I keep coming back to the same question — now that I’m a mom, are mom jeans just…jeans?
Okay, dorky jokes aside, I love a good pair of high-rise denim that does not suction to my legs. While I recently took the plunge and invested in a higher-priced pair of loose leg jeans that I’m obsessed with, my closet also contains a handful of really great jeans that don’t come with such a steep price tag.
If investing in denim isn’t your priority right now, or you’re simply looking to break away from your skinny jeans for the first time ever and need a good beginner pair in another style — I GOT YOU! This post contains my four fave mom jeans that don’t break the bank: the high ankle from H&M, the mom-fit from Mango, American Eagle’s retro take on the mom jean, and a pair of mom jeans from Abercrombie.
If you wanted my own opinion of what mom jeans are, it would actually be pretty generic. I would consider them to be a high-rise jean, fitted in the waist, and somewhat loose in the legs — with the tightness of the bum varying from brand to brand. Do they have to be a straight leg or can they taper at the bottom? Do the pockets have to be shaped in such a way that is unflattering to the booty? Do they have to be documented in an episode of Friends? Those are all highly debatable factors the deeper you get into a Google search.
Regardless of the exact definition, the jeans I’m covering in this post are all actually named by their own brands as “Mom Jeans.” So without further ado, here are my fave pairs of mom jeans for under $100!
H&M Mom High Ankle Jeans
If my memory serves me right, this is actually the first pair of mom jeans I have ever owned, having grabbed this pair a few years ago now. I was headed to the fitting rooms when a rack of jeans caught my eye — these were just different enough from the popular skinny jean, but being at the beginning of the mom jean trend, they weren’t too outrageous in their shape. They are pretty dang comfortable, fit true to size, and have lasted very well over the years (the fact that I’ve kept them for so long should say something — I’m a serial closet-cleaner-outer).
H&M has since expanded the line — you can now grab their mom jeans in ultra high rise, ankle fit, slim fit, loose fit (what I would be buying today, if I was just finding them), among a handful of other combinations! While the tag of mine simply reads “mom jean” I believe these would most closely qualify as what they now call “Mom High Ankle Jeans.”
Mango Mom-Fit Jeans
This pair has gathered up more compliments than most jeans I own. I’m not sure if it’s the wash, the style, the perfectly shaped bum area or all of it together — but they carry a cool factor in a very nonchalant way. I own the 100% cotton fit, which is nice and rigid, but if you want a bit more flex, their regular Mom Jean has elastane in their composition.
I’m not sure if I could truly say, which jeans I’m wearing the most right now, but this one is up there for the most commonly grabbed pair — and I find this brand to fit very TTS.
AE Mom Jeans
I love a good “glow up”, and when it comes to brands, this one has worked hard at trying to cater their clothes to a wider audience since their sub-brand Aerie launched their #AerieREAL campaign a few years back. When I saw women of all ages and sizes rocking their stuff on Instagram, I decided to check back into the brand and see what was up. American Eagle has somehow still managed to capture the attention of current teenagers despite being a brand that predates Gen Z, which honestly doesn’t scare me off as a 30-something-year-old but impresses me (if only Delia*s could have figured out that same formula). I became a big fan of Aerie’s underwear and cozy leggings, but it wasn’t until just recently that I decided to try a pair of American Eagle jeans. I think this might be my first pair I purchased from them since I was a teenager, but I totally love their take on mom jeans!
They have a more serious ’80s vibe and looser leg than the others I own, are super-comfortable and have unique washes like this striped one I grabbed. I found the jeans to be true to size if not a bit too big, I maybe could have sized down one. I should also note that I ordered a Long (I’m 5’9”), which created the look just like on the model. I was stoked to find a pair that wasn’t so drastically cropped! Like H&M, they have a ton of varieties when it comes to mom jeans, so I linked a bunch of good ones below! (Psst — their ’90s boyfriend jean is super good, too!! Runs TTS)
Abercrombie High Rise Mom Jeans
jeans (darker wash) | jeans (lighter wash) | bodysuit | sneakers
This one is a fave around The Mom Edit, and pictured here I am rocking both the regular High Rise Mom Jean (in the dark wash) and the Curve Love High Rise Mom Jean. Both styles have a wash or two that prices out just above $100, but the majority of them fall under. Thanks to Scotti’s article breaking down the differences of these two jeans, I knew that the waist would be the same on both — and I prefer a size up in this brand (rocking a 29 in both pairs). If you’ve read along on some of my other posts, you may know I am not so curvy, but given that I prefer a loose jean right now, I actually love the extra room the Curve Love pair gives me in the hips and butt.
Also eyeing up that High Rise ’80s Mom Jean from Abercrombie because that pleating detail has me like woah.
Whether you’re a Super Mom Jeans Fan already, or just dipping your toe into the pool of non-skinny jeans for the first time, these would all be an excellent addition to your wardrobe!
“She’ll want to wear them to everything, from a soccer game to a night on the town!” Gotta love those mom jeans!
Xx, Amy
Let’s be friends on Instagram! Sharing everything from new mom life to my professional photo work and everything in between. See you there!
Oh hey, Pinners…
Recommending the “barrel leg” jeans from the Gap…. I love them so much, I have them in six different washes. High waist, real denim with little or no stretch, straight and cropped leg. Just perfect in every way (to me).
Ooo thank you for that rec! I have to check them out now!!