Wide Leg Cargo Jeans for Women in Light Blue, Mid Rise

A wide leg jean falls straight and full from the hip to the hem with no taper at the ankle. That is what separates it from a barrel jean, which curves back in at the bottom, and a bootcut, which narrows at the knee before flaring. This pair is cut mid rise in a garment washed light blue with utility detailing: patch pockets set into a yoke seam at the front, flap pockets that button at the back, a cargo pocket on the outside of the leg and a carpenter loop at the side seam. Zip fly, medium stretch, sizes S to XXL.

Wide leg cargo jeans, in detail

The pockets are the reason to buy this pair rather than a plain wide leg. Two patch pockets at the front, cut into a curved yoke seam rather than dropped on top of it. Two flap pockets at the back, each with a button. One cargo pocket on the outside of the leg, sitting below the hip where it does not add bulk across the seat. One carpenter loop at the side seam. All of them are real; none is stitched shut.

That makes this a carpenter jean in the proper sense, the workwear detailing carried onto a wide leg, rather than a plain jean with a patch sewn on.

What shoes to wear with wide leg jeans

The hem runs 103 cm on a size S to 107 cm on an XXL, cut to fall close to the floor. That length wants a shoe with some lift so the hem clears the ground instead of dragging. A heeled sandal, an ankle boot, a platform trainer or a loafer with a stacked sole all work. Flat shoes work once the hem is taken up to sit just above the floor. Avoid a boot with a wide shaft, because the leg opening is already generous and the two widths meet at the ankle and fight.

What tops to wear with wide leg jeans

Fitted, and tucked if you can. A ribbed tee, a slim tank, a close knit, or a shirt tucked at the front and left loose behind. The volume is all in the leg, so the top half is what creates the waist. An oversized top over a wide leg removes the waist entirely and the outfit becomes a single column of fabric, which is the most common reason someone decides wide leg jeans do not suit them when the problem is the top.

Rise, fit and measurements

Mid rise, so the waistband sits between the hip and the natural waist. Loose through the thigh and knee, straight to the hem, zip fly, medium stretch. Measurements are taken flat in centimetres.

Wide leg jeans on a petite frame

The cut works, the length is what needs attention. At 103 cm the size S falls at the floor with a heel on someone around 168 cm. Under roughly 160 cm the same length pools over the shoe, and pooling is what makes a wide leg read as too big rather than deliberate. Shortening is straightforward here because the leg falls straight with no taper, so a tailor takes it up without altering the shape.

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