It’s safe to say at this point that boyfriend jeans are now a wardrobe staple. And while they used to be the sole property of women with all-American styles like Katie Holmes and Jennifer Aniston, boyfriend jeans now also cut across different styles and genres.
There’s nothing like a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans to inject a cool vibe into your outfit.
Take it from Nora, who wore her jeans with a printed top and a perforated sweater. To kick the low-key preppy vibe up a notch, she styled them with a pair of oxford shoes and socks.
Nora styled her distressed blue jeans with a perforated sweater
Whether your style is more casual and feminine, has a more edgy rocker inspiration to it, or changes all the time depending on your mood, there’s a way to incorporate boyfriend jeans into your wardrobe. Find out how to do just that with this guide we’ve put together on how to wear boyfriend jeans no matter what your style is.
Before proceeding, grab yourself an updated pair of boyfriend jeans from Shopbop or Nordstrom — you can’t go wrong with skinny, destroyed, or slouchy, which are the popular and most versatile variations.
1. Casual Everyday Style
Give your casual everyday style that effortlessly thrown together vibe with boyfriend jeans. To get that laidback — and not sloppy — look, go slouchy either with your top or with your bottom. Don’t go slouchy both ways at the same time.
Take a cue from Minka Kelly and Sarah Jessica Parker — Minka went for a more fitted striped tee with her ultra-slouchy boyfriend jeans, while SJP chose a slouchy gray sweater to pair with her skinny cropped boyfriend jeans.
Finish your look with your essential accessories, wash-and-wear hair, and everyday go-to flats, or punch it up a bit with low heels.
Minka Kelly walking her dog in Beverly Hills, California on June 8, 2013; Sarah Jessica Parker picking up her daughters from school in New York City on June 11, 2013
2. Bohemian Style
Since both bohemian items and boyfriend jeans have that carefree and relaxed attitude, you can style them together with ease. How about the embroidered tunic, cuffed boyfriend jeans, fringed bag, and studded cowboy boots Jessica Alba is wearing below?
It’s easy to imagine her putting all of that together in like 10 seconds. We also imagine Sienna Miller putting just about the same effort into her breakfast-with-the-boyfriend ensemble consisting of a yellow cropped top, a zip jacket, and beaded sandals.
But even though these two ladies put minimal effort into their looks, how they make us want to go out and copy their style is still at maximum!
Jessica Alba visiting a friend in Santa Monica, California on April 27, 2013; Sienna Miller going out for breakfast with her boyfriend in West Village, New York City on June 6, 2013
3. Très Chic Style
The key to achieving a chic, fashion-blog-worthy look with boyfriend jeans is a structured top. A structured top’s sleek cut and tailored lines contrast the bagginess and slouchiness of boyfriend jeans.
Australian actress Rachael Taylor went for a leather-sleeved coat, Gwen Stefani chose a cropped printed blazer, and Vanessa Hudgens picked a stadium jacket in a stiff fabric to wear with ripped boyfriend jeans.
With just a change in accessories, this très chic style with boyfriend jeans can work for a party, a casual dinner date, or even an informal business meeting.
Rachael Taylor walking in West Village, New York City on May 6, 2013; Gwen Stefani attending a birthday party at Jessica Alba’s residence in Los Angeles, California on June 8, 2013; Vanessa Hudgens at the Myspace event at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California on June 12, 2013
4. Trendy Style
Wear the latest trends with boyfriend jeans to dial down their fad look a notch. Because of boyfriend jeans’ relaxed vibe, it seems okay for Heidi Klum to wear trendy neon yellow, a punk studded belt, and ubiquitous wedge sneakers all at the same time.
As for Rihanna, well, she’s Rihanna so she can wear all the holographic clothing she wants. RiRi’s styling idea of pairing slouchy ripped jeans with super shiny things is also a way to make boyfriend jeans cute and dressy enough for a night out clubbing.
Heidi Klum at her daughter Leni’s soccer game in Los Angeles, California on May 18, 2013; Rihanna at Boujis nightclub in South Kensington in London, England on June 17, 2013
5. Classy Style
If you think the word “classy” doesn’t belong in the same sentence with “boyfriend jeans,” you haven’t seen January Jones and Kylie Minogue. Their technique to still looking put-together in boyfriend jeans is to wear them with feminine and neat-looking clothing and accessories.
January Jones chose a tidy straw hat, a breezy yellow crochet-embellished top, a sweet striped tote, and cool cutout oxfords to achieve an impossibly fresh appearance.
Kylie Minogue, on the other hand, picked a pretty floral blouse, a pristine white clutch, and fierce red stilettos, and took it a step further by daintily coiffing the ends of her hair.
January Jones leaving Little Dom’s restaurant in Los Angeles, California on June 13, 2013; Kylie Minogue leaving her hotel in Tribeca, New York on June 19, 2013
6. Rocker/Biker Style
Forget what we said about not doing slouchy involving your top and bottom at the same time. When it comes to the rocker/biker style, the more you look like you couldn’t care less, the better.
It’s no surprise that our chosen celebrity for this style is Gwen Stefani — few in Hollywood can rock this look as well as she can! Gwen’s men’s style band t-shirt and engineer boots were made for boyfriend jeans.
On days when she feels like looking a bit more ladylike, Gwen totes around an expensive-looking handbag and slips on Doc-Martens-inspired boots with heels.
Gwen Stefani at Zuma’s school in Los Angeles, California on May 15, 2013; Gwen Stefani picking up her children from school in Los Angeles, California on May 21, 2013
7. Street Style
What Gwen Stefani is to the rocker/biker style, Rihanna is to street style. With Rihanna, anything goes! Red stilettos, men’s bomber jackets, piled-on gold chain jewelry, beanies with veils — anything and everything is fair game.
Boyfriend jeans always serve as a perfect backdrop to whatever Rihanna decides to throw together. They go right along with her swagger as boyfriend jeans have got their own particular swag.
Rihanna leaving the Lowry hotel in Manchester, the United Kingdom on June 13, 2013; Rihanna’s afterparty at Lillie’s Bordello in Dublin, Ireland on June 21, 2013; Rihanna leaving Greenhouse Coffee Shop in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on June 22, 2013
7 for All Mankind “Josefina” Skinny Boyfriend Jeans, $210 / One Teaspoon “Awesome” Distressed Jeans, $149 / Joe’s Jeans Vintage Reserve “Easy High Water” Jeans, $174
Credit: WENN / Ryan / TNYF / Bridow / Michael Wright / Will Alexander