Barrel leg jeans are the biggest denim trend to come about over the last year. It's likely you've been seeing them cropping up, and this spring, more and more high-street retailers are dropping their own takes on the silhouette. I've been conflicted about the style ever since they became popular. On one hand, I think they perfectly combine that slouchy, relaxed look with a fashionable, cool-girl vibe. However, on the other I find they can look overly balloon-y and make proportions look a bit odd. That has all changed, however, since I found my dream pair of barrel leg jeans from H&M. The best part is, I didn't spend a fortune on them; in fact, they were less than £40. I have tried on an endless amount of barrel silhouette jeans, and no pair ever felt truly right. I think my skeptcism with the trend led me to finding faults in any pair that had a shape too extreme, or as I'm 5ft 7, many styles came up for too short for my liking. Luckily, H&M came to the rescue. I've struggled with H&M jeans in the past, but their Barrel High Leg, £37.99, have officially converted me.
READ MORE: The lunchbreak buy: What to click 'add to cart' on today according to our fashion and beauty experts. READ MORE: Mirror team puts 5 pairs of gym leggings to the test to find which feel comfy and don't fall down. When I first tried this pair on, I was really surprised by the softness and quality of the denim, considering the price tag. I hate overly stiff denim that feels restrictive, however, often the stiffness comes with the high quality feel so I have to suck it up. However, that's not the case with this pair. They have that soft, relaxed fit while remaining thick and sturdy. I wore them to the office all day and it honestly didn't even feel like I was wearing jeans.
On to the shape, as I've previously said, other barrel leg jeans I've tried often leave me feeling out of proportion and too balloon-y, which is not the look I'm going for. H&M's silhouette perfectly toes the line between not enough (and therefore just baggy, rather than barrel leg) and too extreme. The barrel shape is still pretty visible, but instead of over-exagerrating my proportions, H&M's pair actually give a really fantastic shape. I don't have an hourglass shape, and these jeans help to create the illusion of one.
In terms of the length, they are perfect for me at 5ft 7. I think barrel legs jeans look the best when ending right on the ankle, no longer or shorter, and that's exactly where this pair sit. That's why I think if you're any taller, these could turn into ankle swingers. The only issue for me is that I'm annoyingly in between-sizes. I usually fit perfectly into size 10 H&M denim, however, this size 10 pair run a little big at the waist, while the 8 is slightly too small. I'm not too mad at this though, as I prefer to have a little room for comfortability.
This pair work really well for larger thighs and bums, however, H&M also have a Curvy Fit available for the same price if you find the waist to be too gapey. Another pair I would be keen to try out is River Island's Yellow Denim Barrel Jeans, £45. Butter yellow is a huge trend this year, and I like the idea of combining this colour trend with the barrel silhouette. M&S also have their own take on the barrel leg with their High Waisted Carrot Leg Ankle Grazer Jeans, £39.50. This pair have rave reviews from shoppers praising the flattering fit and value for money.
