September is the January of the fashion industry, so while 2026 might only officially begin on the first of the month, those who follow this calendar have already had months to get ahead on their new year purchases. Which brings us to discussing the jeans trends set to define 2026. Whilst these denim trousers are conventionally seasonless, courtesy of their enduring and foundational appeal, they’re still privy to the pitiless trend cycle, meaning that there will always be styles that are certainly a cut above the rest.

“Denim offers me so much versatility,” explains Nadia Bartel, the founder of Melbourne-based womenswear label Henne. Fusing Scandinavian minimalism with Australian effortlessness, the designer and businesswoman explains that jeans are a “timeless piece that anchors your style and evolves with you, being polished enough to take you from an elevated everyday look straight into the evening”.

“It’s universally loved yet worn in completely unique ways,” she says of the collective appeal. But where some pairs will never stray far from collective adoration, including pin-inspired straight-leg jeans and iconic shapes like Levi’s 501s, the general mood for 2026 jeans trends is one rooted in a cool polish.

How do we know? Well, as I mentioned earlier, we’ve already had several weeks to take stock of styles that will make it big over the next twelve months. Across every style capital—New York! London! Milan! Paris! Copenhagen!—both local and domestic talent have presented collections that will hit boutiques in the new year, meaning that we’ve already had a taste for the leading cuts and colours that are to come. Better still, these are cities where jeans feel intrinsic to their natives, meaning we’ve already clued in on the contemporary and fresh ways these styles might be expressed and worn throughout these cultural centres.