Another item on my Fall shopping list is a pair of bootcut jeans. Yes, bootcut. They’re coming back, haven’t you seen? All of the sudden there are more bootcut styles popping up here and there – still not as many as skinny – but they’re easier to find than they have been the last several years. Which isn’t to say I don’t still look at bootcut and think “dated,” but that’s changing. I tried on a pair of the AG Angelina’s (petite) a month or so ago and they fit perfectly, they were very comfortable, but as I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t help but see myself 6-7 years ago. And I still have several pairs of bootcut jeans from 2005-2006 that fit me beautifully (James Jeans & Goldsign passion), but the wash and fading on those just make them un-wearable.
I do think bootcut jeans are universally flattering on all body types, especially mine. I find myself liking the slim bootcuts better now though, than the more flared styles; actually almost straight is the most classic looking style in my opinion. But so much depends on the overall wash, fabric, etc. of the denim if you want it to “last forever,” and really be a pair you can wear for many years.
So now I’m on a search for a longer, leaner, CLEANER pair of bootcut jeans. Ideally they’ll be mostly cotton – I’m talking 98% – and have a very dark, uniform (no fading!) wash. And I WILL NOT GET THEM HEMMED to wear with flats. Here are a few pairs I’d like to try:
Mother, the runaway jean | $198
J Brand mid-rise slim bootcut | $187
Joe’s Jeans Honey | $179
DL1961 Jennifer | $169
scroll through the widget below for LOTS more of my favorite bootcut jeans:
What about you? what do you think of bootcut jeans? Will you be buying a pair this season? or are you still wearing yours from years past?
Hi Grechen! I love bootcut jeans! I swore off jeans for the longest time since I’m pear-shaped and found it so frustrating to find jeans that fit. Last February, I finally saw a Nordstrom personal shopper and she picked out the Paige Premium HIdden Hills and they were amazing! I got it in Memphis which has no fading at all. So worth the full price.. and they don’t stretch. Good luck! 😀
thanks cheska! i’ll definitely try the hidden hills. i may have tried them on at nordstrom rack, but i don’t remember! anyway, i never like the washes/fading on the jeans at nordstrom rack. i do really like paige now, after trying the skyline style. those were also amazing, but skinny 🙁
I love the Mother’s and the J Brands. Classics. I recently purchased a pair of DL1961 skinnies and they were SO tight around my calves (athletic? Nope. Curvaceous? Yup.), so I’m all for bootcuts. I agree that they tend to flatter most body types. It is hard to wrap your head around, tho, isn’t it? I think my eye is so used to skinnies. I totally agree that straight leg is probably most classic and least likely to go out of style, plus, a clean dark wash. And flattering! Good luck!
Tell me what you think about “Hidden Hills” cuz they’ve been on my wish list for a long time. I’m losing weight since I’ve been stuck in this brace, so maybe they’ll work when I finally get someplace to try them on. I hope! (fingers crossed)
don’t i always tell you what i think?? 🙂
my mission this weekend is to try on as many bootcut jeans as i can! and report back here on what i find.
definitely fingers crossed for you – not just to fit into the jeans, but for a speedy recovery! i’m thinking about you…
You do, you do!!! 😉 I count on that, believe me. Thanks, you’re a gem!!! xox
def won’t be buying any jeans since i’m more of a skirt/dress person. i do own 1 pair of bootcut jeans–they are joe’s honey booty fit 🙂 i bought these a size down from normal since i feel joe’s tend to stretch out. i own a pair of 7 for all mankind straight and i loooooove them. i bought them in my regular size and they are on the loose side, but that is my preference for straight jeans. i have serious soccer player cankles and i don’t have any snugness around my ankles in the 7’s so if there’s someone out there looking for an alternative to skinnies, i would definitely recommend the straight cut from 7. any kind of whisking is a no-no at this point! super curious about raleigh denim, but the price is just…too out there for me since i don’t really wear my jeans more than once per week.
Thanks for the suggestion, Jade! I love your readers, Grechen!!!
I only wear boot cut – or close to it. Current favorite? 7 For All Mankind Dojo. Fairly dark wash.
Hi — I haven’t posted here in a very long time but I had to chime in on this. I LOVE bootcut jeans and never stopped wearing them. They don’t look dated to me at all, just classic and uber flattering. I LOVE Paige — Hidden Hills and Skyline. The petite has a 32-inch inseam — perfect for 5’4″ me with a 2- or 3-inch heel but I need to get them hemmed for flats. I’m an 8 or 10 in pants and I usually go with a 30, occasionally 29. Paige is the only brand I can count on to not bag out, though this might not be true for all washes. Of the ones I’ve tried, I like Memphis, McKinley, Dream and Black Sea the best. McKinley has some fading but it’s subtle. Fountain is a great-looking super-dark wash, but I found the fabric too thin and stretchy. As for other brands, I like the look and fit of Joe’s Honeys but they stretch out terribly. Same for Citizens Ditas, which don’t even seem to come in a wash without fading. I’ve moved on from the Gap, but I used to like their Sexy Boot style. Back to my girl Paige — Hidden Hills and Skyline Straights are also very nice — a narrow fit — as skinny as I get, and a bit slimmer than the J. Crew Matchstick, for a comparison point. I find that most of what’s called skinnies now fit more like a jegging and I don’t like the look on me at all. I actually think super-skinnies are more dated than bootcuts — they remind me of the 80s, which I’m old enough to have lived through! 😉
i have never tried the dojo style – remember the ginger? i loved those, but never ended up getting a pair; they were the only pair of 7 jeans i fit well into…
oh! thanks jade!! i’m definitely going to try the straight cut from 7 – they look perfect.
thanks so much for your input christine – you’re so thorough 🙂
Interesting, because I used to wear Ginger, and now wear Dojo because they have the same effect on my upper thigh geometry, i.e. good.