Why it’s time to finally ditch your skinny jeans for barrel pants | Canada Voices

Straight, wide, baggy, skinny: These are the words in my pant silhouette vocabulary. And save for brief dalliances with parachute pants (in the nineties) and some extremely NSFW low-rise flares (in the early aughts), rarely in my four decades of dressing have I deviated from those aforementioned silhouettes. Particularly with pants (and definitely with jeans, a notorious style pain point) when you find what works – and for me that’s usually been high and wide or stovepipe straight – you tend to stay the course.

Recently though I have felt myself being wooed by something new and, admittedly, unexpected. Unexpected because if you were to read the dictionary definition of barrel – a cylindrical container bulging out in the middle – a flattering pant silhouette is not quite what comes to mind. But I spotted them on Julianne Moore and Sienna Miller and Katie Holmes, all women in my general age range whose style proclivities I frequently appreciate, and, against all odds, when translated into pant form, the barrel somehow manages to flatter.

So what exactly is a barrel cut? The, shall we say, swollen style is characterized by a fit that hugs (but doesn’t vise grip) the hips, has a roominess through the thigh that crescendos to a bulging peak at the knee, then ends with a more tapered ankle. Kim Appelt, a Toronto-based celebrity fashion stylist and author of Style for Everybody, says, “Barrel pants sit comfortably between baggy and tailored, not as loose as wide-leg or boyfriend jeans, but far from slim-fitting.” And far from the skinnies I once clung to – or rather, that clung to me. While the barrel’s bulging visual profile takes some getting used to, the less confining fit doesn’t; sliding into a pair for the first time, I could feel myself exhale.

A version of the barrel has been around for decades – it’s been suggested that the silhouette evolved from either riding jodhpurs or the sturdy 1930s-era breeches favoured by ranchers. But it was their appearance – or perhaps, reappearance – at the 2023 Azzedine Alaia runway show that set the stage for their mainstream fashion debut, says Joseph Tang, fashion director at Holt Renfrew.

Loewe has taken the barrel and run with it, translating the silhouette into stiff denim (inkwell blue-black and even dusty rose), dense wool and luxurious Nappa lambskin. Lemaire’s version, a favourite among Holt Renfrew customers, is a barrel with a twist. “This approach shifts the seam toward the front of the leg, deviating from the traditional straight-down cut and creating a more exaggerated silhouette,” explains Tang.

But it’s not just high-end designers and the street-style attention courters who are embracing the barrel; It has, as Tang suggested, also found a far more mainstream fan base.

Gap, Free People and Levi’s have all created their own barrel styles and at Madewell and Everlane, they are bestsellers. One reason is that the fit itself simply suits a range of body types: The barrel looks as good on the sisters Hadid as it does on Jennifer Lopez and Serena Williams. “Their high waist and tapered hem create a flattering hourglass effect while the relaxed fit through the thighs provides ease,” says Appelt, who sees their popularity as part of the larger, continued shift toward comfort-driven fashion.

Designer Nili Lotan says her barrel-shaped Shon pants have been a runaway hit for the brand; they are now available in cotton, denim, corduroy and even leather. “It brings in a utilitarian element without feeling like a cargo and the fit works for many women,” says Lotan.

That versatility extends to how you can style them too: Barrels are as easy to dress up as they are to casualize. Tang says the shape plays well with oversized shirts (if untucked, try adding a belt at the waistband to offer definition) and cropped sweaters and fitted tops. “All these options allow you to strike an even balance of volume on the top and bottom,” says Tang. That visual contrast (snug or tailored up top, or even layering a blazer over something form-fitting) is especially key if you’re curvier, plus-size or petite so your figure doesn’t get lost.

The barrel’s slender crop at the ankle means it pairs perfectly with a sleek flat, pointed-toe boot or sneakers, news my fellow heel-shunners will appreciate. One caveat, Tang points out, is if opting for an ankle boot, make sure the bottom of the pant is longer than the top of the boot to maintain a smooth, uninterrupted line (and avoid any unintended gaps).

The accompaniments for my most frequently chosen barrels (the Nili Lotan Shon in a camo-coloured brushed cotton twill) are a narrow loafer or a pair of bright Nike Cortez sneakers.

The flattering fit is certainly a motivator, as is the comfort factor (you will breathe easier, literally), but even more of a selling point for me is what the barrel pant telecasts: It oozes laissez-faire cool. “What makes this silhouette so appealing to our customers is its effortless blend of polished tailoring and relaxed ease,” confirms Tang. “It feels fresh and distinctive, yet remains entirely approachable.”