The easy trick to update your jeans (without buying anything new)
Anyone with even a passing interest in fashion knows that jeans are never just jeans. The different washes, leg widths and rises can convey myriad different stylistic messages. That’s once you’ve found a pair that fits…
Right now, looser silhouettes are the most contemporary looking option, but there’s also an easy styling trick which will make any jeans look fresh for 2025. It’s the return of the turn-up – and Rihanna is already on board. If you’ve ever been concerned about your hems trailing in puddles, this is definitely the trend for you.
“There’s a definite Nineties influence,” says Karen Peacock, chief creative officer and co-founder of Albaray. “We do a real breadth of research and observe people around us. I travel to east London every day, where I see people who are well put together and looking interesting, so you get a sense of new trends coming through.”
The British brand offers three different styles of turn-up jeans, all influenced by street style, and all under £100. The relaxed pintuck jean offers an extra level of interest with a sharp front pleat.
Los Angeles is, of course, the real home of denim trends, and the base for Agolde, a brand much loved by celebrities and fashion editors alike. Its Fran jeans, £310, are a current best-seller and you can choose between tacked or untacked hems. The same is true of the Ayla baggy jean, £340, at sister brand Citizens of Humanity. “The uncuffed variation can easily be cuffed giving the consumer endless versatility when it comes to styling,” says creative director Marianne McDonald.
Welsh brand Hiut Denim’s Peggy jeans come with an extra three inches on the length to allow for a significant turn-up.
The Peggy - Italian Selvedge Jeans, £255, Hiut Denim
On the high street, try Cos for its Facade jeans, £95 – while at Whistles, the dark denim turn-up selvedge jeans, £139, have been in its top ten denim styles since its launch. “The turn-up has become a practical styling solution,” says head of design Gemma Hyde, “instead of altering lengths or doing a permanent cut-off on jeans that might be too long.”
DIY it
Beyond the ready-cuffed jeans on offer, the turn-up look also offers a new way to invigorate existing denim styles that may already be in your wardrobe. Just bear in mind that not all jeans lend themselves well to a cuff: slim jeans with deep turn-ups make legs look out of proportion and skinny styles look oddly rockabilly-influenced with a cuff. It’s certainly a look, but not a fashionable one.
How deep can you go?
First, ensure your jeans are long enough to cuff, says personal stylist Victoria Saliba: “The way to make your turn up more 2025 and less ‘05 is the depth of the turn up. This time round it’s wider. The depth of the turn up should be in relation to your body shape and frame but I think an ideal width is between 7-10cm.”
Straight-leg jeans are best, she adds. “Don’t turn up a jean that is wider at the hem [than the thigh] as this will give a really odd proportion to the overall look.”
Put a pin in it
Wider turn-ups can “dip” in the middle, but Peacock has a hack that will stop drooping cuffs. “I save tiny safety pins from the dry cleaners and I’ll just pin the inside of the jeans,” she says. “Just catch up the hem with a safety pin to secure them.” The stiffer seams on the inside, and outside, of the jeans means the cuff often stays put at the sides, so Peacock recommends pinning at the front and back of your jeans.
Choose the right shoe
“Footwear is key,” says Hyde. “These jeans are versatile, so look good paired with loafers, chunky boots or trainers.”
But this is not the time for a statement sock, warns Saliba. “The turn-up works best when it sits just above the floor, so socks become less relevant.” If you can see socks above your shoes, or even bare skin, it’s a no. “This means the jeans are too short,” she says.
