New In Denim – The Girlfriend Jeans

If you’ve been reading this blog for a little while, you’ll know I’m a jeans-and-t-shirt girl through and through. I love a good pair of jeans – I’ve bought so many over the years I think ‘High Street Denim’ could be my specialist subject on Mastermind. Remember the Topshop Kristens? Sigh.

Despite owning practically every pair of jeans the high street has to offer, there’s one style I’ve never quite mastered – the loose fit. I wear denim almost every day and would love a more casual (read: comfortable) alternative to the spray-on skinnies I’ve become accustomed to, but ‘boyfriend’ jeans are really hard to pull off when you’re not extremely slim. The baggy shape and extra fabric adds pounds in places I don’t care for, namely the hips. I’ve had quite a few pairs of boyfriend jeans over the years and have tried on even more, but I’ve never found the one for me.

Until now, obviously. You knew that’s where this was going, right?

Girlfriend jeans, M&S | Top, c/o Petit Bateau | Bag, Longchamp | Sandals, ASOS | Hat, Topshop | Necklace, c/o Jane Koenig | Sunglasses, Miu Miu

Only, they’re not actually boyfriend jeans. These are yours and yours alone, sister!

‘Girlfriend’ is apparently the new cut on the denim block – like their boyfriend counterparts, the girlfriend jean is designed to be worn loose and easy, but with a key difference – they’re narrower. There’s none of that excess fabric in the hips and legs to create the ‘baggy’ look, and they’re cut closer to the body for a slimmer silhouette without losing that relaxed fit. They’re also narrow all the way to the ankle (extremely important for me, I hate jeans that flap about at the ankles) and this particular style has a cute turn-up to boot. 

The pair I’m wearing here is from Marks and Spencer – after reading Poppy’s excellent post on their jeans, I snapped up a few pairs with 20% off. The Sculpt & Lift style Poppy wrote about is similarly brilliant, but after years of searching for the perfect ~relaxed skinny jeans~ I’m totally enamoured with these.

I wore my girlfriend jeans with a new breton stripe from Petit Bateau, a straw hat, leather sandals and my trusty Longchamp bag to create a perfect weekend outfit – stylish without being fussy and practical for any casual outdoor pursuits you might be undertaking. It goes without saying that they’re super comfortable too, with a mid-rise waist that won’t cut off circulation to your lower half (like Topshop Jamies in the same size undoubtably will).

Huge thanks to Poppy for alerting me to M&S denim – I’ll be adding to my collection with a few more pairs of the Sculpt & Lift style and keeping my fingers crossed that the white version of the Girlfriend jeans comes back in stock soon.

EDIT: A few people have asked about the sizing of these jeans – I sized up as I wanted to ensure a loose fit. These are a UK 14.