To be honest, I don’t know what came over me. If I had to guess, I’d say it had something to do with the many (many) TikToks I watched at the end of the year, which reminded me that 2025 is the Year of the Snake (which stands for wisdom, transformation, and, of course, a time of shedding! Since I’ve always assumed that trend cycles last about ten years, and I look back on life in 2016 with a little nostalgia, I’m ready to return to some styles from back then. What’s old is new again, especially when it comes to jeans. So here are the three denim styles I’m starting 2026 with.

THE STRAIGHT-LEG JEAN

Shocking, considering I consider myself a lover of barrel-leg jeans, right? Not that I would ever get rid of them, but my eye longs for something slimmer. I find that in straight-leg jeans. Not to be confused with a skinny cut (I don’t think I’ll ever go back to those!), but simply something slimmer.

THE HIGH-WAISTED JEAN

I remember it like it was yesterday: during the 2020 pandemic, I got rid of almost all my high-waisted jeans in favor of lower- or mid-rise styles (or, to be honest, sweatpants!). That meant my extensive collection of Levi’s Wedgie and Ribcage jeans, the only styles I had worn until the pandemic, was gone. Now, I’m not saying I regret that move… but I am ready to return to a less voluminous style that is more fitted at the hips and thighs.

THE BOOTCUT JEAN

Although I’m already annoyed at how much time I’ll be spending at my tailor’s if I decide to go for it, I’m somehow tempted by the baby kick or the long, narrow flare. Here, too, I’m a little more cautious than I usually am with my baggy or barrel-leg styles.

BONUS: 6 SHOES I’LL WEAR WITH MY NEW DENIM

After buying a new pair of jeans, the logical question arises: What shoes go with them? I would recommend pairing straight-leg jeans with elegant sneakers or flat shoes, high-waisted jeans with loafers or pumps, and bootcut jeans (of course) with boots.