What shoes do you wear with flare jeans?

“Flared jeans give the leg silhouette a bowed shape, which slims the thighs and lifts the tush,” says Bonvicini. “I think they’re a very flattering fit.” To maintain this long silhouette, pair a flare with a boot or pump with a heel. A more cropped flare can also look retro and cool when paired with sneakers.

How do you style flare jeans?

Bonvicini’s go-to flare jeans outfit formula is a pair of shoes with a heel, a hobo bag, and a tank top or T-shirt. For added interest, she says she’d likely add a loud belt into the mix—a formula that Manapat likes to rely on as well. “When wearing flares, it’s important to focus on proportions; for example, try looser fitted tops tucked in with a belt for shape,” Manapat says. For petites, Bertone suggests a higher rise to make the legs look longer, and a more fitted top to enhance the wearer’s shape.

The 10 Best Flare Jeans of 2023

Shopping for great-fitting denim isn’t easy, let alone a style with the drama and zest of a pair of flares. Compound ever-changing jeans trends with aspects such as rise, wash, cut, inseam, and overall fit, and finding the best pair for you can easily become the challenge of the season.

While flared jeans might seem trendy, they’re in fact very versatile, experts say. “The ingenuity of the flare is that [it] can work with every body type,” says Danielle Manapat, buying director at FRAME. "They can make a statement while still being wearable from day to night.”

Tony Bertone, head of design at Ksubi, agrees and also points out that flare jeans can be a “relaxed style,” given that a flare from the hip “can be very comfortable.”

To help relieve some of the pressure of shopping for this style and help you reap the benefits that much more quickly, Byrdie researched the best styles on the market right now.

Meet the Expert

Elena Bonvicini is the founder of EB Denim.

Tony Bertone is the head of design at Ksubi.

Danielle Manapat is the buying director at FRAME

Keep reading for our recommendations of the best flare jeans based on the feedback of our experts.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Frame Le High Flare at Nordstrom

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Best Designer:

Versace Cropped Print Flared Jeans at Net-a-Porter

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Best Budget:

Mango Medium-Rise Flared Jeans at Mango.com

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Best Retro:

Free People Just Float On Flare Jeans at Nordstrom

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Best Button-Front:

Veronica Beard Bell-Bottom Jean at Nordstrom

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Best Wide Leg:

Ksubi Dettached Jean Haven Dettached Jean at Ksubi.com

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Best Patchwork:

EB Denim Flared Jeans at Ebdenim.com

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Best Size-Inclusive:

Paige Flaunt Denim at Amazon

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Best Stretchy:

Good American Good Flare Deco Yoke at Nordstrom

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Best Black:

Old Navy High Waisted Flare Jeans at Gap.com

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In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look for in Flare Jeans
FAQ
Why Trust Byrdie

Nordstrom

View On Nordstrom View On Bloomingdales View On Frame-store.com

This high-rise jean is a modern version of the retro flare fit with a form-fitting silhouette through the hips and thighs and an easy flare from the knees. It pairs perfectly with fitted tops (T-shirts, sweaters, and tank tops alike) and oversized button-down shirts.

Price at time of publish: $209

Size Range: 23-34 | Washes: 11 | Fabric: Cotton, modal, polyester, elastane

NET-A-PORTER

View On Net-a-Porter

Versace's jeans have a Y2K-inspired style with a washed-out denim fabric, a mid-rise waist, and dramatically flared hems. Channeling the label's sweet-and-sexy approach to style, these pants are finished with a colorful twill pattern on the back pockets. Style yours with a humble white tank top and colorful sunglasses.

Price at time of publish: $875

Size Range: 24-31 | Washes: 1 | Fabric: Cotton, elastane

Mango

View On Mango.com

For a reliable pair of flare jeans priced at just under $50, you can turn to Mango’s Medium-Rise Flared Jeans. The style comes in a true blue wash that can be casual or professional. In terms of composition, the style contains a small amount of elastane for more mobility than any all-cotton pair.

Price at time of publish: $50

Size Range: 1-22 | Washes: 4 | Fabric: Cotton, elastane

Free People

View On Nordstrom View On Belk.com View On Freepeople.com

These jeans, which feature an elongated bell bottom flare with a high waistline, are the ultimate choice if you're wanting a true free-spirited ’70s style. Style them with a colorful halter top, platform shoes, and a middle-parted blowout to go full-on retro.

