I Tried On Every Pair of Best-Selling Jeans—These 6 Are Worth the Hype

Let's be honest, jeans shopping can be incredibly difficult. Since everybody is unique and there are thousands of different jean trends out there, the chances of picking up 'the one' can seem extremely low. Finding your perfect pair of everyday jeans is basically like the modern dating scene. A wide-leg jean is someone who is reliable and, ultimately, will be the kind of person you take home to your parent. A straight-leg, however, is the type of person who will indulge you with a gorgeous first date somewhere like Nina in Marylebone, but might play hard to get. A barrel-leg is the quintessential multi-hyphenate (see: DJ, photographer, creative director, chef) and might be hard to pin down. Indigo jeans are romantic and soft, despite being a little uncommunicative at times. A low-rise is like the first person who broke your heart—a little bit naughty, still kind of have feelings for, but certainly want to leave in the past.

The internet offers up plenty of options (some more legit than others) and you might even get a recommendation or two from friends. But you only really find out if there's a spark by trying them out. This trial-and-error process is time-consuming to say the least, and can be damaging for self-esteem when things don't go smoothly.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone else, say, an expert, could do all the legwork and hard research for you, try on all the best-selling jeans and return with a hand-picked selection of the very best options delivered to your proverbial doorstep for you to more easily choose from? Enter: Me. I've worked as a Who What Wear editor for almost six years now, and in the fashion industry for over twelve as a stylist and fashion editor, trying on endless products for shopping features, styling hundreds of fashion shoots and magazine covers and getting to know the new-in sections of all the best brands and fashion stores like the back of my hand. Not only that, but I'm a denim obsessive. If you know me, you know that rarely does a day go by that I'm not wearing jeans in some format. Summer or winter, day or night, jeans and a cute top is my vibe. At one point in my career, I owned upwards of a hundred pairs (I agree that was excessive, I've now managed to whittle it down to just a few elite styles). I might not be able to find you a suitable life partner (sorry), but I know a damn good pair of jeans when I see one.

The other thing I'm an expert in is reading data. At Who What Wear, we can see exactly what our audience is buying again and again, and it's my job to keep track of these best-sellers. As you'd expect with such a wardrobe staple, there are a lot of jeans cropping up, and, interestingly, it's often the same exact handful of styles that are flying off the 'shelves'. I cross-checked this list with the best-sellers from all the most popular denim brands themselves, from high street to designer, and ended up with a selection of top-tier jeans to personally try and put through their paces to report back on.

Keep scrolling to find out which pairs got my stamp of approval as the best jeans for women in 2026.

Shop the Best Jeans for Women 2026

• Best High-Street Jeans for Women: H&M Wide High Jeans, £24
• Best Affordable Jeans for Women: M&S Collection The Wide-Leg Jeans, £35
• Best Luxury Jeans for Women: Citizens of Humanity Ayla Baggy High-Rise Jeans, £340
• Best Straight-Leg Jeans for Women: Arket Jade Cropped Slim Jeans, £65
• Best Vintage-Inspired Jeans for Women: AGOLDE '90s Pinch Waist High-Rise Straight-Leg Jeans, £310
• Best Cropped Jeans for Women: Levi's Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans, £110

1. H&M Wide High Jeans

My Review: This exact pair from H&M have long been a best-seller for our Who What Wear readers. In fact, they’ve been the most popular product on site for the last couple of months. Not only that, I’ve heard so many of my colleagues raving about them, so I ordered them a few weeks ago to see what all the fuss was about, and they didn’t disappoint. The fit is fantastic, and they have that very cool hang to them, which really reminds me of the much more expensive Citizens of Humanity Ayla Jeans (further down on this list.) With a slimmer fit at the hip and bum, they then have a lovely wide drape down to the floor, which creates a really flattering wide-leg silhouette. I often find myself in between an 8-10, so sized up for a more relaxed fit here. They’re really comfortable as a result, without looking too ‘big’ for me, and while they are long on my 5'2" frame, I loved that you can just roll up and cuff them to wear with flats. The denim is thin and light, though, which is a sacrifice you often have to make when paying an affordable price. They wash well, but I do have to send them through a cycle just to get the shape back after one or two wears.

