Low-key and effortless, here’s how to style the classic silhouette for 2025
There was a time, not so long ago, when bootcut jeans were associated with chintzy Noughties-style outfits. Low-rise and mega tight, with a baker boy hat and skinny scarf… that sort of thing. More recently, though, the way we wear bootcuts has gotten a little more casual. Worn with a logo tee and trainers, or an oversized spring jacket and boots, the bootcut has become a popular silhouette among everyone from Bella Hadid to Jennifer Lopez and of course Kendrick Lamar.
But some of the biggest purveyors of bootcut jeans? Off-duty models, who are regularly pictured wearing slightly baggy bootcuts while chilling on the streets of Paris, London and New York. We’ve spoken a lot about the blasé cool of the off-duty model in the past, because it’s such a specific vibe – and bootcuts tie into that. “There’s something about the models who nonchalantly slip out of the staff entrance… clad in incongruously low-key ensembles: think hoodies and slouchy jeans, trainers and practical tote bags,” wrote my colleague Joy Montgomery last year, adding that, “They aren’t attending a fashion show or posing for paparazzi; simply exuding an innate and unforced sense of style.”
While we’ll always have a soft spot for the super-tight diamond-encrusted bootcuts that bring to mind the likes of Paris Hilton, Hilary Duff and Lil’ Kim, the off-duty model formula is a lot more effortless and nondescript. Think: dark grey bootcuts and a track top, or mid-rise bootcuts with a clean white tee. When it comes to mastering that easygoing feel, Montgomery swears by a subtle kick flare, “which skims – not clings – the thigh and tapers out at the hem.” Essentially, you’re going for the “just thrown on” look, as opposed to the “you’re going to have to cut me out of these later” fit.
If you need visual pointers, Bella Hadid – the queen of jeans, let’s be honest – has often gravitated towards a bootcut. She regularly opts for a subtle kick flare worn with heels, or a looser fit with boots. Earlier this year, while shlepping around the LA sunshine, the model even opted for a bolder flare with puddling hemlines – à la Lamar at the Superbowl – paired with loafers. Basically, you don’t want to look like you’re about to step onto the red carpet circa 2003. But rather, you’re just running errands. You didn’t even notice you were wearing bootcut jeans.
