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In the early aughts, bootcut jeans were everywhere: piled high on the shelves at your local mall, hanging on the racks in the designer flagships down the street, trailing loyally in the wake of A-listers strutting down the red carpet. No matter where you looked, that telltale bunch of extra fabric below the knee was impossible to avoid. Then the heritage Americana boom at the start of the 2010s ushered in an era of constricting selvedge denim, and bootcut jeans seemed destined to remain a punchline for the waxed canvas set and their rigid 18 oz. dungarees. But the silhouette was just biding its time. In menswear, it ain't over until the shuttle looms sing, and right now, those looms are singing the praises of bootcuts jeans—and their heavily-flared counterparts—in beautiful harmony. (Not to be all snide about it but we did warn you.)
If you’re not ready to dive feet first into the new age of flared denim—which, mercifully, takes more inspiration from the sleazy heyday of the ‘70s than any ’00s redux—we've got just the pair for you. They come stamped with the Jonathan Anderson seal of approval, courtesy of the craft-oriented designer's ongoing partnership with Uniqlo, and they only cost 30 bucks.
Unlike the bootcut jeans of yesteryear, which pooled so heavily around the bottom they were prone to obscuring your Air Maxes entirely, these are cut slimmer up top and pre-hacked at the ankle. They also sit higher on the waist, an easy way to make your legs look longer, giving the illusion of height where you need it most. (If you're lacking in the caboose department, there's few silhouettes more flattering.) As for how to wear 'em? Keep the rest of your fit grounded in the type of dependable menswear that requires a little less faith to pull off (or make like Austin Bustler and opt for a fancificied Canadian tuxedo) and no one will mistake you for a long-forgotten contestant on The Bachelorette.