There was a time when buying jeans was largely a question of choosing between straight, skinny or wide-leg. Then sometime in the late 2010s came barrel jeans. Curved throughout the length of the leg and tapered towards the ankle, the silhouette—loosely inspired by the practical designs of 1920s French workwear—has since become something of a denim mainstay. But with its exaggerated proportions comes the slightly more complicated question of styling it. The good news is that the answer probably already exists in your wardrobe. Here are five easy outfit formulas to start with.
White shirt + ballet flats + oversized tote
A failsafe, crisp white shirt lends a semblance of familiarity to barrel jeans—especially when you are still figuring it out. Tuck it in, leave a few buttons undone and keep the shoes flat and neat. An oversized tote stops the whole thing from feeling too prim.
