If you think a year is a long time in politics, it’s even longer in the world of denim. Where once there was a universal shape that was ‘trendy’, now jeans of all shapes and sizes are enjoying moments in the saddle

Never has there been a more fickle or divisive piece of clothing.

Jeans, patented 152 years ago as workwear, have the power to make a wearer feel either on-trend or old fashioned, depending on their cut, wash and length and, most importantly, timing. As we bid farewell to 2025, it’s hard to decipher what exactly the jean of the year has been.