What is the denim fashion scene in India like at the moment?

We all have a pair of jeans that we never want to part with! It’s that sartorial soulmate you can rely on any day, and even every day (and we’re not exaggerating on the everyday part—thank goodness for their sturdiness and versatility). That pair fits you like a dream. It doesn’t suffocate you with its tight silhouette, nor does it look shabby from any inch. It is just perfect; the blend you need on good and bad day; a pair that keeps you comfortably stylish and something that you can throw on without a second thought.
Having a bad day? Wear it with anything, and you look decent enough to step out. Having a good one? Rock it with your favourite top and accessories and you know you are slaying it! And in internet lingo, you’re probably ‘God’s favorite child’ if you own more than one such pair. This coveted pair, until a decade ago, would mostly be skinny jeans for almost everyone. But that was pre-Covid era.

Fashion is cyclical; in the realms of denims, there’s has been a lot of back and forth between skinny and baggy jeans. (Photo: Getty)

After Covid, skinny jeans died a silent death with the loud resurgence of baggier silhouettes. After all, being confined within the four walls of our homes during those back-to-back lockdowns had spoiled us with the comfort of relaxed pyjamas. Returning to skinny jeans felt impossible after that. Gen-Zers cancelled them too.
Post 2020, the denim scene turned all about mom jeans, baggy jeans, wide-legged jeans and the likes. The breezy and baggy variants don’t suffocate you with the skin-hugging fit, don’t highlight those extra bulges and don’t even make you sweat behind the knees.

Gigi Hadi and Beyonce in baggy jeans. Photos: Getty (left), Instagram/Levis (right)

However, it is 2024 now. It has been over four years since Covid happened. Many things that this pandemic changed have returned to normalcy. Sanitiser is no longer an essential item to keep in our bags, weddings that once turned into intimate gatherings due to the pandemic are back to being extravagant, and work-from-home, which we thought would become the new normal, has faded as companies now ask their employees to return to the office.

Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday and Alaya F rock roomy and straight-fit jeans. (Photos: Instagram)

Can we say the same for the denim scene in the country? Umm… not really! Though skinny jeans made a return in 2023 with brands like Balenciaga and Miu Miu bringing them back to the runway… they couldn’t end the craze for comfortably-chic baggy silhouettes in India. So, what’s trending in the jeans landscape here in 2024? Hear it from denim pioneer Levi’s.
“Denim trends in India are shifting towards casualisation, with a strong demand for comfort-driven, versatile styles. While classic fits like baggy, mom, straight, and skinny jeans remain popular, consumers now prioritise pieces that seamlessly transition from casual to polished looks, reflecting personal style with minimal effort,” Amisha Jain, MD, SAMEA, Levi Strauss & Co tells India Today.
“Though skinny jeans have seen a resurgence on international runways, Indian customers are currently opting for looser, baggier fits, driven by comfort, self-expression, and body positivity,” Jain adds.
The brand acknowledges the revival of skinny jeans on international runways, but looser fits remain the primary preference in the Indian market. That doesn’t mean skinny jeans are completely out of the picture. In fact, they still drive significant sales for Levi’s in India. Perhaps this penchant for, and reluctance to move on from, skinny jeans is why straight-fit denim styles like the Ribcage Straight Ankle and Wedgie Straight models are bestsellers—neither too skinny nor too wide that continue being the bestsellers.
Indian denim label Flying Machine, meanwhile, adds that there is a growing penchant for roomier jeans among Gen-Zers.
“Jeans was losing share to track pants and other athleisure categories but with recent innovations it has become centre stage again. The look is very androgynous and wide and things trending are more Korean, Japanese inspired baggy pants, cargo pants, carpenter pants, parachute pants and baggy jeans which are paired with similar and oversized T-shirts,” says Shailesh Chaturvedi, MD and CEO of Arvind Fashions (parent company of Flying Machine).
The younger generation elevate these picks with bucket hats, quirky mobile covers, in-vogue vests and corsets.
If the recently-concluded Lakme Fashion Week runways declared anything, it’s that baggy jeans are 2024’s biggest denim trend. They are all set to be taken to boardroom meetings, concerts, and everywhere else.

Lakme Fashion Week runways declared baggy and straight-fit jeans as 2024’s biggest denim trends. (Photos: Instagram/Lakmefashionwk)

Labels like Dhruv Kapoor, Marks & Spencer, Ashish N Soni, Kanika Goyal announced so with their denim-dominated collections. Bold tailoring combined with craftsmanship adorned the otherwise casual denim this season.
For fashion enthusiasts, there are a lot of experimental accents in the realm. From sparkling embellishments to playful colour palette and eccentric patches – it is cool again to go funky with your jeans.

Quirky baggy denims spotted at Lakme Fashion Week 2024. (Photos: Instagram/Lakmefashionwk)

Otherwise, classic blue jeans, you know, are timeless… and are often that sartorial soulmate that never lets you down!