Relaxed Fits and Fabrications Dominate at Magic, Project
A pulse-check on skinny jeans revealed only the faintest of heartbeats at the Magic and Project trade shows in Las Vegas.
Wide-leg silhouettes will continue to dominate in Spring/Summer 2025, according to women’s denim brands at the event. But adding interest—both visual and tactile—to these comfort-driven styles is a must.
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Holly Arnesen-Sileo, executive vice president at Los Angeles-based Liverpool Jeans Company, said the brand is focused on wearability when it comes to denim styling for spring. Soft, stretch-forward fabrications, wide-leg and straight-leg silhouettes and even elastic backs on waistbands lend a vacation-ready, travel-friendly element to the styling. “Definitely the wide, more relaxed styles are still happening,” she said.
The group’s Rascal silhouette is a pull-on cropped denim pant with a drawstring waist and a bit of hidden elastic for easy wearing. Also offered as a short, the style bridges the gap between loungewear and casual wear. Arnesen-Sileo said the pieces are strong sellers for the brand, along with a wide-leg crop style which hits below the knee—a modern take on the capri pant that dominated the early aughts.
That length could be seen throughout the collection in varying widths. The EVP also pulled out a number of visually arresting striped styles. “One of the key things that you’ll have is denim stripes; we have white on black, black on white, multicolor stripes—we have so much striping going on in denim,” she said.
While classic denim cuts are the brand’s bread and butter, each season brings an opportunity for experimentation with “fun” elements—a floral crochet hem on a pair of cropped jeans, for example. An array of matching separates, like jackets, button downs and short-sleeved shirts, bring a degree of refinement to an all-denim ensemble translates to different environments.
When it comes to workwear, “That has completely revolutionized,” Arnesen-Sileo said. “People can wear more nowadays; they can wear a blazer with denim very easily,” she said. “And we are seeing this resurgence of these two-piece outfits,” both denim and otherwise, that pair pieces made with the same fabrications for a cohesive look.
Cool casual continues to be the name of the game for Pistola, another L.A.-based denim brand that caters to a more trend-forward demographic.
A brand associate told Rivet that the Eli ankle-length barrel jean—a “toned down” version of the buzzy style that’s seen as more accessible—has generated a lot of interest from buyers. “You get the shape, but it’s not quite as exaggerated as what we’ve seen from other brands,” she said.
The brand’s top-selling Lana silhouette, a high-rise, wide-leg jean in washes ranging from medium to light for spring, will feature a large, raw-edged cuff—a stylistic element seen throughout the showroom floor. The cuff is tacked in place giving the jeans a permanently blasé, too-long-but-don’t-care vibe.
Many of the brand’s bestselling spring styles clung to the high-rise the brand is known for, but featured lighter-weight, stretchier fabrications than its fall product.
According to the Pistola associate—as well as Liverpool’s Arnesen-Sileo—there’s a place for slim styles during the fall. “We’re seeing all of our majors really excited about slims for holidays. Toward the end of this year, we’re going to start to see slims picking up again,” she said. Pistola has also introduced a slim-straight jean that bridges the gap between the “jegging”-level skinny and a body-skimming, tailored silhouette.
“Overall, what we’ve been seeing is obviously a huge growth in the wide leg category—fabric getting softer, lighter weight, definitely more movement and drape,” said Susana Morales, a senior account executive for Kut from the Kloth.
Rigid was the antithesis of what was on display at the L.A. brand’s booth; instead, ultra-soft fabrications made with Tencel were prevalent. “There’s a blurred line between true denim and almost like a sportswear pant at this point,” Morales said.
The brand sits at an approachable but contemporary price point, she added, making it popular with women in their early 30s and up. Kut does not lead the charge on boundary-pushing silhouettes, but aims to provide “a good cross section of trends” to hold shoppers’ interest season over season.
“Barrel for us is definitely more of an emerging thing,” she said of the fashion-forward style popularized by Citizens of Humanity. “People are really interested in it, they’re testing it, it’s retailing right now for us—but it’s still more the wide legs and cuffing that’s really been a big win for us, and even kick flares.” Massive, tacked cuffs were also a part of the brand’s stylistic arsenal.
Morales said high-rise jeans still have “the biggest penetration” nationally—“that’s the lion’s share,” she added. But there’s been more talk about mid-rise denim in recent months as a way of promoting comfort. Pocket details like porkchop pockets or scuba pockets, along with contrast seaming, elevate practical styles and give them a sartorial edge.
At 7 For All Mankind, linen-based denims are a big part of the menu for spring, according to account executive Abby Leonard.
The ultra-light fabric “gives the look of denim, but it’s more comfortable during the day—a little more summer-heat friendly,” she said. “The feel, the softness, the weight, the touch, and then the drapey-ness….It’s more flowy than a regular jean,” she added.
The linen fabrications proceed a different innovation called denim lustre, made with Tencel, that was designed for a similar drape and hand feel.
The brand will be releasing its best-selling Willow jean—an ultra-wide-leg palazzo pant—in linen denim for Spring/Summer 2025. According to the account executive, the brand tested the silhouette in a lightweight denim in its owned retail stores this spring and it saw a 33-percent sell-through during the first week, so the style is a winner.
On the trend side, 7 For All Mankind is looking to different washes—a light, watercolor-effect blue tie-dye and other mostly light blue tones—for spring. “We’ve also played around with cutouts,” both symmetrical and asymmetrical, as well as exaggerated distressing. “In the linen denim, we’re doing a slit up the leg,” she said, pointing out a daring pair of wide-leg jeans with cuts all the way up to the thigh.
The brand is also holding tight to its bestseller in the Western and Southern U.S.—the Dojo jean, a close-fitting, trouser-cut style made for women who ride horses. The style has become iconic among the community, as the back pockets feature prominent embroidery in a “7” pattern that can be seen while riding. It’s a bit of a callout to the brand, Leonard said, and proof positive of the brand’s continued cachet.
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