Searching for new jeans?Here’s how to find the right shape and fit
Making her THE PERFECT X debut, host Camille Charrière enlists creative consultant and Climax Books founder Isabella Burley to discuss the perfect jeans. Across baggy, flared and straight, consider this your guide to shopping denim like a pro.
By Lucas Pantoja
13 April 2026 · 6 min read
Jeans come in all shapes, sizes, look and feel – from the usual suspects like skinny and baggy to the more niche waxed and distressed. So widely worn, they're essentially the world's pants. But we’re here to talk about the perfect pair of jeans, and more specifically, what makes them perfect? As one of the most debatable, beloved and cultural pieces of clothing that’s jam-packed with history, we could only consult a true expert like Isabella Burley.
Isabella not only made a name for herself as the Editor-in-Chief at Dazed magazine, but held big shot roles at Helmut Lang and Acne Studios – two brands beloved for their denim. She’s since become synonymous with her shop Climax Books, a go-to source for rare photography books and the kind of deep-cut references denim-heads lust after. Together, we chart baggy, flared, slim and straight denim as part of our guide to finding the perfect jeans. Read the conversation and shop our hand-picked selection of only the best jeans below.
CAMILLE’S INTERVIEW LOOK
Bootcut jeans and brown leather make for a timeless pairing.
CAMILLE’S INTERVIEW LOOK
Bootcut jeans and brown leather make for a timeless pairing.
ISABELLA’S INTERVIEW LOOK
Loose leather and even looser jeans make for the perfect laidback look.
ISABELLA’S INTERVIEW LOOK
Loose leather and even looser jeans make for the perfect laidback look.
On baggy-fit jeans
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How baggy is too baggy when it comes to jeans?
It’s a personal choice. But for me, when you can see your underwear, they’re too baggy.
What’s a good reference for how to pull off baggy jeans?
It’s a very specific reference, but there’s a photo book by Andrew Miksys called Disko that captures these amazing kids in the late ’90s rural Lithuanian discos. There's one image where a girl is wearing really baggy denim and the bottom half of her jeans is soaked. There's something so iconic about that as a look, but then also the reality of baggy jeans, which often means you’re carrying around half of the floor with you.
How about the other parts of an outfit – what kinds of shapes and silhouettes pair well with a baggy fit?
You could commit to the full baggy and go with something oversized up top so it's a whole look. My preference is to be a bit more put together with a tight, clean silhouette that then goes into the baggy – like with a slightly cropped classic knit or a classic baby tee on top.
What pop culture moment instantly comes to mind when you think of baggy jeans?
I think of the ’00s paparazzi shots of celebrities in LA, people like Heath Ledger or Keira Knightley. Just hot people in baggy denim with rips at the bottom, who’ve probably never once washed their jeans.
Do you ever wash your jeans? Should you?
No, never…although I was saying to Camille that I will often hand wash the bottom of my jeans in the sink because that part gets really dirty, but I never do a full wash. It kills the shape.
If you had to launch a publication dedicated to denim, what would you call it?
‘Fit’.
On a similar note, do you know of any cool denim-related books or publications you can recommend?
Disko by Andrew Miksys.
Teenagers in Their Bedrooms by Adrienne Salinger.
Paradiso Stills by Max Natkiel: [Paradiso] was this amazing club in Amsterdam in the ’80s, there’s a lot of late punk references and great denim throughout this book.
Snog, marry, kill: baggy jeans, slim fit, skinny. What’s your pick?
Marry slim, snog baggy, kill skinny.
On flared jeans
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There’s so much personality and attitude in something as simple as a pair of jeans. What theme song would you give to a pair of flares?
Something sassy.
How does their vibe differ from other silhouettes?
It's all about the flare. Is it a bootcut flare? Is it something that's quite straight and then comes out a lot? You often need plenty of length for a flare.
What’s the right amount of flare before a pair of trousers crosses over into Austin Powers, halloween costume territory?
You need a very conservative flare – a barely there flare.
Who’s a great example of how to pull off flares?
Gabbriette – she does a good early ’00s flare in a way that feels really modern.
When it comes to jeans there’s really so many options to choose from. For those of us shopping online, do you have any tips or advice on how to find a pair you’ll actually hold onto and get the most wear out of?
Start by reading the size guide and then seeing it on-body with different pieces for helpful context.
There’s so many memorable eras and subcultures attached to jeans; from the rebels of the ’50s, to hip hop in the ’90s and indie in the ’00’s. Do you have a favourite?
The early ’90s – the style was still classic and there was a strictness to it. Later in the ’90s jeans got a bit baggier and looser, but in the early ’90s they felt undone and effortlessly cool without going too far.
On slim, straight and classic jeans
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Is it purely a coincidence that the word “slim” is in the first half of Hedi Slimane’s last name?
I don’t even know how to answer that question.
How slim is too slim when it comes to jeans? Do you have any tips on finding the right size?
Slim needs to be rebranded to ‘straight’. It’s really about finding a silhouette that feels classic – in a timeless, Levi’s 501s kind of way. If you size up, a straight jean can be low-slung and relaxed without looking messy. If you want a more put-together look, just stay true to size.
From footwear to tops and outerwear, what other styles go well with a pair of straight-fit jeans?
Leather always works well with any style of denim; and then a classic, old school baby tee looks great with straight jeans. Even with a small heel or sneakers – you can almost make any shoe work with a straight jean.
Who and what’s going on your straight jean moodboard?
’90s Melanie Ward-styled imagery and Helmut Lang.
Do you have a single favorite pair of jeans in your closet? Tell us about them; what colour, wash, and cut are they? What memories do you associate with them and how often do you care for them?
Vintage, dark-washed Levi's 501s is what I always go back to; I literally have 10 pairs of the same wash and the same style, but in different sizes and from slightly different eras.
Over the course of your career, serving as the Editor-in-chief at Dazed and in leading roles at Helmut Lang and Acne Studios, what did you learn about the perfect jeans?
Jeans have followed me my entire career in such an amazing way. [I learned] the power of denim – how it can always be reinvented and re-imagined. What makes jeans such an enduring staple is that they feel incredibly exciting while remaining timeless. They started in a workwear context and have gone through all of these different phases across fashion, music and culture; they’re always there. They’re something that's so familiar, yet can be reworked in such an unfamiliar way. I never get bored of them!
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