Baby Barrel Jeans
I'm giving the curved, tapered leg look a new name.
At this point, we’re all familiar with barrel jeans – the bow-legged styles inspired by old, horse-ridden dungarees. Many of you are fans of Tibi’s Sid and a handful of you have recommended these from Free People as a smart alternative. I love how barrel jeans look on you, and believe that any trend rooted in vintage, as barrels are, is worthy of wearing. But – and I don’t think this will come as a surprise – I’ve tried and decided they are not for me. It feels really good to know this and say it out loud.
I do, however, love a curved leg. The Georgia has one. As do many currently popular pairs that have neither the inserts or darts that make proper barrels bend so drastically away from the body. In the 1980s, jeans that a.) curved out to accentuate hips and thighs, and b.) cinched at the waist and hem would have been called ‘carrots.’ Today’s real barrels are like manufactured versions of the carrot that manipulate the shape of a woman’s body using fabric instead of her own frame. What’s in between – i.e. more precise than the garden-variety carrot; less crazy-looking than the contemporary barrel – is what I now call a baby barrel. The name says it all. And, for me, it’s a satisfying solution to the whole I-don’t-feel-great-in-barrel-jeans situation.
Before we get to bbs, though, I want to introduce the Jean of the Week, which was written by my friend and former colleague Kate Branch. Kate’s story, about the jeans that keep her feeling connected to the sister she lost to an accidental drug overdose in 2022, is the first I’ve published that touches on grief. Jeans can go there, too. And, as those of us who keep pairs linked to loved ones may know, it barely matters who made them or if they fit. The memories they hold are everything. Thank you, Kate, for writing about this.
Strong feelings and/or love stories about barrels and/or beloved jeans, leave a Comment and let’s talk about it.
Levi’s: Japanese Selvedge Column in Moj Rinse
The slight taper at the very bottom of a broad leg gives this jean just enough curve to qualify it as a baby barrel in my book. I love it. I love the high waist and dark wash; the tobacco-colored top stitch; the Japanese denim’s 100% cotton construction and white selvedge side seams. Even without stretch, this jean is comfortable. Why? Because it’s roomy where my body needs room, namely around my abdomen and upper thighs. I can sit all day in them. I can do school drop-off and a work lunch, looking polished and eating all I need without feeling pinched. Oftentimes, zipper flies on high-rise jeans arch outwards and accentuate a mom pooch. This zipper fly doesn’t do that, I think because it’s a really nice and slender zipper (YKK, for those who will appreciate knowing). In the Chat, a reader recently asked for a zipper-fly jean to accommodate a fuller bum, with a rise less than 12” in the front. I believe this jean is it.
I recently told The Cut I’ll be wearing these Jamie Haller sandals all summer and, because it’s true they go with nearly every jean shape, you’ll be seeing them a lot. Some Substackers are pros at showing us creative approaches to wearing new things a million ways. I’m better at writing about how jeans work with the staples we already own and wear to bits. That said, this Levi’s style gets bonus points for pairing so nicely with my Pier Shirt in Horizon Blue, too.
In my opinion, wearing a higher rise with a shirt untucked on top is really only flattering if that shirt is long and made with a hefty denim (v chambray) that doesn’t hug. Here, I sized up in the Pier Shirt, which gives it a wearing-my-husband’s-clothes effect. As for the details, using brass jacket buttons (v shirting buttons) was intentional: I wanted the Pier to feel as formidable as a pair of jeans; to level-up to the hardest-working ones we own. Some men and women I know are wearing this shirt unbuttoned like a jacket. I sometimes wear it that way, too.
