Peplum Jeans Are 2026's Most Controversial Denim Trend, and H&M Just Dropped a $40 Version

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a woman wears a denim jacket
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Back in January, one of my colleagues confidently claimed that peplum jeans would be the first big denim trend of 2026. Now, three months later, I have to give credit where credit is due: she was right. Our senior editor, Allyson Payer, tried on Agolde's Peplum Jeans ($298) for her aforementioned story, and they sold like hotcakes. Luckily, other denim brands have caught on and have plenty of pairs of peplum jeans in stock, including at lower price points. Case in point: H&M.

H&M just dropped its new Wide High-Waist Jeans ($40) with that unmistakable peplum silhouette that never fails to get people talking. Should we have left peplums in 2011? Are they legitimately cool again, or is it like trying to make "fetch" happen? Only time will tell, but H&M's $40 price tag is not an unreasonable entry point to test-drive the trend right now. Scroll down to shop H&M's newest jeans before they inevitably sell out.

a woman wears a denim jacket

(Image credit: Getty Images)

a woman wears a denim jacket

(Image credit: Getty Images)

a woman wears a denim jacket

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Erin Fitzpatrick
Erin Fitzpatrick
Associate Director, Fashion News

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.