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: women's jeans of an outdated or unflattering style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

Throw it on with linen pants and sandals for a relaxed sightseeing look; pair it with mom jeans and a cardigan for a museum morning; or layer it under a zip-up hoodie for your travel day outfit. — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026

Looking for actual mom jeans that are looser through the hips without being baggy? — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026

Nostalgic mom jeans are in the middle of a resurgence for good reason. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 30 May 2026

From my comfy mom jeans to my hair straightener, something is always on loan, and during the winter, my stylish cozy basics are the main target of their closet raids. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mom jeans

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