I tried high street’s best barrel jeans – my fave look expensive but they’re a steal

I tried high street’s best barrel jeans – my faves are expensive but they’re a steal

[{"selector":"#anim-bfc93e32-3ea6-4e68-85be-938b94bc223b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8864a96f-f3de-46a2-924d-031d4dd0d9b4","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11228785-a942-4933-8fe8-691ce03b41c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1ba33252-ce0e-4deb-88c2-0f86435e4fd4","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Horseshoe, banana or barrel – whatever you call them, they’re the jeans of the year. Alice Marsh tells us whether the new trend is suitable for grown-ups.

[{"selector":"#anim-730b4c19-c84a-4c9d-85aa-2a1092c34cb7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-17b01716-18b0-44b4-8175-1ea0744a805f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8873170-6d6e-4fb6-a469-d32610ddc34e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2252868-152d-4d08-beb5-e05dc08d8f25","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f09c0e9-3b8a-4e68-ab2e-dce1b1835c9e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c580d997-d76f-428f-8d51-65a0f59944b9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Loved by up-and-coming actress Tina Kunakey, these wide, curved-leg denims hug the hips, bag around the thighs, become voluminous around the knees then taper toward the ankles.

[{"selector":"#anim-1239bacf-bb4e-43de-b3e0-f8b66208f5e0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d0edc586-36a9-4756-a0c1-8c7fff05bc12","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-42441546-d73e-4926-bd9e-713f6d70cd42","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e6350988-6df5-466e-ae90-978f6badb405","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff45fb6b-9f89-4b5e-8250-c323ddcf94e7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2ff2adde-4559-42b6-8542-2292d95d55da","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe7f4eed-ac2d-4c2d-9ff9-418b08287842","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60c19404-f540-480b-b2a7-bcd15babb435","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

These are a lovely pale wash, flattering fit and a great length for my 5ft 6in frame.

[{"selector":"#anim-db32fe85-79e2-4976-8119-7fc607da4af4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d981a591-367d-403c-8c67-e76d2dbe03ce","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef2e727f-be85-4f5e-b1dc-b6e6985fc76e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4851d558-9db1-4f5b-a2ec-974e07242fc1","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fbc79846-301e-40f4-a55e-71d8428ce13a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5456b06b-88b2-4033-8a51-b87354ced4e6","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] CARROT FIT - Marks & Spencer, £39.50

Longer for taller ladies. No strong curve so not quite barrel shape.

[{"selector":"#anim-4c54f57e-8984-4a62-8a42-93a9354282d0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b0e1cb54-1145-4fb5-845b-d9f08c6148a4","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d1ac1b76-7920-4431-a759-eca8b02fc968","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-089d0b5b-bdef-4df8-b11c-73505220bdb0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-daa408ff-4c0f-4510-9337-be65a6df2d13","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de951d8f-b787-4811-85ec-c0e139327e29","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Tapered, high- waist fit - H&M, £24.99

Not quite the signature barrel shape, so nice taster, slightly big around waist.

[{"selector":"#anim-64cc4c13-7dc7-48fa-8829-0bc49f162c98","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-75a4be74-0ffe-4b6c-bf74-f539f1bdf43f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7857cb74-17c2-428a-8b14-c1e3b0fa3fed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1219b4fa-f3e9-4c6d-9d49-93369da61ca5","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7540fbd-97ef-4bc0-ac78-e4fdec557a4f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2baf1548-da5c-4e91-a77c-1c2a67c15731","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Barrel fit - New Look, £32.99

Great fit around waist and hips, love the button fly, would work best on petites.

[{"selector":"#anim-98d35c72-03bb-40c8-84a5-d61f937a8a77","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe843d96-de45-49bd-a0a9-d556685f763d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4cbef24-9ca1-4fb8-ac00-9cfa5e1d64a1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9c3f191c-f628-44a4-b95b-a338ada6cb05","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ebdfe17d-03e4-4053-b567-9930bb312261","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eb4b6ebf-0322-4bf0-8601-9ab795e56630","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Balloon fit - Pepe, £45

Love the shape, and dart at knee. And the frayed hem make them look expensive.

[{"selector":"#anim-b8895974-8f88-49aa-99b3-f050217e78b4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d08dba36-9816-47ed-be65-fec6a416c4d8","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f7547e7-cc20-4369-83bd-3cf3079c2517","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-57167e11-ba99-40ce-8839-bf6a107bb631","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f0f73a4a-23c3-40d1-b97d-2707cbc350f4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76c5dee8-b882-48b1-8d5d-0237747a324c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Barrel fit - River Island, £45