Boyfriend jeans are women's jeans that are designed to fit the body loosely, as though they have been borrowed from a woman's boyfriend. These jeans are typically casual and may be distressed in some manner. One feature common to boyfriend jeans is rolled up cuffs, although some can be worn with the cuff down. If a woman does not wish to purchase jeans specifically designed in this style, wearing men's jeans often provides a similar look.
Conceivably, boyfriend jeans evolved out of the practice of wearing an actual boyfriend's jeans for practical purposes, such as having spent the night at his house and needing clean clothes for the morning. The main difference between actual men's jeans and jeans of the boyfriend design is that the women's jeans are designed to fit women's bodies. Many men's jeans have waists that are unsuitable for some women's hips, and the jeans may be too slouchy to stay on a woman's body. The spirit of the jeans is usually the same, but the fit is usually a little different.
Many companies market boyfriend jeans to women as a particular style that implies a certain attitude. Individual designs may vary, but most are loose fitting and slouchy. These jeans come in all different colors, as the term refers to the fit rather than the style. Even so, it is most common to see boyfriend jeans in dark blue, gray, and black.
Boyfriend jeans are usually oversized and may be deliberately too long for the wearer. This requires the cuffs to be rolled up, often exposing the ankles or calves. In some designs, the rolled cuff may be sewn into place to prevent it from slipping. Some of the features of this type of jeans are imitated rather than duplicated from men's jeans, which can help make the jeans look sleeker and more fitted to a woman's body.
Distressing on boyfriend jeans is designed to make the jeans look as though they have been worn many times. For this reason, even a pair of men's jeans that fits well may not give the same appearance as boyfriend jeans. Some jeans are distressed merely to make them look as though they are not new, but some are ripped, splashed with paint, or otherwise altered to make them look as though they have been used for a specific purpose. If a woman is modifying a pair of jeans in order to recreate the look of having been worn, thinking about the types of damage that usually happens to jeans can help provide inspiration for distressing them until they fit this style.