I used to think boyfriend jeans were a phase we all outgrew, like the first time Ugg boots were a thing. But I was wrong. The pair sitting in the back of my closet, the ones I bought in 2015, are suddenly relevant again. Just not in the way they used to be.

Boyfriend jeans have been around since the mid-2000s, when the whole idea was that you’d steal a pair of your actual boyfriend or at least fake it with a deliberately oversized, roughed-up cut. I vividly remember my 8th grade school portraits being a polo shirt, a pair of white sneakers, and the coolest pair of Tommy Hilfiger boyfriend jeans. It’s literally burned into my brain. I’m pretty sure butterfly clips were also involved but we don’t need to begin to speak about that…it might give away the year the photo was taken.

Fast forward to the present day, and brands like Current/Elliott ran with it, and by the early 2010s, the look was everywhere: baggy through the leg, heavily distressed, and cuffed at the ankle. Jeans were worn with the kind of studied carelessness that took a lot more effort than it looked like. It was a good silhouette that got worn out fast, mostly because everyone leaned into the same slouchy, undone version of it.

What’s different now is the shape. The new boyfriend, Jean, is straighter and cleaner. Often it has less exaggerated volume and none of the shredded or worn-in knees. It reads less “I borrowed these” and more like a deliberate choice. And the styling around it has changed just as much as the jeans themselves. Instead of pairing the relaxed fit with more relaxed pieces, the current formula leans structured: a sharp blazer, a leather jacket, and a heel. The contrast is the whole point. Look at how Hailey Bieber or Gigi Hadid wears theirs, and you’ll notice the same trick every time - loose on the bottom, tailored on top.

That balance is why the trend has staying power this time around instead of just being a nostalgia lap. Here are three ways I’d rock a good pair of boyfriend jeans right now.

The Elevated Daytime Outfit

This one takes the boyfriend jean and dresses it up without losing the point of the silhouette. A ruffled puff-sleeve blouse adds shape up top, cat-eye sunglasses and statement earrings do the heavy lifting on the accessories front, and sleek loafers keep the whole thing from being too much. Finish with a structured top-handle bag, and you’ve got something that works for lunch, a gallery, or a meeting you want to look slightly overdressed for.

The Off-Duty Version

This is the easiest one to actually replicate on a regular Tuesday. A plain white tee, flip flops, and a worn-in pair of boyfriend jeans is about as low-effort as it gets, but a bomber jacket changes up the whole equation. It adds edge without adding extra effort. Oval sunglasses and small huggie earrings keep it on the subtle side, so the jacket can do all the talking.

The Night-Out Surprise

Boyfriend jeans and heels shouldn’t work as well as they do, but they do. They are a pretty iconic pair. A simple cami top keeps things minimal, a pair of slingback heels adds the polish, and a mini bag and choker necklace round it out without overcomplicating it. This is the outfit for people who want to wear jeans out at night without looking like they didn’t try.