Elizabeth Hurley’s skinny jeans were famous in the Noughties, while Jennifer Lopez preferred hip-hugging bootcuts and flares. It’s time to get your pair out — as in the style set’s denim drawer, white is the new black.
Would you wear a pair of winter white jeans? Ask a fashion editor and they will tell you that these jeans look chic with boots and a jumper in cold and dark months. Now it seems the rest of us have caught on.
At John Lewis this week shopping searches for “white jeans” were up 310 per cent. Meanwhile at M&S — which has a choice of nine varieties in stock — the £49.50 barrel-leg model from Sienna Miller’s latest collection has all but sold out.
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Point to that pair if you are wondering what is driving this trend. Miller’s M&S collaboration is 2024’s greatest high street hit. Her blue and dark grey iterations of the wide, curve-legged jeans sold out hours after going on sale earlier this month. Then fans came back for the white.
It’s not just Miller’s name that makes them so desirable. They have a modish quality and a roomy silhouette. Hurley’s skinny white jeans wouldn’t cut it in 2024 — cool girls of all ages want white winter jeans that are baggy — the bigger the better — and ideally slightly arched.
The baggy silhouette of the jeans from Sienna Miller’s collection makes them very popular
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“White denim is an increasingly popular category for us,” says Sacha Gomez de Zamora, global president of the upmarket denim label 7 For All Mankind, where wide-leg designs are attracting customers.
“Our Bonnie [exaggerated horseshoe] and Jane [tapered barrel] consistently sell out for their modern shape and versatility. Both styles are smart enough to be worn with a shirt and blazer for the office, or equally dynamic for the weekend with relaxed layering and trainers,” he adds.
It’s quite clear that white jeans are not for dog walks, but give them a go at a drinks party. Try some on with a pair of party shoes and a nice top — and, if there is a choice, swerve the red wine stains, and opt for champagne or a nice clean martini.
