J Brand

The women's line is where the argument began: one jean, cut to follow the leg rather than encase it, dark enough to pass anywhere. That skinny remains the reference point, but the range around it has widened considerably, into high-rise straights, cropped flares and relaxed shapes with a deliberate slouch at the ankle.

Rise does most of the work in how a pair reads. A high waist lengthens the leg and sits flat under a tucked shirt; a mid rise softens the hip and pairs better with something long worn over the top. Beyond denim there are lean trousers and jackets cut in the same indigo and black, so a full look holds one tone. Stretch content decides how a pair behaves after an hour on.