
Call me a prude, but I've never given holey jeans a go. I prefer sleek straight-leg silhouettes without a slash, fray, or rip in sight. However, with the right denim-to-skin ratio, I'd be willing to embrace the grunge. On July 8, Anne Hathaway proved jeans with optimal cut-outs do exist through a pair from Area, Taylor Swift's favorite denim brand.
The Oscar winner was just spotted in New York City with her husband, Adam Shulman. She attempted to maintain a low profile in all-black and a baseball cap, but her designer denim blew her cover. Hathaway chose Area's Chain Cut-Out Wide-Leg Jeans: mid-rise black bottoms that served as the base for an oversize cotton chain. The gray shackles stretched from her hip to her right ankle and around the back. Up close, Hathaway's skin peeked through the slim cutouts like any chainlink necklace.

Since the jeans were especially striking, Hathaway wore a minimal tank on top, also in black. She swapped walkable sneakers for Western-inspired leather boots, courtesy of Isabel Marant. The toes were pointy and the heels thick—an unexpected selection for the summer, yet welcome given the staying power of cowgirl style.
In the accessories department, Hathaway adhered to a four-figure price tag (or higher). First, The Devil Wears Prada star carried Valentino's Small Moon Hobo Bag in ivory with a gold chainlink strap.
The 42-year-old's look would feel incomplete without her signature Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas watch, an $11,200 timepiece that's worked overtime this summer. The rose gold, stainless steel accessory spotlighted a pear-shaped face, while the two-tone band wrapped around her wrist. The Bulgari ambassador wore its silver counterpart to a pre-Met Gala 2025 party, alongside capris and a white button-down.

At this point, Area's cutout jeans are a bona fide trend, co-signed by Beyoncé, Chrissy Teigen, and Swift. After her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl, the Grammy winner stormed the field in black Area bottoms slitted with crystalized cut-outs on both thighs. Similar to Hathaway, she paired the $695 jeans with a matching sleeveless top and ankle boots, both in black.

Feeling ripped jeans fatigue? This is your sign to try Area's more refined version.