For many years, I shied away from wearing jeans. Call it a hangover from the pinching high-rise skinny styles I wore in my teens, or perhaps a reliance on my vast collection of fun skirts, but denim never really phased me. That was, at least, until I started wearing Uniqlo’s denim offering.
I was already an advocate of Uniqlo’s brilliant trousers. I own several styles, from front-pleated tailored trousers and barrel-leg chinos to the supremely comfortable Uniqlo: C tracksuit bottoms – all of which the Shopping team has waxed lyrical about on many occasions. But after slipping into the brand’s latest styles, I can now confirm that Uniqlo jeans deserve equal billing, too.
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Since Jonathan Anderson’s collaboration with the brand began in 2017, denim has been central to the Uniqlo line up, with best-selling unisex styles such as the straight leg and baggy style becoming favourites at HQ. All the JW Anderson-designed silhouettes are reliably well-cut well-made, but crucially, all pairs come in under £50.
The brand’s mainline collection also deserves a shout-out too, with barrel-leg jeans, high-rise wide-leg cuts in an array of washes, oversized denim shorts, distressed straight-leg styles and slimmer fits all making up the brand’s extensive line-up. So, whether you’re after something slouchy and low-key or a more polished pair to wear with loafers and a blazer, there’s likely to be a style for you.
Of course, the brand’s major selling point is the price point. In a market where a pair of jeans from a contemporary label can easily creep into three figures, Uniqlo’s under-£50 options make experimenting with a new silhouette or wash less daunting.
To help guide your search, I popped into store to try on all of Uniqlo’s current women’s jean styles, to give a detailed look at the different fits and washes. Because I prefer a slightly looser fit – as I generally do with jeans – I sized up from my usual size and opted for a 29-inch waist. Because I’m 5’5, I also often use the brand’s free alteration service to make sure the hem of my jeans falls perfectly over shoes, without trailing on the floor. Scroll on to discover the Uniqlo jeans worth knowing about now.
Best baggy jeans
Augustine wears the JW Anderson baggy jeans in mid blue.
“This JW Anderson-designed pair of mid-blue baggy jeans was my favourite of all the styles I tried on – and also happened to be the only pair I actually ended up buying. Sizing up meant that they sat a little lower on the waist and fell wider through the leg than they do on the model on the website, creating what, to me, is the perfect slouchy silhouette. The denim has enough structure to hold its shape without feeling stiff, and the slightly oversized fit gives them that borrowed-from-someone-else quality I’m always looking for in jeans. After purchasing, I headed up to the Covent Garden store’s third floor to have them taken up by a couple of inches so they didn’t drag on the floor – a hack I’d highly recommend for anyone on the petite side.”
Best jean shorts
Augustine wears the denim culottes in navy.
“I’m a very big fan of a culotte in general, whether structured and woollen or bearing an autumnal check, so when this denim pair landed on the site I was instantly interested. They feel a little more formal than the denim shorts I already own, particularly in this dark navy wash, but are considerably more wearable day-to-day than some of the tailored styles I have on rotation. The longer, wider leg also makes them a particularly easy alternative to jeans. Consider these your new transeasonal hero – styled with loafers and a statement sock while the weather is mild, then swap in leather knee-high boots when autumn properly arrives.”
Best straight-leg jeans
Augustine wears the straight-leg distressed jeans in light blue.
“I never thought I’d suit a straight-leg style, but this distressed light-blue pair proved me wrong. Again, simply sizing up meant the jeans didn’t nip in at any of the wrong places, instead giving them the vintage, lived-in appeal of a pair of well-loved 501s. The faded wash and subtle distressing make them feel as though they’ve already been in your wardrobe for years. Straight-leg jeans have been one of the most popular denim silhouettes of late, and if you’ve previously dismissed them in favour of wider cuts, this is a pair worth trying.”
Best barrel-leg jeans
Augustine wears the baggy barrel-leg jeans in white.
“You can’t go wrong with a baggy barrel-leg jean, and Uniqlo has long excelled at these kinds of sculptural, boxier fits across its ready-to-wear line. This unisex curved style comes in nine different colourways, so there’s something to suit every preference. I was particularly drawn to the brilliant white, which gives the exaggerated shape an smarter trouser-like quality.”
Best wide-leg jeans
Augustine wears the high-rise wide jeans in light grey.
“The perfect pair of wide-leg jeans will likely become one of the most well-worn items in your wardrobe once you’ve found the right ones. This high-rise silhouette has plenty of room through the leg without looking overly voluminous, making it a particularly easy everyday option. I sized up again to give myself a little more room through the waist and hips, although I would have the length altered if I were to buy this pair; a hem that just skims the floor, rather than clumps around your shoes, makes all the difference.”
Best slim-leg jeans
Augustine wears the slim straight jeans in blue.
“While I wouldn’t, by any means, consider myself a slim jean wearer (see the aforementioned hang-up with restrictive denim), this Uniqlo pair is a surprisingly good option. I stuck to my normal size here (W28) so that the jeans hung in the right places without becoming too loose, and turned up the hems for a little added interest. Unlike some of the ultra-skinny styles of the past, this pair feels considerably more relaxed, with enough room to make them comfortable without losing their slimness. For anyone who has spent the past few years firmly in the wide-leg camp, they’re a gentle introduction back to a slimmer shape.”
