Barrel Jeans That Actually Look Good on Women Over 40
I’ve been hesitant to pull the trigger on barrel jeans for quite some time. Being in my mid(ish) 40s, I suspected I would look ridiculous in them and have seen some women online making fun of them. So I’ve stayed away. Until… I bought a pair of low-commitment barrel pants from Amazon (and buy low commitment, I mean, inexpensive). They were leopard print so I figured the print might detract from the barrel aspect. I just didn’t want to look like I had walked straight into my home from the local rodeo.
Much to my surprise, they were actually pretty adorable! I am wildly happy the skinny jean trend is out and being able to get away with wearing baggier and looser fitting pants and jeans have been a Godsend to this particular perimenopausal woman! I want to be comfortable at all times, yet I’m sort of over the whole legging trend so I’m constantly on the lookout for comfortable pants.
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Once I went all-in on barrel pants, I wanted to get one or two pairs of jeans to see how that would go. However, having little to know knowledge about what might look good or not, I naturally went to my built-in human resources, my girlfriends. I polled a good number of them to find out their favorite barrel jeans (and yes, I was met with one response of “I can’t bring myself to embrace the barrel jean trend”… fair enough). I heard a few repeated recommendations like Mother and Free People and was surprised by someone who praised Old Navy.
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gap factory
High Rise Barrel Jeans
Starting out with a budget-friendly option so that you can try out the barrel jeans without breaking the bank. They are low stretch and come in over 15 different washes (and a few prints). I’ve ordered these as my own jumping off point. I would order soon because it appears several different washes have sold out.
mother
Half Pipe Ankle Jeans
Well, we’re just going to go ahead and jump into the more expensive waters with this pair. I had to include it second as it came recommended to me by over HALF of the women I asked as to what their favorite barrel jeans are. High waisted with an ankle length hem, these are clearly popular for a reason.
nili lotan
Shon Barrel Jeans
This one is the splurge pair. I was almost hesitant to include them as I don’t ever see myself paying this much for jeans, BUT… it did come as a reco for a couple of different people with comments like “worth the money” and “high quality and fit like a dream”. Just be sure to size down as everyone is saying they fit quite large.
free people
Trance Barrel Jeans
This was the second most recommended next to the Mother jeans. I’m showing a distressed pair as something a little different to what I’ve already shown. But do know that this comes in many different washes, both distressed and regular (sans rips, if you will).
old navy
High Waisted Baggy Barrel Jeans
Another inexpensive pair that came highly recommended. Sometimes Old Navy comes in for the win. I particularly like them in the gray wash for something a little different.
j.crew
Zoe Barrel Jean
This might be my favorite as the most subtle barrel look. It borders on just being a relaxed boyfriend jean so if you’re not wanting to jump in headfirst in the full-on barrel look, this might be it!
pistola
Lexi Barrel Jean
This is a great option for those of you looking for mid-rise barrel jeans. The darker Moonwave wash gives a more polished look if that’s what you’re going for, but lots of wash options in this jean as well. I’ve purchased Pistola previously and have always been happy.
mango
High Waist Barrel Jeans
Last but not least, the high waisted barrel jeans from Mango are not overly “barrel” and are known for being quite comfortable. Additionally, while some people feel like barrel jeans are strictly a more casual look, I had two different people tell me these look with a blazer and heels for a night out on the town.
Those are my recommendations for barrel jeans that won’t make you look like a rodeo clown, lol. While I did find several other brand and pairs that looked cute in photos, I only wanted to include pairs that I heard straight from the horses mouth (pun intended) as actual recommendations. I don’t have the $$ to buy all of these and try them for you, so I figured the next best thing was the recos from women I know and trust with all various body shapes and sizes.
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In case you interested, these are the leopard print barrel pants I got from Amazon that I absolutely loved. They come in several other different prints and are quite comfortable. One other pair of barrel jeans that were mentioned quite a few times were the Madewell Dart Barrel jeans but they seem to be sold out everywhere. Keep an eye out in case they restock!
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