These £35 Marks & Spencer Jeans Are A Total Gamechanger

It’s been a hot minute since Gen Z and the rest of its TikTok-toting pals first dissed skinny jeans. At first, I balked at their inability to understand the universally-flattering allure of drainpipe denim – it’s a failsafe fashion formula, and one that every fashion girl falls back on season after season whether layered with an oversized white shirt or streamlined with a knitted polo. Then, out of nowhere, autumn approaches and with it a fresh wave of Y2K denim trends that even I can’t deny are some something special.

For clarification, my skinny denim is still very much a staple in my everyday wardrobe. But millennials should take note - these tech-savvy naysayers may well be right when it comes to the jeans department this season. Gone are extra-slim cuts and in their place wide legs, retro-style flares and floor-sweepers galore. In my early teens at the start of the 00s, I thought there was nothing better than my baggy grunge jeans (paired with an unfortunately large Red Hot Chili Peppers hoodie) dragging through puddles as I went. Luckily, things have moved on since then and wide leg denim is now sophisticated beyond recognition.

The pair that changed things for me this season is Marks & Spencer’s High Waisted Wide Leg Jeans. Yes, friends, the defining '70s silhouette is back, and is already making its way onto a host of Instagrammers as well as celebrities such as Katie Holmes and Victoria Beckham.

Cut high on the waist for definition, with a leg-lengthening flare that stops just short of the floor, it cuts the silhouette of that chic fashionable French woman that we are often so quick to replicate. Naturally, I paired with a light Breton knit almost immediately. But it offers a cooler side to casual too, looking refined but beautifully careless with a tucked-in baggy tee and white trainer. Quite simply, je ta’ime – particularly when I realised this new season staple would set me back just £29.50. Not bad – and even better when you realise they’re made from sustainable cotton too.

But the anti-skinny jean doesn’t stop there. Marks & Spencer has a reputation for producing some of the very best denim on the high street, in every style and fit going. It’s why they have a habit for selling out. Invest in one of the frankly excellent pairs below and you'll be TikTok trending from here on out.