Sydney Sweeney trades wide-leg jeans for leather barrel trousers and lingerie

She's elevating the controversial trend by pulling a Dakota Johnson.
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Still on the fence about barrel jeans? Allow Sydney Sweeney to convince you.

In one short day, Sweeney was photographed in two looks that any fashion-forward New Yorker would consider noteworthy. While spending some time in the West Village, the Anyone But You star (and 2024 Glamour Woman of the Year) paired high-waisted, wide-leg jeans with a crisp white t-shirt, which she warmed up with a cream knit puffer coat.

Sweeney accessorised with white boots and an obligatory pair of black sunglasses, though her pièce de résistance came in the form of Celine's £670 Triomphe cashmere and sherpa bucket hat. Please resist the urge to call this quiet luxury when it's literally a logo-fied statement piece.

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Later in the evening, Sweeney embraced a sexier version of this silhouette by switching over to ever city girl's favoured all-black colour pallet. For her NYC date night with fiancé Jonathan Davino, Sweeney paired a lacy black bustier with high-waisted leather trousers and a matching cropped leather jacket. She even finished off the look with a black version of those pointed-toe boots, trading her sherpa bucket hat for a shearling purse to keep that luxurious touch of texture.

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This may be Dakota Johnson's signature look, but Sydney Sweeney put her own spin on the winning outfit formula through the cut of her pants. In lieu of of a typical straight-leg leather pant, Sweeney opted for the controversial barrel silhouette that's been dominating Glamour editors' denim collections for the past few months.

The curved style features a fitted waist that flares out from the hip and tapers back in at the ankle, which is why they're sometimes referred to as “balloon” or “horseshoe” pants. While some barrel jeans can be pretty dramatic, Sweeney's leather version were a bit more subtle.

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Clearly, the barrel silhouette isn't going anywhere. In fact, Anne Hathaway's stylist Erin Walsh is looking to see her top client embrace the trend in 2025. “For someone like Annie, the denim category is somewhere we’ve been having more fun recently,” Walsh recently told Glamour US. “So these barrel jeans that Old Navy’s doing, I’d love to see those on her. I think they’re really cool, and they surprisingly look good on so many body types.”

All the more reason to try the look for yourself!

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This article originally appeared on GLAMOUR (US).