A relaxed fit is cut with room where you move. There is extra space through the seat, the hip and the thigh, the leg falls away from you instead of following the shape of it, and the waistband still holds its position while the rest of the jean eases off. That combination is what separates relaxed jeans from a fit that simply runs large.
The Billie is where the idea lives at AMO. It is our best seller, cut as a cropped wide straight leg in premium rigid denim with a mid rise and thoughtful distressing, and it appears in this collection in multiple colorways, from Alabaster and Adulation through to Rosestone, a Rally Stripe and Shadow. A range of one jean says something: this is a fit AMO believes in. Worth knowing before you order: the Billie has an easy fit, but the fit can vary by wash. Check the fit details on each wash for the best guidance on how that particular wash is running. Size down for a closer fit, or take your usual size for more ease and a lower fit on the hips.
Relaxed, Loose and Slouchy
The vocabulary is looser than the fit. Shoppers use relaxed, loose and slouchy for the same jean, and the differences between them are real and small.
Laid out from closest to fullest, a straight leg follows the line of your leg with no room added. A relaxed or loose fit adds room through the hip and thigh, so the denim hangs away from you while the waist stays put. Slouchy goes a step further: the leg is cut full and the fabric is soft enough that it collapses and pools instead of hanging straight, which is where the lived-in look comes from. Baggy sits at the far end, where the volume is the whole point of the jean.
Almost everything on this page sits in the middle two positions. If you want the far end of that range, the wide leg jeans collection is where the volume is.
Relaxed Straight Jeans
Relaxed straight jeans are the most wearable version of the fit because the two halves serve different purposes. The straight leg gives you a clean line from hip to hem. The relaxed cut gives you the room to move inside it. You get the ease without the volume, which is why this combination outlasts most denim trends.
Four styles here are cut that way. The Billie is a cropped wide straight leg and the softest introduction to the fit. The Odette is low rise, full length and relaxed through the hip, made for everyday wear. The Tatum is a mid rise straight wide leg with a subtle taper that keeps the line clean. The Annette is a high rise straight with a slouchy feel and an inseam long enough to stack at the ankle.
If you want to see how a relaxed straight sits against a true slim or a wide leg, the straight leg jeans collection carries the full fit comparison.
Rise in a Relaxed Fit
Rise changes a relaxed fit more than fabric does. Where the waistband sits decides whether all that room in the leg looks deliberate or looks accidental, because the waist is the only fixed point in the silhouette.
This collection runs across all three. The Cate and the Annette sit high. The Billie, Tatum, Maria and Kira sit at a mid rise, which is the easiest place to start with a relaxed leg. The Odette, Margot Trouser, and Marcenia Boot sit low, channeling the lean, low-slung proportions of early-2000s denim.
For the full explanation of how each rise affects your proportions, see mid rise jeans and high rise jeans. The complete low-slung range sits in low rise jeans.
Cropped and Full Length
Length is the second decision, and in a relaxed fit it changes the whole proportion. A cropped leg ends above the ankle and puts a visible edge on all that room, which stops a relaxed jean from reading as oversized. The Billie is cropped, and so is the Cate with its knee darts and utility pockets, the Christie Crop with its sculpted barrel leg, and the Maria, a loose horseshoe fit with a curved outseam and a let-down hem. The rest of the cropped jeans range sits on its own page.
Full length does the opposite and lets the fabric run all the way down. The Odette, Annette, Kira and Tatum are cut long, and the Marcenia Boot is meant to stack slightly at the hem. The rest of the full length range sits on its own page.
How to Wear a Relaxed Fit
A relaxed leg wants your waist visible somewhere in the outfit. A front tuck into a ribbed tank or a slim tee is the quickest way to get it, and it turns the room in the leg into a decision you made.
For shoes, a cropped relaxed jean leaves the ankle open, so a mule, a sandal, or a low boot all sit well. A full-length pair covers the foot and takes almost anything under it. The Marcenia Boot has a raw hem on purpose: cut it to your length, leave it as is, or let it fray. To compare this fit against everything else we cut, start from women's jeans.
