If there's one guarantee in this life, it's that you will catch me in a pair of jeans 99% of the time. Comfortable, timeless, and easy to style, my love for jeans stems from their unmatched versatility.
With an endless variety of shades, washes, and silhouettes, I take serious pride in finding the very best jeans to spend my money on. As a shopping expert, I’ve lost count of the amount of denim I’ve tried on over the years; from high-street to designer, there are some amazing styles available right now. But the smartest strategy when it comes to jeans shopping is looking beyond fleeting denim trends and focusing on timeless every days styles you won't want to take off.
This season, for me, it’s all been about black jeans. Don't get me wrong I love blue denim but the smarter feel of black denim is akin to a great pair of tailored trousers. Style them with cashmere knits and going-out tops for party season, you can't go wrong.
The only downside? Shopping for jeans can feel quite laborious, with cramped changing rooms, poor lighting, and a frequent lack of sizes available on the shop floor. But fear not—I headed out to do the legwork and the trying-on so you don’t have to. From baggy to skinny silhouettes, consider this your ultimate guide to black jeans.
Shop the best tried-and tested black jeans:
Best Wide-Leg Jeans
What I thought when testing? In the past couple of years, I've found myself deviating from high-rise silhouettes, as I've often found low-rise jeans more comfortable. However, these Arket jeans have really changed my mind.
Made from 100% cotton, they felt buttery-soft, and I can easily imagine myself wearing these all day long. Standing at 5'4, I did think they were slightly long if you're not a fan of a puddled hemline look, but I definitely think they would look great styled with a kitten heel and going-out top for any party-season festivities.
Overall, Arket's Cloud jeans are a great investment at under £100.
Best Flared Jeans
What I thought when testing? Topshop's Jamie jeans and I go way back. A staple in my secondary school wardrobe along with the brand's Joni jeans (IYKYK), I was really excited to see these in stock at London's Liberty. And they fit just as I remember.
High-waisted and flaring from the knee downwards, they feel soft and comfortable enough to wear everyday, something I definitely don't tend to think about with jeans that are more figure-hugging. Perfect for those days when you want to style your ultra-chunky knits while still looking polished.
I usually wear a size 28 and found these jeans to be true to size, but I would recommend sizing up if you're looking for a slightly looser and more comfortable fit at the waist.
Best Barrel Leg Jeans
What I thought when testing? To say I was hesitant to try these flocked-denim jeans on would be an understatement. To the touch, they feel very rigid and firm. However, as soon as you slip them on, they magically transform into a soft pair of denim.
As someone who struggles to nail their size with COS’s denim, I found my usual size fit slightly big around the waist, so I’d recommend sizing down if you happen to find these in stock.
Overall, these jeans look far more expensive than their £100 price tag suggests and are sure to draw plenty of compliments—especially during party season.
Best Straight-Leg Jeans
What I thought when testing? These jeans are my next pay day pick. I'm slowly transitioning from ultra-baggy jeans to a more narrow straight-leg silhouette, and these jeans are the perfect blend of the two.
Perfectly puddling at the hemline and fitting exactly true to size, they offer a versatile approach to denim styling that works for both the office and everyday use. Additionally, they are currently on sale, so I wouldn't expect them to be in stock for very long. However, they do have two other washes, just in case you miss out.
Best Baggy Jeans
What I thought when testing? My favourite denim silhouette (for now), baggy jeans, are a fashion set favourite, which means that they are often hard to elevate, especially if you, like me, own an embarrassing amount.
Hence, you could probably imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon these two-tone leather-blend jeans from Agolde. Featuring a sleek leather insert, they have a chic two-in-one silhouette that screams party season. At £400, they are definitely an investment piece, but I can guarantee they will last you for many years to come.
Best Skinny Jeans
How to style black jeans?
What I thought when testing? I have to admit, I am a skinny jeans adverse. As I've probably stressed by now, I always favour comfort when it comes to denim and have never found skinny jeans comfortable enough for everyday use.
However, with the recent skinny jeans renaissance, I have noticed both luxury and high-street brands reworking the nostalgic silhouette into a chic yet breathable wardrobe basic, and such is the case with these Zara jeans.
They felt slightly looser than I would like for skinny jeans (!), so I would recommend sizing down if you want a classic Y2K look. However, these are great for tucking into knee-high boots and styling with oversized jackets.
Do black jeans fade?
In short, yes, black jeans can fade. However, there are plenty of tips out there to prevent this from happening. From turning your jeans inside out when placing them in the washer to making sure you don't mix any lighter colours that could brush against the jeans during the washing cycle, and most importantly, making sure they don't go in the dryer to ensure no pieces of lint come in contact with them.
I know washing your jeans constantly can be tempting, but take a tip from one of our favourite denim experts, ELV's Ana Foster, and carefully steam your jeans as an effective way to spruce them up between washes or as a wash method itself (no judgements here).
Are black jeans semi formal?
Black jeans are definitely a great way to add denim into your wardrobe if you're looking for a smarter alternative. Although not considered a traditionally smart piece, there are definitely ways to elevate them by styling them with sophisticated staples like a longline blazer and kitten heels to create the chicest smart casual look.
