How to Buy the Perfect On-Trend Jeans for 2026 and 2027

By Ella Blake – Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder | Tellar – Always honest, unbiased & unsponsored

To buy the perfect on-trend jeans for 2026 and into 2027, start with the silhouette: relaxed straight-leg, barrel and wide-leg shapes are leading the way, a slim cigarette cut is quietly making its comeback, and the genuinely perfect pair is the one that flatters your body – not just the one styled on the runway. The good news? After years of a single fit dictating everything, we’re in a rare moment where almost anything goes. That’s freeing, but it also makes buying jeans surprisingly confusing – so let me walk you through it the way I would a client standing in my fitting room.

The fits that will define 2026 and 2027

The denim conversation right now is all about variety and volume. Here’s where I’d put my money:

Relaxed straight-leg – the modern workhorse. Clean, slightly loose and endlessly wearable. If you buy one pair this year, make it this.
Barrel and curved-leg – the fashion-forward shape, rounded at the thigh and tapering in. Softer and more flattering than the exaggerated versions we saw a couple of years ago.
Wide-leg and ’90s baggy – still going strong, especially in a rigid, dark denim.
Slim and cigarette – yes, skinny-ish is creeping back. The neat, ankle-grazing cigarette feels fresh again with a heel or a loafer.
Bootcut – the quiet riser, far more flattering and polished than you remember.

Looking towards 2027, the mood softens further: think fluid, slightly theatrical shapes with controlled volume rather than sheer bagginess.

What’s genuinely new: washes and colour

Fit is only half the story. The fastest way to look current is to update your wash:

Dark and raw denim is having a serious moment – heritage, workwear-inspired and incredibly elevating.
Chocolate and cacao brown denim is everywhere, and quietly more flattering than black on most skin tones.
Deep burgundy, mineral grey and “dirty” blues are the directional colours heading into 2027.
A pop of colour – khaki, washed red – is the easy way to look fashion-literate without committing to a whole new silhouette.

How to choose the right pair for your shape

This is where I earn my keep. Trends are a menu, not a rulebook:

Petite: a high-rise straight or cigarette keeps you elongated – crop the hem just above the ankle.
Curvier through the hip: bootcut and a slightly stretchy straight-leg balance you beautifully.
Long-legged and lean: you can carry a true wide-leg or baggy that would swamp the rest of us.
Buying a barrel or relaxed fit: size up before you size down – they’re meant to skim, not cling.

My honest wins and fails

A confession: I once bought a pair of stiff, raw-denim barrel jeans purely because they looked incredible on the model. They arrived, I couldn’t comfortably sit through an entire dinner, and they’ve lived at the back of my wardrobe ever since. Lesson learned – always check the rise and the rigidity before you fall for the photo. My biggest win, by contrast, was a mid-blue relaxed straight-leg I almost didn’t bother trying. Three years on, they’re the jeans I reach for weekly. The “boring” pair is nearly always the one you actually wear.

Where to shop: high street

For brilliant denim that won’t break the bank, these are the names I send clients to first:

Levi – the original and still the benchmark; the 501 and Baggy Dad are modern classics.
Gap – seriously underrated denim, especially their relaxed and barrel fits.
Abercrombie & Fitch – currently one of the best for on-trend, well-fitting jeans across every shape.
Mango – the quickest, most affordable way to test-drive a directional cut.
River Island – great for fashion-led washes and of-the-moment shapes.
M&S – unbeatable for flattering, supportive everyday denim.
Whistles – elevated, minimal styling with a quiet fashion edge.
Topshop – back and still a denim authority for younger, trend-driven cuts.

Premium picks worth the splurge

When you want denim that lasts and hangs beautifully:

Paige – buttery Californian denim with an impeccable fit.
Citizens of Humanity – arguably the best premium denim going right now; the relaxed shapes are exceptional.
Reiss – polished, grown-up denim that bridges smart and casual.

Luxury & designer

For a true investment piece, Max Mara does refined, tailored denim that wears almost like a trouser. Beyond the high street, designer names such as Khaite, Frame and Agolde are setting the agenda on shape and wash if your budget stretches that far.

Two independent brands I love right now

E.L.V. Denim – a London label making one-of-a-kind jeans from upcycled vintage denim. Genuinely covetable, properly sustainable, and you won’t see yourself coming and going.
MUD Jeans – a Dutch circular brand you can even lease your jeans from, made from recycled cotton. Left-field, brilliant and kind to the planet.

How Tellar takes the guesswork out of sizing

Here’s the thing no trend guide tells you: the “perfect” jeans only work if they actually fit. That’s exactly why I built Tellar – the UK’s leading sizing tool, matching your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once, using your bust, waist, hip or an existing brand size.
Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand – COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads needed – it works straight in your browser.

Visit tellar.co.uk and try the Store Size Lookup tool.

The Tellar Fashion Hub

Our Fashion Hub is a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists – honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and best brands, all in one place. A few you might like to read next:

Stop guessing your jeans size.

Match your body to 1,500+ brands in seconds with Tellar – the UK’s leading free sizing tool. Always honest. Always unbiased. Always free.

Visit Tellar.co.uk Try the Store Size Lookup