How and Where to Find Your Perfect Baggy Jeans

Blake Jung
Mar 26
5 min read

Worn in Photo: Jaded London Colossus Jeans

Hi everyone!! It's been a hot sec since I've written a blog but I hope you enjoyed the new video element of A Day in the Life... (click me to watch) that'll be posted every so often now. I already made a post on By Blake about this, but since then I have gotten lots of questions on where or how I've found my baggy jeans so I am back here once again to help you guys out a bit! Looking for the baggy jeans is no easy work, they either give you a jeanis, fits too tight near the calves and ankles, is too high waisted, or just makes you look like a little middle school boy. And oh boy have I been there. Howeverrr, I hope this gives you at least some guidance on where you can find your perfect pair of baggy jeans:)

Know What You Want

This is such a crucial part of finding the right pair of jeans for you. Some questions you might want to answer are... How baggy do you want them? Do you want it to fit two people in each leg or just baggy enough for it to not be straight jeans? Where do you want it to sit? Your waist? ok high waisted. Your hips? definitely more my vibe but no judgment here. What kind of wash do you want? Light? Medium? Dark? Or maybe you want to be different and want acid wash?

Whichever direction that you take with these questions, all you need to do is know your answers. There is obviously no right combination of answers and they are all completely up to you. The only question that you really do need to be 100% sure about is your waist or hip measurement (depending on where you want your jeans to sit). I typically measure myself with a measuring tape and then also compare that length to a body part of mine (because who wants to bring around an actual ruler or measuring tape when shopping). I usually take a pair of jeans where it fits my hips well and see how that length compares to by forearm. And honestly, this is about all the information you should know in order to find your perf pair of baggy jeans.

Oh and also, if you're a girl, don't be afraid to shop in the men's section. They usually have the best jeans... And bigger pockets.

Thrifting Jeans

Thrifting is the perfect way to find amazing baggy jeans for less than $20, maybe even $10. In my opinion, you really shouldn't be paying more than $15 - $20 when thrifting for jeans unless they have a really unique characteristic about them (or is from a high end brand obvi).

When thrifting for jeans I mainly focus on one of two things to make the process go a little faster: the bottom of the pants or the back of the pants (the pocketing area). This is because looking at the bottom of the pants gives you an idea of how the jeans will fit and the back pockets are where all the cool designs are typically located. Don't worry too much about the length of the jeans since you can always cut extra length off. If you're tall, however, you might want to pay more attention...

A big rule of mine when thrifting is to TRY EVERYTHING ON. Even if you think you won't like it, you might end up loving it. I've found some of my absolute favorite pieces this way and I stand by this rule through and through. The fit of baggy jeans is one of the most important aspects so trying on a bunch of them will give you a better idea of how you could style them or if you even want them. This is when you can filter out the pairs that gives you a jeanis or makes you look like a middle school boy per se.

All in all, thrifting is an excellent choice for finding baggy jeans, and there is no better feeling than discovering a little gem at the thrifts. It's also going to have more unique designs if you are looking for something that's more one-of-a-kind.

Shopping (In-Person & Online)

Now, this is the option that I'm assuming a lot of people are going to take. I'm going to split this up into two sections: Sizing and Recommendations.

Sizing

If you're shopping in person, you most likely won't have trouble finding right sizing. However, it can get a little tricky when it comes to online shopping. What I've found that works for me, is to use my measurement and compare them to size charts on top of looking those specific pair of jeans up on Tik Tok. Size charts are typically not too helpful because the measurement will differ depending on where you want the jeans to sit. This is why Tik Tok and reviews are so helpful, because you can see what size someone with a similar body type as you is wearing. It also helps for me that I only wear low-rise jeans because it's easy to just throw on a belt if it's too big. For this reason, I also tend to size up when I'm unsure what to get.

My size reference for you guys:

Height: 5'2 1/2" (yes i'm adding the half inch)

Waist size: 24"

Hip size: 34"

Jeans size:

Typically I get a size 30 or 32 when I order jeans online depending on how people say the jeans fit. If I'm thrifting, I'll go for a bit of a wider range and go up to 36 sometimes.

Recommendations

I know that this is the section that you guys have been waiting for, sooo I'll get right into it.

Urban Outfitters

is great for when you're looking for really baggy jeans and I'm not going to lie, their adjustable ones have the best fit I've ever found (unfortunately I couldn't find them on their website but it has the same fit as the barrel jean below I think).

BDG Niko Baggy Skate Jean
BDG Rih Mid Rise Barrel Jean
BDG 2000s Mega Baggy Jean

Jaded London

is a cult favorite and I love love love their designs. Their baggy jeans are one of the reasons they became well known in the first place, and if you're looking for ones with unique washes, this is the place for you.

XL Colossus Jeans
Rock Revival Mono Colossus Jeans
(Literally any Colossus Jeans)

Levi's

is the classic place to look for jeans. They have really good jeans that aren't too big and wide but are still considered baggy. Levis would be perfect for you if you like the clean and sharp aesthetic.