While the Northern Hemisphere winds down its summer, the coolest women there — Cindy Crawford and Claire Foy among them — have quietly ditched skinny jeans and white sneakers in favour of something looser and, frankly, more comfortable: relaxed, '90s-inspired straight-leg or wide-leg denim, worn with a simple thong sandal or flip-flop. No blazer required, no overthinking. Just jeans, a top, and a flat sandal.
It's a formula that's about to make a lot of sense on this side of the equator too. As Joburg shakes off the last of the cold mornings and Cape Town starts eyeing its first beach weekends, this is the jeans-and-shoe pairing we'll be reaching for on repeat from September through to Easter.
Why this jean shape is taking over
Skinny jeans and skintight bootcuts have had a long run, but 2026 is firmly a wide-leg and straight-leg moment — relaxed through the hip and thigh, with a slightly '90s, dad-jean-adjacent cut rather than anything flared or exaggerated. For South African summers, this is genuinely a practical win: a looser leg breathes better in Durban humidity, doesn't cling in Joburg's midday heat, and looks equally at home at a Sunday market in Cape Town or a braai in Pretoria. Local retailers have already caught on — Woolworths, Mr Price, Cotton On and Zara are all leaning into relaxed and wide-leg denim for the season, moving away from the ultra-skinny cuts that dominated a few years ago.
The shoe swap: thong sandals over sneakers
The second half of the equation is the shoe. Instead of the expected white sneaker or slip-on, the trend calls for a flat thong sandal or flip-flop — the simplest, most minimal option in the shoe rack. It sounds almost too basic to be "styled," but that's the point: paired with a good pair of jeans, a plain leather or rubber thong sandal reads intentional rather than lazy, and it's about as suited to a hot Highveld afternoon or a Sea Point stroll as footwear gets.
How to wear it
Keep the rest of the outfit as pared-back as the shoe. A plain white tank, an oversized cotton shirt left open, or a simple linen blouse all work — the jeans and sandals are doing the talking. For cooler early-summer evenings, swap the tank for a lightweight knit. It's a formula built to carry you from a hot December afternoon right through to a mild April one.
Where to shop it in SA
You don't need designer denim to get this right — most of what you need is already sitting in local stores.
Prices are approximate and will shift with stock and season — but the point stands: this is a trend you can put together for well under R1500, most of it from stores you already shop at.
The takeaway
As SA heads into spring and then summer, this is the outfit to lean on when you can't be bothered to think too hard about getting dressed: a relaxed pair of jeans, a plain top, and a flat sandal instead of a sneaker. It's comfortable in the heat, works from a Woolies run to a Friday sundowner, and — per Cindy and Claire — it's officially cool again.
Inspired by Who What Wear's "Not Trainers—The Coolest Women In Their 60s and 40s Are Wearing Straight-Leg Jeans With These Shoes Instead" (30 July 2026).