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2. M&S The Wide-Leg Jeans

My Review: M&S jeans were put on this earth to answer the hopes and prayers of all, particularly short or tall people. With four length options, their jeans are pretty much guaranteed to fit you perfectly, so no more annoying trips to the tailor. Here I'm wearing the wide-leg in a size 10 short length (at 5'2" height), and they hit just above the floor when I'm wearing flats (a feat that rarely ever happens. No more dirty, ripped hems for me!)

Even with the affordable price, the denim at M&S always feels like great quality—these have gold hardware and a nice sturdy weight to them, which helps to keep the wide shape, making them feel smart rather than too baggy and relaxed. They still feel really soft with a nice bit of stretch, though, allowing for maximum comfort. The waist sits high, and I'd say they fit on the smaller side (at least in the shorter length), so you may want to size up if you're in between sizes. Flattering, affordable and stylish, what more could you want from a pair of jeans? With over 1,970 five-star reviews online, it's clearly not just me that's a big fan either.

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3. Citizens of Humanity Ayla Jeans

My Review: There's no denying that the Ayla jeans are extremely cool. Every stylish fashion person I follow seems to own them and, most revealingly, wears them on repeat. They've definitely been the premium jean of choice for the last few years, so it's clear they have staying power beyond a flash-in-the-pan trend moment. Marianne McDonald, Creative Director of Citizens of Humanity, confirmed this to me, saying, "The Ayla is one of the best-selling fits that we had really strong, immediate reactions to across global markets. The style has been in the collection for a few seasons now, and we don’t see it slowing down."

If I'm honest, I'd been wondering what all the fuss was about, especially as someone who usually swears by high street denim. Now I've tried them? I totally get it. They just hang beautifully. Loose and slouchy but slimmer at the hips for the most flattering fit. McDonald advised me on fit, too, saying "The Ayla can be worn baggy (true to size) or worn a bit higher on the hip if you size down." I personally love the option to cuff or roll them so you can tailor the length to suit you and style them for the day with trainers, or uncuff them with an incredible pair of heels at night.

I opted for a size 28 here (true to size), and I could perhaps size down one, given my petite stature, as there is a lot of material left at the leg and a little space at the hips.

All in all, from the second you slip them on, they already feel like your most-loved pair of jeans.

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4. Arket Jade Cropped Slim Jeans

My Review: Look, I've owned these jeans for about four years and they've never let me down. As you can see, after a tonne of washes they still basically look and feel brand new. They're a slim straight leg with a slight taper, so if you're a skinny jeans disciple looking for an alternative, Arket's Jade jeans are a great option to ease you into a slightly looser ankle. I find the slim ankle really flattering, and it sits well over a chunky ankle or heeled boot, as well as showing off the ankle when wearing sandals. The sizing is on the smaller side, so while they have stretch I would try sizing up for a bit more comfort. And while they say cropped, as you can see on my petite leg length they still come up lower than the ankle. In my opinion these work really well in a denim collection as a slightly smarter classic blue jean.

Note: It looks like the updated version of these jeans has a slightly wider ankle which, for me, would make the jeans even better. I own the original style which I've tried on to show you here (the first shopping link below), but I've added links to the updated Jade jeans below as well.

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5. Agolde '90s Pinch Waist Cropped High-Rise Straight-Leg Jeans

My Review: According to Karen Phelps, Creative Director of AGOLDE, the '90s Pinch Waist is the brand's best-selling fit. In her own words, it has "a flattering, high-rise waist, close-fitting through the hips... an easy, classic straight leg with endless versatility." And I couldn't agree more. If you're after the ultimate straight-leg jean, don't sleep on this style.

Here I actually sized up to a 29 as I'd heard AGOLDE jeans can sometimes come up small, but they were definitely too big on me. While a lot of styles these days can benefit from a size up to give that slouchier, cooler look, I don't think that's the case for the '90s Pinch Waist, as I just found there to be too much material around the crotch and gaping at the waist. My advice would be to stick to your true size or even size down, as you really want that close-fitting, flattering hug around the stomach and bum to get the full effect with this design. As you can see, they're also not that "cropped" on me. I think this style really looks best when it hits right at the ankle (making them really easy to wear with loads of different shoe styles, from trainers to ballet flats and sandals), so I think I would have to have these taken up slightly to suit my shorter height. Tall girls rejoice, though, as there's this cropped option and a classic full-length version of the Pinch Waist to try, too.

The denim is of beautiful quality, and you definitely get what you pay for here. This wash has a slight yellow tinge to it, which gives a really cool lived-in vintage vibe, although I prefer a crisper blue in my everyday jeans, so I might try the dark denim option next time. Ultimately, I just love that they are a really versatile anti-trend jean you can dress up and down, that will truly stand the test of time. Find your perfect fit, and they're a worthy investment in my eyes.

