Madewell's New Baggy Jeans Finally Made Me Rethink My Attachment to Skinny Jeans

• Value: 19/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 20/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Fit: 20/20
• TOTAL: 96/100

I, like many other millennials, have an emotional attachment to my skinny jeans. They've been a constant in my life dating back to my middle school days, and it's been hard to find a new style I liked enough to convince me to let them go. When straight-leg and wide-leg jeans started to resurface in 2021, I had a hard time finding a pair that didn't make me look like a box—until I tried the new baggy Madewell jeans.

Typically, I range from a size 6 to a 10, depending on the brand, and most denim I've tried in this baggy or straight style has made my hips, waist and thighs look wide and like I had no shape. Madewell's baggy jeans, which come in sizes 23 to 33, cinch my waist and define my hips and legs (in a good way) unlike the other pairs I've tried.

They run true to size, but if you fall between sizes, like I do, take your measurements and compare them to the brand's size chart to be sure you're grabbing the right pair. I have longer legs, and these hit the bottom of my foot in the standard sizing (you can select standard, petite, plus or tall when choosing your length). While I wish they were a hair shorter and more tailored near the ankle, they work great with chunky sneakers or boots.

These jeans are available in a light, dark and black wash to match with whatever OOTD you're assembling. The high-waisted fit is great for cropped tops and keeping you comfortable after a big meal. The legs have some slight distressing, which is a cute addition for a more casual look. As for the booty, the pockets have a nice shape to complement your bum and don't sit too high, like some high waisted jeans do. All in all, I love styling these jeans with sweaters, French-tucking them with a button-down or throwing them on with a cropped turtleneck and an oversized blazer.

On Madewell's stretch scale of rigid, comfort stretch, stretch and super stretch, they fall under the rigid category. As such, they do not have any give to the fit, but they don't feel stiff, like a lot of no-stretch denim, and feel like they're already broken in. The 100 percent cotton material hugs your body without feeling too thick or tight. They will also feel a bit roomier as you wear them through the day. The wide-leg silhouette lets your calves breathe, which I personally am a huge fan of.

If the quality and fit of these jeans weren't so high-end and flattering, there's no way I'd be kissing my skinny jeans goodbye. But the way these ones hug my waist and butt alone are enough to make me a convert.

I love wearing them with chunkier shoes to make my legs look longer and leaner. These are definitely going to be my new go-to bottoms for spring, especially given how easy they are to style with baby tees and cropped sweaters. I don't love that I can't really wear flat shoes or regular sneakers with these, because the bottoms of the jeans will drag on the ground, but since I'm more of a chunky shoe kind of gal, it works out for me.

It's hard for me to get sizing right on the first try for denim, so I really appreciate the expertise and thoroughness of the brand's sizing chart. I think it's safe to say my skinnies are vacating their top spot in my drawer for these trendy ones.

Make Gen-Z proud and grab yourself a pair of baggy jeans and bid your skinny jeans farewell once and for all. Or maybe just keep them in the back of your closet...for now.