4 Strategist Staffers Own (and Love) These Madewell Barrel-Leg Jeans
Back in March, as part of Jeans Month at the Strategist, I tried on all the jeans at Madewell to find the ones that fit me best and to offer some insight into the fit and feel of the brand’s many styles and washes. In the end, my very favorite pair — which I still wear regularly, months later — were the darted barrel-leg jeans in the Irmo wash, a vintage-looking beat-up indigo (that is now, regrettably, almost entirely sold out). So as the weather changes, I’m thinking I’ll buy a second pair in one of the several other washes available. I am currently eying the Washed Black or the more faded-black Olenda wash — especially since they are 30 percent off at the moment (as long as you’re part of Madewell’s free-to-join loyalty program).
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I am not the only Strategist staffer who owns and loves these jeans. Fashion writer Ambar Pardilla has them in navy garment-dyed denim. Gen-Z whisperer and writer Bella Druckman has them in off-white. And senior editor Jen Trolio has a pair in the Irmo wash that she wears so frequently, she just bought a second pair in the Danver wash. “A friend of mine, who’s much taller than me, also just bought a pair after seeing mine — and she loves them too,” adds Trolio, who is five-foot-two and has them in the petite length. (You can see Trolio wearing them here.)For reference, I am five-foot-seven and wear them in a size 28 standard fit. They also come in tall sizing, curvy fit, and a non-denim utility-pant style.
A note on sizing: I was a bit thrown off, at first, by how low-slung these jeans are, because I often wear higher-waisted styles. So I initially sized down to get them to fit higher on my waist. But after wearing and sitting in the smaller pair all day, I went back to a bigger size, which sits lower on my hips. They are extremely comfortable despite being made of 100 percent cotton, with no stretch. The denim is slightly lighter weight than what you would usually find in a more traditionally rigid pair, like Levi’s 501s. I think that plus the generous (but not too wide) cut of the leg makes them feel less constricting. They’re particularly great for crawling around on the floor with my toddler, and I often throw them on to run errands. Thanks to the darts at the knee — a subtle workwear-ish detail — and the barrel shape, they don’t look as loose as they actually are.
Strategist social-media editor Kathy Li bought a pair, too, but ultimately returned them, because the size 30 petite she ordered was too baggy for her tastes. But she loves the Danver wash and told me it’s her favorite wash on any pair of jeans she has ever seen. (That wash isn’t available in other fits right now, but Madewell’s Greendale and Concho washes are similar and available in less-baggy styles that are also on sale.)
Depending on my shoe choice with the barrel-legs, I can dress them up or down and have worn them many times to the office or out to restaurants with family and friends. I think they look great from all angles. The wash is convincingly vintage enough that people never even clock them as Madewell, so I get asked about them all the time.
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