Get With the Program: The 6 Summer Denim Trends We're All Wearing Instead of Baggy Jeans

The tides are turning once again. Baggy denim certainly had a good run but after keeping our eyes peeled on what's just around the corner, it's becoming clearer and clearer that the ultra-relaxed fits we once considered the default jean style are just simply no longer the top priority anymore for fashion people. Instead, summer 2025 is bringing a fresh batch of jeans, jean shorts, and jean skirts that are moving our denim collections forward.

Ready to get with the program? Consider this your download on the biggest denim trends of the season that all the chicest people are already wearing. The styles on deck range from classic and timeless like the dark rinses that are sticking around for the summer to formerly-outdated silhouettes that are suddenly hotter than ever (looking at you, cropped flares). The moral of the story? Things are taking a turn for the polished and elevated with denim these days. Whether you're one of the more experimental trendsetters among us or a classic style loyalist, discover all the key denim themes to know now.

Bermudas

Bermuda shorts may not be the newest trend, but they're definitely heating up even more this summer. I won't lie, most fashion people are putting denim shorts on the back burner these days, but if they are wearing a pair, 99% of the time, it's going to be a long, knee-grazing length. For an added dose of polish, pair them with ballet flats or kitten heels like many in my feed are doing.

Crop Flares 2.0

If you've ever wanted proof that baggy jeans are on their decline, look no further than Bella Hadid. The supermodel stepped out in Cannes wearing an all-white look that featured none other than a pair of cropped flare jeans, a denim trend that's suddenly risen from the dead. Considering kick-flare trousers have been on the rise in 2025, it only makes sense the silhouette would cross over into our denim collections, too. From Bella in Cannes to French girls in Paris, the move is to style them with slingback pumps.

Drawstring Denim

I don't know about you, but if I'm wearing a pair of jeans in the summer, they better be easy, effortless, and unfussy. That's exactly the mood with this season's rise in drawstring jeans, a small detail that's defining the freshest pairs of the moment. When drawstring pants feel too casual but trousers feel too formal, these draw cord pairs are the perfect middle ground for a low-key cool vibe.

Loose White Jeans

There are certain things that signal summer's unquestionable arrival—rising humidity, open-toed shoes, and the revival of white denim. White jeans are about as timeless as they come, but this summer, they're getting a reboot in the form of baggier, more relaxed fits that make the classic cream washes feel very 2025. It's all about these roomier fits that are reminiscent of trouser shapes, and fashion people are into styling them in all-white outfits punctuated by black accessories.

Dark Rinses

Usually dark rinses are reserved for the fall and winter, but with 2025's polished and elegant mood growing stronger by the day, we're seeing even more of these deep indigo shades rearing their heads this time of year. The dark rinse jeans of the moment are doubling down on the polished feel in clean-looking shapes like straight leg and trouser-inspired fits.

Mini Skirts

The theme with the denim trends of the moment? What's old is new again. Denim maxis may have dominated over the last few years, but summer '25 is bringing back the denim mini with a slew of looks that are reminiscent of the skirt's early '00s reign.