What jeans am I wearing now?

Updating your grab-and-go look

Never mind NYFW, the big news in fashion circles this week is that Topshop’s making a comeback.

According to reports, a new investor - Danish retail group, Bestseller - has announced plans to revive the brand, starting with the relaunch of a standalone website (since 2021 it’s only been available in depleted form on ASOS).

Although nothing has been confirmed, speculation about a return to bricks and mortar stores is rife. Toppers! On the high street again! I feel ten years younger already.

Not that I go into shops anymore. I don’t need to tell you the nightmare that is attempting the changing rooms with small children. But in the same way I was disproportionately sad when Topshop closed (walking past the former Oxford Street flagship still makes me feel wistful), I'm genuinely delighted that it could be coming back.

For a whole generation of women, Topshop was our shop! It was the purveyor of Sixth Form trousers (black hipster flares in that scratchy stretch-fabric) two-for-a-tenner vest tops and countless pairs of banana shoes. The place we went for Kate Moss-esque dresses and statement necklaces. What other shop could be relied upon for both a going out top and your first-job blazer?

But the thing - THE THING - that Topshop really revolutionised was jeans.

Before Topshop, cool high street jeans didn't exist. So for those of us whose Saturday job salary didn’t stretch to Miss Sixty or Morgan, the options were limited (I got mine from a stall at Bovingdon market). Then along came Moto and - boom - every teen and her mum were in a pair of Baxters.

Apparently 18,000 pairs of Baxters were sold in the first nine months of launch. The low-slung, skinny-legs were the unofficial uniform of the early noughties, styled with shin-split ballet flats, wide belts and skinny scarfs à la the Olsen twins.

Despite flashing your thong every time you bent over, they were the jean that could do it all. Add a patent court shoe and blouse for work. Something with diamonté for drinks. And they were only £40.

Whether Topshop’s heyday can be revisited remains to be seen - but one thing's for sure, denim is in the air at the moment.

This week M&S unveiled its A/W collection - a newsworthy event in the fashion press calendar - and one of the areas everyone is getting excited over is jeans. (Also these!)

Riding off the back of the sell-out success of the Sienna Miller barrel legs and the £39.50 draw-string wide legs (the latter is being restocked later in the season) M&S’ autumnal jean offering is notably on-trend and affordable, with most styles under £50. (It's no coincidence the current design director, Maddy Evans, is former Topshop).

The Ganni-esque leopard print jeans have already sold out, but it's worth signing up for the restock notification and wearing them with your cold-weather crew-necks.

In the meantime, take a look at the chocolate wide-legs (£35) which are going to make your basic black/grey/white tops feel updated. Because the brown is so dark, they're still going to work with whatever colour trainers you've got too.

On the subject of colour, now is a good time to switch over to darker denim washes - anything from mid-blue through to dark grey pairs nicely with a more autumnal palette. Or, if you're perverse like me, off-white looks great at this time of the year with burgundy/navy/camel/brown.

In terms of cut, looser fits still feel modern so anything slouchy or wide leg is good. Arket does loose very well. I’ve flagged the Cloud jeans (£97) a couple of times before and the below Heather (£87) also look great - relaxed but not too baggy.

They also come in the most spot-on mid blue…

The uber fashiony cuts of the season are the horse-shoe, carrot and barrel. Which are all essentially the same thing: a tapered leg that curves from the hips and is surprisingly easy to wear.

I've recently got 7 For All Mankind’s Bonnie jeans in indigo (£182), which are pricey but have a very flattering fit. I've found them to be a great way to make my T-shirt and Birkenstocks look more interesting. They’d also been good worn with a slim boot or flat Mary Jane as a slightly more polished option for date night/pub drinks/the nursery birthday party circuit. Add a smart jacket if you’re going into the office!

Less pricey - but no less lovely - are the Cordelia barrel jeans from Hush (£90). Washed grey is a slightly softer option than solid black and tends to looks more expensive.

Aligne does a carroty cut very well. The Ida jeans (£99) have an elasticated waist for those mornings when you just need to pull-on-and-go.

Are skinny jeans about to have another moment? According to Katie Holmes, yes. I'm not sure I'm ready to revisit those days, but a classic straight leg does feel like a good idea. Especially going into winter as they’re easy to wear with boots.

As the names suggests, Levi’s 501 90’s (£100) have a nineties feel which would work so well with your trainers and trench.

Slimmer still are Sézane’s Brut Sexy (£95) - another fav I’ve mentioned before. Layer up with your slouchy jumpers.

And finally, cuffed jeans (aka turn-ups) are a thing this season. Which is a perfect styling tip if your jeans are too long, or you just want to give a old pair of favourites a quick update. The rule is to do just a single turn-up so you can still see the hem edge. The catwalks are doing a deep turn-up, but I've also seen thinner ones around - so whatever you prefer.

annelauremais

A post shared by @annelauremais

---

One more thing…

New season new underwear? I love, love, love Stripe & Stare knickers (so soft and comfortable - even the thongs!) and the brand has just bolstered its bra offering with four new shapes: scoop, square, plunge and padded. Each style is wire-free and made from the brand's signature breathable Tencel and Modal mix. Available XS to 4XL and £30-£45.

That's all for now. You're doing great, Frankie x