There are simply not enough words to describe all the embellished jeans that stalked the sidewalks this fashion month. From crystal fringe in Paris and eyelets in Milan to patchwork in London and burnished gold finishes in New York, snazzy denim is undeniably back.
We first started to notice the embellished jeans trend during the fall/winter 2024 collections, when Undercoverâs creative director, Jun Takahashi, dressed his denim up like a Christmas tree with gold tinsel that exploded its way down the seam of otherwise classic blue jeans.
The fun didnât stop there: Fast forward to the spring/summer 2025 catwalks, and suddenly everyone had a twist on the everyday staple. See: Coperniâs shimmering sequined jeans and Gucciâs two-tone denim. Even ChanelâChanel!âoffered up its own riff on snazzy jeans, showing wide-leg denim adorned with small gems that formed delicate feathered motifs.
If the idea of swapping your trusty straight-leg denim for jeans that resemble the inside of Elton Johnâs shoedrobe terrifies you, rest assured that snazzy jeans are remarkably easy to style. No, really! This season, the street-style crowd provided plenty of down-to-earth outfit inspo for this extroverted trend. Basically, you should treat them as you would any other pair of jeans. After all, their beauty lies in their ability to elevate even the most boring of basics.
For example, as seen above, one stylish insider styled her crystal-fringed jeans with a simple white shirt. Another, photographed below, paired bow-printed jeans with a black crop top and blazer. Of course maximalism is always a possibility, tooâa shirt that’s as flashy as your pants will no doubt be an attention getter.
This is also a trend that lends itself to upcycled fashion. Vintage store Rokit sells reworked denim pieces through its Rokit Originals line, which right now includes a very lust-worthy pair of low-rise two-tone jeans. Fanfare The Label, meanwhile, offers pre-loved denim that has been given a new lease of life through a variety of techniquesâthink embroidery, contrasting denim panels, and patchwork.
Scroll down to see and shop our edit of embellished jeans.
A version of this article was previously published on British Vogue.