Need a little excitement to kick start your New Year out of the winter blahs? Shaking up your denim habit is something you can do even while the weather outside is frightful. Designers are matching creative and unconventional cuts with interesting finishes. They are even giving us a little help with figure-flattering, butt-hugging designs. Isn’t that why we wear jeans in the first place? Out with the old, in with the new! Here are some changes you can embrace right now.

You love them, you had to have them, you live in them. But it’s time to trade in those stretchy paper-thin skinny jeans that mimic leggings and move back to the past for a pair that’s vintage-inspired. The fabric of the future is ultra-stiff, and you’ll find structured fit as flattering as it is fresh. No more sucking in your tummy or covering up with a big shirt for disguise.

No need to haunt the vintage stores when you can pick up the new from brands such as Frame, MiH Jeans, and Khaite. Labels like Re/Done, Levi’s, and Brock Collection also are handling out butt-defining jeans that flatter your body shape.

Fabric
Going: Stretchy, Legging-Like Fits
Coming: Rigid, Vintage-Inspired Denim

The trend for wide leg jeans keeps on coming, and you can add a few looser, breezier silhouettes to your closet if you are ready for a breath of fresh. Choose from ultra-wide legs, cropped flares, ‘70s bells, and modern boot-cuts. Doesn’t mean you have to ditch all of your slim-cut jeans. Just to try out jeans with bigger hems and set your ankles free.

Silhouette
Going: Tight and Binding Ankle Cuts
Coming: Wide-Leg and Boot-cut Hems

Dare to take your color choices in a totally different direction and try out a pair of jeans in a a hard white or almost-white hue. If that’s too much sudden change, consider a neutral color such as earthy tan. Don’t limit your wardrobe by thinking white jeans should hide in the closet until summer. Try them right now with an oversized black sweater and black boots.
While you’re getting creative with color, go get a pair of jeans in a deep, dark blue and distress them. You’ll find the look more appealing than manufacturer-ripped, machine-distressed jeans you find on every retailer’s shelves.

Wash
Going: Machine Distressing
Coming: White, Ivory and Sand-Color Jeans