This Noughties Denim Trend Is Back for Good—Here's How Fashion Insiders Are Wearing It Now

Over the years, we've gone and back on forth on jeans trends, but with the sole focus being on shape. The straight-leg takeover, the return of skinny jeans, wide and baggy legs, the emergence of the horseshoe/barrel, but the one thing we haven't truly considered is the colour of the wash. While true blue, straight-leg jeans have been the look du jour for the last few years, our black, grey and ecru pairs have collected dust in the back of the closet. But now, thanks to the power of the Y2K renaissance, there's a new option to (re)consider—indigo jeans.
Starting on the runways before trickling down to influencers, the formally "dated" indigo wash trend is officially stepping back into the conversation. Remember the late 90s and early 2000s when turned-up dark denim jeans were paired with matching jackets? Well, this time around we're taking all of the best bits of styling up this sophisticated wash and making it feel refreshingly modern, of course.
From Paris to London, indigo jeans are staging a quiet but undeniable comeback, and we're here for the minimalistic approach that feels so much more elevated than distressed than pale blue washes. So how do we make indigo jeans feel 2025 ready? The answer is in the styling—think bold colour pairings, playing with proportions and using their versatility to our advantage. Loosing for a denim trend that looks every bit as polished tailored trousers? Keeping scrolling to see how fashion influencers are making indigo jeans cool again, and to shop the best pairs on the market now.
How to Wear Indigo Jeans:
Style Notes: Such a rich shade of blue works with just about any colour we can think of, a case in point, Jessica's poppy red pop of colour that looks even more premium with dark denim.
Style Notes: Jeans and a white tee will be a forever staple, but we love how Marilyn makes this ensemble feel seasonally appropriate by adding a long wool coat and opting for indigo denim over lighter stone or acid wash.
Style Notes: Lizzie Hadfield's chic loafer outfit makes the case for cargo jeans—denim-meets-utility fabric that allows for a little more stretch and room than classic jeans.
Style Notes: What happens when you take the biggest colour trend of 2024, and pair it with the biggest denim colour trend of 2025? Sylvie's elegant chocolate brown and indigo denim combination. Not only are the colours perfect together, but the mix of textures is every bit as eye catching.
Style Notes: There's no escaping denim on denim (and why would we want to?), but Monikh's colour clash of dark blue and indigo washes makes the look far more luxe than any matchy-matchy co-ord. Less Britney and Justin, more runway-ready.
Shop the Best Indigo Jeans On the Market Now:
Citizens of Humanity's bestselling Ayla jeans now come in this premium indigo wash.
A slimline straight-leg for those not quite ready to commit to skinnies quite yet.
Don't panic at mention of the word "flare", these are more of a subtle wide-leg.
These have a real bohemian and Western feel about them.
These would look so elegant for evening with heels.
Remy Farrell is a London-based fashion editor with 10 years of experience covering fashion, beauty and lifestyle. After graduating with a journalism degree and working on the fashion teams for titles such as Grazia, Elle, and British Vogue, she moved into the luxury e-commerce sector, working as fashion assistant at TheOutnet.com After expanding an assisting and styling portfolio that includes talent such as Gigi Hadid, Victoria Beckham and Miquita Oliver, she ventured into beauty, compiling reviews and diverse beauty content. In her role as fashion editor at Who What Wear, Remy is interested in discovering new brands to share with the WWW UK readership, and loves uncovering hidden gems to make shopping accessible to everyone.
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