Here's a sentence fashion editors like me can rarely put together: Jennifer Lawrence just wore a comfortable fall denim trend for a staggering fifty percent off. But it isn't a glitch in the street style matrix. Jennifer Lawrence's drawstring jeans really could substitute for Vuori joggers or an Entireworld sweatsuit, and I found them for half-off at Net-a-Porter right now.
The denim—slightly low-rise and in a versatile mid-rinse wash—almost escaped my notice. When Lawrence made a recent errand run in New York City wearing her pair, her stack of high-low wardrobe essentials pulled focus. A vintage Fendi bag perched on her shoulder. A stack of sentimental jewelry by Foundrae glitzed up her plain The Row T-shirt. Sturdy Adidas Superstar sneakers ensured she could hit at least 10,000 steps. In a look filled with so many of her repeat favorite brands and vastly contrasting price points, baggy, low-rise jeans didn't seem like the headline at first.
Once I figured out exactly which jeans J.Law had picked out—La Ligne's Jenny jean, to be exact—my entire perspective shifted. Each season, runways from Altuzarra to Zimmermann dictate all sorts of denim trends: leg shapes widen and shrink, while waistbands rise and fall. What's lacking most of the time is a fabric that's tolerable to wear all day, but polished enough to take in all sorts of settings.
Drawstring jeans are the perfect equilibrium. They don't pinch at the waist like a typical jean, and the legs hold the shape of a great trouser. Lawrence dressed hers down with a simple T-shirt. I could easily envision the same pair with a more diaphanous Cecilie Bahnsen top or a Sézane fall sweater. Karl Lagerfeld may have once derided sweatpants in that infamous quote, but surely even he could appreciate such a versatile pair of pants with the same cloud-like feel.
At the time I'm hitting "Publish," Jennifer Lawrence's exact drawstring jeans are only available in a few sizes. I took the liberty of tracking down a few more equally comfortable pairs in case they fully sell out. Or if, like me, you decide to trade all your hard jeans for their cozier counterparts. I suspect Lawrence might even be tempted to make the same move soon.
Shop More Drawstring Jeans Inspired by Jennifer Lawrence
These Madewell jeans check a lot of the same boxes as Jennifer Lawrence's: wide legs, a lighter wash, a softer-than-soft denim, a drawstring waist. The only major difference I can see is the larger quantity of sizes in-stock (and the even more affordable price).
I find the barrel jeans trend a lot less intimidating in this relaxed take. But instead of the sporty styling shown here, I'd find a way to wear these with buckled ballet flats and a crewneck sweater for fall.
I know some fashion people who'd argue anything with a drawstring waist is too casual to wear to work. I'll present Gap's horseshoe drawstring jeans as a counterpoint: Even with an adjustable waistband, they still have all the structure to complement a designer button-up shirt or sleeveless top. Just like Hailey Bieber's favorite Gap pair, they're also on-sale.
Here's an alternative from La Ligne, one of Lawrence's favorite brands, crafted from the same soft chambray as a great button-down shirt. I'd try it with a top in identical material for a laid-back denim-on-denim outfit. Of course, I'd pass Lawrence's street-style test with just a T-shirt.
I understand not everyone can be convinced drawstring jeans are just as comfortable as sweatpants. So I'll present you with a viral, TikTok-debated alternative: Rag & Bone's Miramar sweatpant jeans. These are the inverse of all the styles I discussed above. Instead of softer-than-average denim, they're a pair of cotton sweatpants printed to resemble jeans. Pull them on and fool everyone around you—when I've seen these in the wild, I've been duped.
