You need these straight-leg jeans in your closet

Introducing The Kit’s new editor-tested shopping awards, the Shop Smart Guide. The idea is simple: Every month, The Kit editors exhaustively test-drive items in desert-island categories — not the season’s exciting yet ephemeral trends but the evergreen essentials you’re most likely to buy now and wear or use forever. We’re talking mascara, gold hoops, retinol serum, black turtlenecks, white sneakers, etc. Our hope is that Shop Smart helps you reach that mythic shopping ideal: to buy less but better. Here, our guide to straight-leg jeans.

“I like when jeans change—it means we’re evolving,” a colleague of mine once shared. She had a point: Every other area of our wardrobe is under a constant barrage of micro-trends, but denim styles? They tend to stick around much longer. So when there is a changing of the guard, say from boot-cut to skinny, it signals a much larger shift in the fashion timeline. We find ourselves at exactly such a junction right now, as stovepipes and even Mom jeans—anything that comes too close in contact with our ankles, really—are beginning to feel, and I’m sorry to say this, passé. Straight-leg is where it’s at these days, friends. But here’s the thing: Letting go of worn-in jeans that fit you really, really well comes with a bit of grieving. And shimmying into pair after pair in an attempt to find their replacement is pretty much a changing room breakdown waiting to happen. So, to help ease the transition, I did it for you.

Denim Forum The Arlo High Rise Straight, $128, aritzia.com SHOP HERE

Winner: Denim Forum The Arlo High Rise Straight

The cost: $128

The fit: High-rise jeans with a straight-leg and ankle-length hem

The denim: 98% organic cotton, 2% elastane

The options: Three lengths (26-in., 28-in. and 30-in.) and lots of colourways from light-wash to black

The review: This is your classic “French girl jean”—picture Jeanne Damas with a basket bag swinging from her forearm. The leg is straight, but not baggy and the combination of button fly and wee bit of stretch make you feel supported yet comfy. Special mention to the cropped length, which adds a jaunty kick. In the warmer months, these would be just the thing for showing off a pair of sherbet-hued sandals, and come fall, a mid-calf boot (maybe in a scrumptious shade of cognac) would keep your ankles toasty.

Reformation Cynthia High Rise Straight Long Jeans, $175, thereformation.com SHOP HERE

For legs for days: Reformation Cynthia High Rise Straight Long Jeans

The cost: $175

The fit: Slim-fitting straight-leg jeans with a long hemline and high waist

The denim: 57% regenerative cotton and 43% Tencel lyocell (rayon made of cellulose fibre)

The options: Indigo, mid-tone blue or faded black

The review: Are these the most comfortable? No. Do they make you look like you’re walking on stilts? You bet. Described as “rigid jeans,” they require a little breaking in (my best friend’s trick for that is to soak them and wear them around the house wet—a definite commitment), but once you’ve stretched them out a smidge, boy are they good. Cool in a throwback ’90s way with a hint of sexy, especially when paired with a bit of a heel. Worth noting: The 33-inch-length means some hemming might be in order. (You want them to hit the tops of your shoes.) They also run a tad small, so you may want to order up a size.

H&M Straight High Jeans, $38, hm.com SHOP HERE

For the best bang for your buck: H&M Straight High Jeans

The cost: Between $38 and $60 depending on the colour

The fit: High-waist ’90s-style jeans with straight legs

The denim: 100% cotton

The options: A mix of solid washes and distressed looks

The review: For jeans with zero stretch, these are surprisingly comfortable. That’s because they hug you in at the waist to define your shape and prevent gaping at the back, yet give you much-appreciated breathing room around the hips and thighs. (You could easily perform high kicks in them, were you so moved.) From there, the leg drops straight down past the ankle without flaring out, so the overall feel is more trouser, less Y2K raver. Styling-wise, lean into the bagginess with an oversized button-down or blazer, or tuck in a top to contrast the proportions.

Everlane The Way-High Jean, $144, everlane.com SHOP HERE

For a sustainable jolt of colour: Everlane The Way-High Jean

The cost: $144

The fit: Extra-high rise with a straight leg

The denim: 98% organic cotton, 2% elastane

The options: A long (29 1/2-in.) and regular (27 1/2-in.) inseam and 10 colourways including some fun pastels

The review: True to their name, these come up way high to accentuate your true waist—without making you feel constricted. They’ve got a raw denim look but hide a sneaky 2 per cent of elastane, which makes them buttery soft. Speaking of butter, how good is this creamy yellow hue? One of five shades developed in partnership with Archroma, a leader in the dye technology industry. The company develops dyes that are better for the planet, as they use less water and create less toxic waste water, so you can rock a snazzy pair of colourful jeans and feel good about it, too.

Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans, $100, ssense.com SHOP HERE

For a defined waist: Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans

The cost: $100

The fit: Ultra-high waist cropped jeans with roomy straight legs

The denim: 99% cotton, 1% elastane

The options: Several washes and even fabrics (corduroy!) depending on seasonality

The review: Without being overtly flared, these feature the widest—comfiest—legs of the lot. That, coupled with the ankle-skimming hem, gives them a slight culotte shape, which makes any top instantly more stylish by association. Fans of high waistbands will be delighted by the above-the-navel rise—they’re not called Ribcage for nothing!—though if you’ve got a shorter torso, they might hit a little too high (the term “boob shelf” comes to mind.) I personally experienced some slight gaping at the back—a regular occurrence for me—but it’s nothing a quick trip to the tailor’s or a great belt can’t fix.

Gap High Rise Cheeky Straight Jeans, $69, gapcanada.ca SHOP HERE

For something easy-breezy: Gap High Rise Cheeky Straight Jeans

The cost: $60

The fit: Straight-leg, ankle-length jeans designed to hit above the hips

The denim: 93% cotton, 5% recycled cotton, 2% elastane

The options: Tons of colours including white, tan, grey and black.

The review: If these jeans were a person, they’d be the very chill, go-with-the flow type who never gets flustered. (How do those people do it??) Made to resemble vintage denim, they feel like you’ve had them forever or found them pre-loved in a thrift shop—think: nice and supple with none of that new jeans stiffness. The leg is straight yet quite slim, so it’s not too much of a departure from skinny jeans, and the waist lands north of the hips, yet south of your belly button. Overall, a great pair for dipping your toe in the trend pool without fully diving in. Bonus: They’re part of Gap’s Washwell program, which utilizes less water than conventional wash methods.

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Katherine Lalancette is the beauty director of The Kit, based in Toronto. She writes about beauty and trends. Reach her on email at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter: @kik_tweets

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