mom jeans

plural noun

1

: women's jeans of an outdated or unflattering style

I was wearing a seriously old-school pair of jeans until last year, when a friend of mine put her foot down. She said, "You'd look 10 years younger … if you got rid of those mom jeans."

—Marion Winik

2

: jeans (as for women or girls) with a high waist and a tapered leg

Baggy pants and high-waisted "mom jeans" are currently No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on the list of must-have apparel among teenage girls, the report says.

—Crystal Bell

If you're looking to ease yourself back into denim, a great pair of mom jeans could be the perfect place to start. This popular style is often loose in the leg … , but the tapered ankle is super flattering for a wide range of body shapes.

—Emily Dawes

Examples of mom jeans in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Imagine a hybrid between mom jeans and skinny jeans, the perfect flattering combo to project an impeccable style. —Renata Joffre, Glamour, 23 Aug. 2025

Tie into mom jeans and a vintage tee, or wear with linen trousers and a tank. —Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2025

Every popular retailer, including those aimed at teens from Hollister to Abercrombie and Fitch, carries its own version of mom jeans. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025

Popular throughout the 2010s, the trend faded as baggier silhouettes like mom jeans and wide-leg styles began dominating wardrobes. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mom jeans

• alkenes
• amines
• benzenes
• canteens
• convenes
• cosines
• cuisines
• eumenes
• hellenes
• latrines
• machines
• marines