Mother: The Curbside Flood
The wash on these is called Yee Haw, in case there was any doubt that Mother’s Curbside Floods descend from cowboy-y barrels. Mother herself calls them “super high-waisted jeans with a straight barrel leg and a cropped inseam.” But, lacking denim inserts and those wacky, knee-hinging darts, this jean swings to the ‘baby’ side of the barrel spectrum, for me. (‘Bigtime’ being on the opposite end; see the aforementioned Free People style, as an example.) It’s higher and straighter than the Levi’s style in the hips and butt, but it stretches so sitting isn’t an issue. I rather like the stretch, actually, as it keeps things – as we used to say in the 90s – tight. (Not, like tight tight. Just, like, tight.)
Finally, to prove baby barrels are truly a thing, here are five more pairs that round in the leg and taper. Me+Em’s have a dart, fine. I believe I’ve made my point.
Jean of the Week: Kate Branch
On the healing power of a pair of vintage bells.
Two months ago, I did the thing most mothers who are six months postpartum do: I began to wonder when, if ever, I would fit into my jeans again. I opened my closet and reached for the last pair I purchased before finding out I was pregnant with my second child. The high-waisted vintage bell bottoms with an exposed zipper and center front seams, no pockets, also happen to be the last piece of clothing I bought with my older sister before she unexpectedly passed away at age 39. These rolled up pants represented so much more than my pre-baby body and life; they represented my sister and me having so much time to ourselves, for each other, that we could burn a whole day shopping and laughing like it was just one of many more to come.
It was one of those magical days in June. My sister asked me to hold the day for a surprise belated birthday present, all she would tell me is that she would need the “entire day.” She arrived at my house promptly at 10am and asked if she could borrow my car. Reluctantly, I handed her the keys. It wasn’t until we crossed over the border to Pennsylvania that she announced where she was taking me: A vintage shop called The Redd Carpet Room, which belongs to the legendary bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, who has played with the likes of Ornette Coleman and, of course, my sister, the jazz trumpet player jaimie branch (she preferred her name in lowercase). At her request he closed the shop, a gem-sized store tucked away on the second floor of a residential building in West Philly, just for us. The walls were lined with treasures and records: Gucci loafers, bags, and briefcases; Kangol caps; silk scarves; oversized, multi-colored sunglasses. What’s more, Tacuma’s wife, Rahima, had just returned from an estate sale for a woman who, in the ‘70s, was my exact height and size, and had a penchant for Yves Saint Laurent. My sister paid for the bill, and I walked out wearing a new, old, burnt orange butterfly printed YSL silk collar blouse and these blue jeans.
I’ll never know the origins of these jeans, which are unmarked and soft to the touch. The belt loop is braided and the wash is dark and nicely faded, revealing years of wear along the thighs, like wrinkles, or scars. While they appear lightweight, for me, they’re heavy with emotion. I’m proud to say they still fit me like a glove. Like they were made for me. Ready to be worn again for whatever life may bring.
Kate Branch is a writer who has contributed to Vogue, The New York Times, and New York Magazine. She is currently working on her first book about grief, music, and motherhood. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two children, Sol and Benny.
To everyone who reached out to me about the video I made about the Georgia jean, thank you. I’m remain here to answer any questions about the fit and sizing of the Georgia, the jeans in this letter, or any other pair I’ve covered, ever. I’m here for all of your honest feedback. Here for comments, likes, shopping tips, and personal stories, too. Your support, as always, is everything.
Jane
More to read…
The Georgia Jeans: A breakdown of how they fit and where they came from.
Redline Jeans: Some say selvage, and I like selvedge. Potato, potahto.
The Expert’s Jeans: When designers want denim, she’s who they call.
I dabbled with the barrel jeans back in 2022 when they were first a micro trend (I actually bought the Mother jeans mentioned in this newsletter as they were one of the first brands to offer the style). I absolutely love them and have bought a few more pairs from other brands since. I think the style is the perfect mix of fitted and relaxed. It seems they are totally mainstream now, with madewell offering them for fall 2024. I hope they become a classic bc I would be sad if they start to look dated/out of style.
Kate’s story. Wow. Full of heart & soul - and I just love hearing a backstory of a beloved pair of jeans. Thanks for sharing! (And I love my Pier shirt 🥰)