They told us that denim is a classic. Blue jeans go with everything, they’re timeless, they assured us. They lied. Nothing looks more dated than jeans from the wrong generation. Are your denims low-rise, bunching at the ankles or tight enough to cause blood clots? Please retreat from public life. Are they high-rise and bulky? Give them back to your dad. Are they frayed on one thigh and/or flared at the hems? Kill them with fire.
So, what to keep? Chanel’s new creative director, Matthieu Blazy, opened his first show with a pair of straight jeans this spring (The look we saw on Bhavitha Mandava, all over our feeds). Calvin Klein’s Spring 2026 denim campaign stars Jungkook. And to no one’s surprise, fast fashion is putting runway-approved trends into the mall and the late-night flash sale. There are more than 1,000 ways to wear denim, and it looks like 9,000 of them are the wrong way, again. We asked stylists Kinnari Jain and Ustat Kharbanda; Jinita Sheth, founder of Label Jenn; and Manvi Daga, who runs the eponymous studio, how to throw the best denim fit together.
Read the fine print. No one liked printed denim before, but here we are. As Manvi Daga puts it, “People want elevated basics, and prints are trendy right now”. So, denim is covered in florals, animal print and spray paint. Are you a dog lover? Walk into the fight with canine-print jorts. “When putting an outfit together with printed denim, choose pieces with colours that don’t clash with the print and feel harmonious with the fabric,” Daga recommends.
Add to the mix. Put the basic denims back into the closet. “Denim in 2026 crosses into new categories,” says stylist Ustat Kharbanda. There’s reconstructed denim, patchworked from fabric waste (handy for people who can’t decide between different colours). Pull on a panelled denim coat if you want to elevate a bland outfit. Try denim on denim, or a co-ord patchwork set.
Go old-school. On the nostalgia train, the dress code is washed-out, distressed denim. Bonus points if you score a piece with beadwork. “Vintage is not just about silhouette; it’s about making a statement,” says Jinita Sheth. “At the moment, people are experimenting with retro elements such crystals and metal studs.” Pair them with tank tops or bold graphic tees. But if your denim pick is ultra-distressed and extremely washed out, play it cool. Don’t add a competing statement item.
Make it local. We’ve all paired our kurtis with baggy jeans; now it’s time to take it up a notch. Kinnari Jain says that Indian handicrafts are likely to make a cameo on denim. “Patchwork on denim jackets will be big. Especially Indian textile versions, ikat and brocade,” she says. Pair ajrakh-panelled jeans with a button down; or layer jackets featuring Indian embroidery over a summer dress.
Stretch it out. Our ancestors (aka, the previous generations) were devoted to jeggings. Our own favs include sweatpant jeans (don’t call them sweans), roomy barrel-leg fits, and denim without stiff zippers and buttons. For more formal looks, look for tailored styles that are in a lighter denim fabric. Some even have a crease down the front of the trouser leg, to look fully formal. A full-on denim bodysuit? Only for the brave – and make sure it’s stretchy, at least.
Reach for a cigarette. A pair of cigarette jeans, that is. This lovechild of skinny and baggy jeans offers the sculpting shape of the former with the comfort of the latter. But pay attention to the length. “Any tapering denim should end above the ankle,” says Jain. Kharbanda also advises paying close attention to the pant-shoe interaction. Wear ballet flats during the day and slingback heels at night with your ciggies. Show off a bit of ankle, but nothing more. This classic, at least, seems to be truly timeless.
From HT Brunch, March 07, 2026
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