Forget Wide-Leg, Here’s Why Straight-Leg Jeans Should Be Your Go-To

A good pair of jeans is often referred to as the fashion equivalent of a best friend. Reliable, supportive, and confidence-boosting — the simile is an apt one. Uncontroversial, too, is another descriptor for a pair of trustworthy denim bottoms. Not so much the styles that have been garnering buzz as of late, the polarizing Y2K-era, low-slung iterations or even ultra-baggy jeans. In times of sartorial strife, you need uncomplicated and easy-to-style denim by your side (or, well, on your body) like a solid pair of straight-leg jeans. They’re neutral and streamlined in silhouette, making them an infallible option you can reach for without a second thought.

And while they’re inherently classic and straightforward, straight-style jeans have the potential to be quite nuanced in their look. For example, you’ll soon discover below that this season’s crop of longline bottoms tackles one of 2022’s leading denim trends with ease: colorful jeans. From inky black to the ever-popular white to multi-hued swatches and technicolor photographic prints, the straight-leg jeans of 2022 run the gamut in terms of washes. There’s a surprisingly ample amount of variation in terms of silhouettes, too, with some styles verging on skinny and others adopting a capacious look that aligns with this year’s fascination with all-things baggy.

Below you’ll discover a curated edit that exemplifies the full range of 2022’s straight-leg jean offerings. Scroll onward to find the 13 TZR-approved pairs, some of which are inherently classic in their true blue washes, and others that border slightly on maximalist territory.

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