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6. Levi's Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans

My Review: This is another pair of jeans I've had for years, and they're still my most worn in current rotation. These are the no-stretch denim, as I wanted a classic Thelma Louise vintage look (IYKYK), but they also do plenty of colour ways with low and medium stretch options too, if comfort is your number one consideration. I actually own this exact pair in two lengths, the 27 and the 29, as I prefer wearing the shorter length with trainers and the longer length with a heel or heeled boot (I did tell you I wear jeans all the time).

As you'd expect, Levi's do a bloody excellent pair of jeans, and this Ribcage style is endlessly flattering with a high waist and 5 button fastening that hugs and supports in all the right places. I also love that the hem on these is nice and stiff, so it keeps its shape, whatever shoes you pair with it. I may be biased, but they're win-win all around for me.

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What to Look for When Shopping for Jeans

While it's important to keep in mind the quality of the fabric, sustainable credentials and brand reliability, fit is perhaps the most important thing to look for when shopping for jeans. Whether it's a straight-leg jean, wide-leg jean, cropped or skinny jean you're after, you ultimately want them to feel great. What 'great' means to you might differ from the next person. You might want a stiffer, vintage-feel denim that hugs your body in in all the right places, or a softer more comfortable style with a bit of stretch that acts as a second skin when you're wearing them day and night. Of course, the problem with jeans is that they fit every body in a different way, hitting the leg at different points depending on your height and leg length, as well as potentially squeezing or gaping on the hips, bum or waist on everyone differently.

With this being said, I should caveat this whole article with the fact that I can obviously only give my personal experience and offer my expertise on what that means for other body shapes. For reference I'm 5'2", roughly a size 10 (which can swing from an 8-12 depending on brand) with a slight pear shape in that my weight (especially post-baby) mostly sits on my tummy, hips and thighs. I hope that can offer some context to this try on and help you judge for yourselves how the fit might compare on your own bodies.

What’s the Most Popular Style of Jean for Women?

The most popular style of jeans for women can obviously change dramatically depending on the month, year, or even decade that we're in. While there'll always be a place for skinny jeans, we've definitely passed the era of them being the most popular cut. It's clear from opening up Instagram or TikTok, and even walking down the streets of stylish capital cities across the world that wide-leg jeans are in favour at the moment, whether it's a looser casual cut or a smarter, more structured version. It is straight-leg jeans, though, that remain the most overarching best-seller in 2025. Karen Phelps, Creative Director of AGOLDE, says “A straight-leg jean should form the basis of your wardrobe as they never go out of trend.” Ever-flattering on pretty much all shapes and sizes, what’s great is that there are so many brilliant straight-leg jeans out there now that you can really tailor them to your exact body shape requirements: cropped, extra-long, low or high-waisted, for example.

How We Tested the Best Jeans for Women

As I’ve mentioned, the long list of jeans I tried for this piece came from a compilation of Who What Wear's best-sellers, my own personal industry expertise and knowledge of the jeans I see people wearing most often right now, and the jean styles that sit in the best-selling sections of the most popular denim brands, from high street names like H&M and M&S to Net-A-Porter’s luxury finest.

In all honesty, I already owned a lot of the styles on this longlist, so they have really been put through their paces in terms of trialling them. I’ve washed and worn them again and again, and thrown countless different shoe options on with them too. For any pairs I didn’t already own, I ordered or had them sent to me to try them on and get a real feel for the denim, the fit and the washes up close, as well as seeing which shoes and tops looked best with them. The ones that made this shortlist below are not only some of the top best-sellers across the board, but also the styles that I felt were the very best all-rounders in each style category, from wide-legs to slim, affordable to high-end. So there should be a jean here to suit all needs.

Why Trust Us

At Who What Wear UK, fashion is our speciality. Our editors have years of industry experience, from reporting on seasonal fashion trends seen at international fashion weeks to working with some of the most recognisable names in fashion. Every item we recommend is carefully selected based on current trends, quality and real-world wearability.

We regularly try pieces ourselves, everything from bestselling jeans to designer shoes, speak to external experts and fashion insiders and stay closely connected to what our readers are searching for. Our advice is grounded in expertise and has to pass our exceptional taste levels—so you can feel confident in every recommendation.