as they accentuate your waist before loosening up down the rest of your legs, giving off an hourglass look around the waist.
What Are Flare Jeans?
Belonging to 70s fashion, flare jeans are fitted around the waist and thighs and then flare from the knees. These jeans can have a moderate or an exaggerated flare.
They are a flattering style of jeans, as they create a curvy silhouette to your shape while adding length to your legs.
What’s The Difference Between Wide-leg And Flare Jeans?
With all these different styles of jeans, it can be easy to get confused (and we’re only covering two of them!). The main difference between wide-leg and flare jeans is that flares will typically hug the waist and thighs, like skinny jeans, and will begin to flare from the knees.
Wide-leg jeans, however, are only tight around the waist and crotch area, before becoming loose around the hips and thighs, and gently flaring until they reach the end of the leg.
How To Style Flare Jeans
It’s safe to say that we’re all out of our comfort zone when it comes to wearing these jeans. The way we style our typical skinnies, may not be the best way to go with flares and wide-leg jeans.
Therefore, we’re going to give you some ideas on how you can style them.
Top Half
When it comes to deciding what kind of shirt to wear with flare jeans, it’s all about the fit. It’s important not to choose something too baggy, as this can swamp your figure rather than show it off.
If you decide to wear something that isn’t tight-fitted, be sure to make sure it’s cropped or can be tucked into your waist.
For the winter months, try a cropped cardigan in your favorite color, or a wooly sweater tucked into your waistline.
When it comes to the summer months, you can’t go wrong with pairing plain t-shirts with flares (cropped ones are even better!). Another wonderful option is bodysuits. These are tight-fitting, flattering, and look great when paired with flares, as they accentuate the curves of your body.
Button-down shirts are also a popular option, as they can be tucked into your waistline and rolled up at your forearms.
If you want to give off the appearance of more curves, you can also double-up on the flare shape, by throwing on a cute peplum shirt. Try and match the color of your flares as much as you can, and add some vibrant sandal heels for a cute spring/summer look!
Shoes
There are a variety of shoe styles that go wonderfully well with flare jeans, you just need to make sure they are tight-fitted around the ankle to avoid unwanted bulges.
Ankle boots are a great place to start, especially those with a rounded/almond shape at the front. This will give off a softer look than anything too bulky at the front.
Boots with a chunky heel are also a good idea here, and they’ll really give off that 70s vibe!
Platform heels are also a wonderful addition to your flare jeans outfit, and they’re much comfier than heels without one.
On this note, wedges are also a great choice. Not only are these the most comfortable kind of heels you’ll find, but they also pair extraordinarily well with flares!
Both wedges and platforms give you an extra lift that really complements the flares, and adds more to the 70s look.
How To Style Wide-leg Jeans
The principles for styling wide-leg jeans are pretty similar to styling flares, here are some ideas.
Top Half
When it comes to choosing shirts, you can’t go wrong with a little tee, as you would with flares. You could even try tying it in a little knot at the front, letting the wide-leg pants take all the attention (as they so deserve!).
You could also try adding a statement top with frills, and puffed sleeves, you name it! The wide fit of the jeans will balance out any heaviness in the shirt, giving you an all-around striking outfit!
If you’re a fan of longer tops, you can make this work with wide-leg jeans – the result will be a relaxed boho look. However, as with the flare jeans, this can sometimes be overwhelming for your shape, so you can always do a half-tuck if this is the case.
Shoes
As is the case with flares, adding heels to wide-leg trousers will really elongate your figure, giving you a lift that really goes well with both styles of jeans.
You can try some heeled, laced-up boots, especially if these jeans are slightly cropped, as you can show these boots off.
The same applies to platforms, wedges, and chunky heels!
Final Thoughts
Although both styles of jeans can look intimidating, once you know how to style them, you’ll never look back at your skinnies again!
We hope you have gained some inspiration from these styling ideas, and enjoy experimenting with both styles of jeans, as they really can flatter people of all shapes and sizes.
Hi, my name is Jenna Reign and I have teamed up with my best friend, Sam, to deliver you all of the style secrets to help you stay ahead of the trends. We both met in fashion school and have been inseparable ever since!
Despite our deep love for fashion, even we found it difficult navigating our closets when trying to leave the house for the first time since the pandemic was announced. Were the trends still evolving, or did they get put on hold like the rest of the world?