Price at time of publish: $117

Size Range: 24-33 | Washes: 13 | Fabric: Polyester, rayon, cotton, spandex

Veronica Beard Sheridan Bell-Bottom Jean

Saks Fifth Avenue

View On Nordstrom View On Saks Fifth Avenue View On Shopbop.com

Veronica Beard's Sheridan jeans have a distinct ’70s feel, thanks to the whiskering and dramatic, bell bottom-inspired silhouette. They’re designed to sit high on the waist and have a slim fit through the hips and thighs before kicking out to exaggerated flared legs. To keep with the retro vibe, wear yours with everything from a cozy sweater vest to a tucked-in tank.

Price at time of publish: $328

Size Range: 23-32 | Washes: 1 | Fabric: Cotton, elastomultiester, elastane

Ksubi

View On Ksubi.com

In addition to a classic wide-leg fit, Ksubi’s Dettached Jean features a high waist and an asymmetric cutout detail below the waistband. It’s constructed from denim in a vintage indigo wash with subtle fading throughout and the brand’s signature back cross embroidery.

Price at time of publish: $240

Size Range: 23-32 | Washes: 1 | Fabric: Cotton

EB Denim

View On Ebdenim.com

Elena Bonvicini’s Farrah Flared Jeans are a pared-back version of the typical patchwork jeans in a nostalgic flare silhouette. Channel Farrah Fawcett in a crisp button-down shirt and heels.

Price at time of publish: $330

Size Range: 22-32 | Washes: 1 | Fabric: Not listed

Paige

View On Amazon View On Paige.com View On Shopbop.com

Flaunt Denim by Paige was designed in response to a popular request from Paige’s customers to update the waist-to-hip ratio on its bestselling fits to better embrace the fuller hips and thighs. This ultra high-waisted cropped wide leg is based on the brand’s Anessa silhouette but designed for an hourglass shape.

Price at time of publish: $229

Size Range: 23-34 | Washes: 1 | Fabric: Not listed

Good American

View On Nordstrom View On Bloomingdales View On Goodamerican.com

You can always rely on Good American for a good amount of stretch and lift. These high-rise jeans hold their shape wear after wear and feature a back yoke to give a flattering, sculpted look.

Price at time of publish: $149

Size Range: 00-26 | Washes: 1 | Fabric: Cotton, elastane

Old Navy

View On Gap.com

Old Navy dove into the flare jeans trend in a major way. These styles sit 1 inch higher than their typical high-rise for a waist-snatching effect. The cotton blend features spandex for stretch and that already broken-in denim feel. We love the black for a goes-with-everything option, but the graham cracker and plum colors are worth a second look.

Price at time of publish: $45

Size Range: 00-30 (regular, tall, petite) | Washes: 3 | Fabric: Cotton, spandex

What to Look for in Flare Jeans

Length

In terms of length, Bertone doesn’t have any set rules. “Cropped can work, and so can a longer version; it’s all about the individual,” he says. With a bootleg-inspired flare, wearing them along with trainers and letting the denim bunch at the ankle “is definitely the way to go.” However, if the baggy denim pant legs aren’t your style, Manapat suggests working with a flare that sits below the ankle but at least half an inch off the ground. A cropped flare at the ankle can also serve as a modern update to a classic silhouette.

Fabric

Understand which material is most comfortable for you, as some may have additional stretchiness or are prone to shrinking in the wash. In a pinch, you can determine a pair's composition without trying them on in two ways. The first is by gently pulling on the leg both in width and length. (This will help you gauge the stretch.) However, most websites and fabric tags will break down the fabric composition. Those who prefer more stretch should opt for a material composition with elastane as opposed to all-cotton styles.

FAQ

What shoes do you wear with flare jeans?

“Flared jeans give the leg silhouette a bowed shape, which slims the thighs and lifts the tush,” says Bonvicini. “I think they’re a very flattering fit.” To maintain this long silhouette, pair a flare with a boot or pump with a heel. A more cropped flare can also look retro and cool when paired with sneakers.
How do you style flare jeans?

Bonvicini’s go-to flare jeans outfit formula is a pair of shoes with a heel, a hobo bag, and a tank top or T-shirt. For added interest, she says she’d likely add a loud belt into the mix—a formula that Manapat likes to rely on as well.

“When wearing flares, it’s important to focus on proportions; for example, try looser fitted tops tucked in with a belt for shape,” Manapat says. For petites, Bertone suggests a higher rise to make the legs look longer, and a more fitted top to enhance the wearer’s shape.

Why Trust Byrdie

Hayley Prokos is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor focused on fashion and lifestyle. She contributes regularly to Byrdie’s commerce section and has a passion for sourcing chic and practical pieces with long-term wearability. After hours of researching and chatting with our experts, she’s gathered enough insight to determine the best places to buy flare jeans.

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough Black-owned and/or Black-founded denim brands to meet this percentage. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com, and we will evaluate the product ASAP.