'This specific style of skinny jeans is back (again). I wore them for a week and have some... feedback.'

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The late nineties and early noughties. You were either team Britney or team Christina—or maybe both if you were greedy like me.

You were wearing your favourite spaghetti strap babydoll top paired with a plastic choker, all on top of your... would we call it capris? Would we call it pedal pushers?

Either way, it was a cropped pant that sat just below the knee and definitely above your ankle.

Watch: That one time Annaliese tried the viral one-legged-jean trend. Post continues below.

Marilyn Monroe wore them in the fifties, after all. What better style icon to follow? I was wearing them in the late nineties and early naughties when they were everywhere.

But here's the thing: I've always found them tricky to style. They faded away, and honestly? I haven't missed them. I prefer an ankle jean or just committing fully to shorts. Nothing is required in between.

But the high-fashion elite has decided to make Y2K and capris cool again, so of course, we all follow suit. Capris are back, baby.

Capris in their latest era street style… Image: Instagram @asos / @sofiaboman

High-end brands like Miu Miu, Chanel and Prada featured capri and pedal pusher styles on their 2024 Spring/Summer runways, with cropped, tailored silhouettes in luxe fabrics echoing Y2K vibes but updated for modern minimalism.

Designers such as Stella McCartney and Bottega Veneta showcased them in 2025 collections, blending them with loafers and heels for a polished look.

Katie Holmes, Alexa Chung and Bella Hadid wore capris last year at events like Paris Fashion Week, signalling their comeback via street style and red carpets.

This year, Chung alongside the likes of Hailey Bieber and Dua Lipa are styling pedal pushers with crop tops and oversized blazers.

Alexa Chung makes everything look cool. Image: Instagram @alexachung.

So naturally, I had to test the theory: could someone who wore these as a teenager pull them off as a 40-something? Would I try them with a crop top? Very unlikely.

Could I get my head around how to style them in a modern way so they look on-trend and not like my (beautiful, very dear) 87-year-old grandma who still wears hers religiously?

Only time would tell. I got my hands on nearly every colour and variety of denim capris from Levi's and braced myself for judgment.

Day 1: A middle-aged mum mowing the lawn.

White tee, ballet flat, classic. What could go wrong…? Image: Supplied.

I know from my research on bringing back the skinny jean for the modern era that you're meant to balance out silhouettes. Tight cropped capris with a darker denim wash? Pair with an oversized tee. Bang on... so I thought.

Look, in hindsight, I was being too nostalgic. I wore them with a white tee and ballet flats. And really, this is something I would have worn over 25 years ago. I was looking in the rear-view mirror, not into the future.

But the real test was the head of the Gen Z oracle at Mamamia and Content Producer for Know, Liv Janes.

She is not a fan of capris, as a very cool 20-something. When she saw me, she said I looked like I was wearing something her mum would wear "while mowing the lawn."

Ouch. Fair, but ouch.

Day 2: Much improved, but I suffered for fashion.

Oversize shirt and very high heels… what could go wrong? Ouch. Image: Supplied.

Okay, I learnt a tough lesson after the first day. You can't wear capris with something you wore when you were 15—this will make you look like an old woman now.

So on day two, I wore a lighter wash denim and an oversized striped shirt, plus a very high slingback heel. The proportions were better, the vibe more current.

Well, this looked great, but I died wearing high heels to work all day. And again, raw-dogging barefoot in the office is never a good look. My feet were screaming before 9am.

As always, I had to ask my fiercest Gen Z critic, Liv, what she thought.

"The top half works, but I wouldn't wear that shoe."

All that suffering for nothing.

Day 3: We have finally peaked.

Nostalgia but make it modern. Image: Supplied.

I committed to the black capris today. I wore a white singlet tucked in, an oversized open white shirt and black pointed-toe pumps. I was feeling this fit. Confident. Ready.

The scary part? Asking Liv.

"Third try is a charm. Even Anna Wintour would like this. You've absolutely killed it."

VINDICATION. I wanted to frame this moment.

Day 4: The confidence went to my head.

Lots to unoack here… Image: Supplied.

Heady from such a win the day before, I thought I'd take a risk. Big mistake, it turns out.

I wore the light-coloured capris with a green bomber jacket and pink kitten heels. I thought I was serving looks. I was not.

I copped it hard that day.

"I'm lost for words on this one. I love the jacket, but if you blocked everything from the waist down, it's great," Liv said.

So basically, she only liked my green bomber jacket. Only. The capris? And pink kitten heels? A crime against fashion, apparently.

Day 5: Kid-friendly and back to middle-aged.

I mean I actually liked this vibe… Image: Supplied.

Day five was a working-from-home day. School pick-up, casual, cool, easy breezy. I wore one of the darker wash capris with a blouse tucked in and my very cool new Birkenstocks.

I sent Liv a photo, and she said she really likes my Birks as she's seen me wear them to work before. But as for the fit?

"At the risk of sounding mean, you look 'your age' in that. You usually look way more spunky."

At this point, I wondered if Gen Z was just fundamentally opposed to capris on anyone over 25. Or maybe just in general.

Final verdict…

After five days of capri experimentation, here's what I learnt: the black capris were my absolute favourite. They felt the most modern, the most versatile, and the easiest to style without veering into "mum mowing the lawn" territory.

The key to making capris work in 2025? Balance is everything. Oversized tops, structured blazers, and elevated footwear (even if my feet hated me for it) made all the difference.

And whatever you do, don't try to recreate your teenage look—resist the nostalgia and style them for now, not then.

Would I wear them again? The black ones, absolutely. The light wash? Maybe.

Below, I've rounded up a selection of the coolest capris on the market at the moment if you'd like to jump (back in) on this trend.

Not every pair of Levi's I wore is still available to purchase (so popular they've sold out), so I've included a wide range with all the possible capris your little exposed calves could yearn for.

Best capris to shop for women.

Levi's® Women's Wedgie Capri Jeans, $129.95.

Image: Levi's.

Levi's® Women's 311 Shaping Skinny Capri Jeans, $119.95.

Image: Levi's.

Kmart Capri Pants, $40.

Image: Kmart.

Suzanne Grae Crop Slim Stretch Pant, $49.95.

Image: Suzanne Grae.

Cue European Stretch Cotton Capri Pant, $249.

Image: Myer.

Just Jeans Originals High Rise Wide Leg Capri, $89.95.

Image: Just Jeans

Sportscraft Evie Capri Pant, $169.99.

Image: The Iconic.

NEXT Denim Capri Pedal Pusher Shorts, $72.

Image: The Iconic.

Just Jeans Amaze 3/4 Skinny Crop, $89.95.

Image: Just Jeans.

Just Jeans Curve Originals High Rise Wide Leg Capri, $89.95.

Image: Just Jeans.

Pretty Little Thing Brown Ultra Soft Wrap Waist Detail Capri, $60.

Image: Pretty Little Thing.

Lioness Starlet Capri Pants, $49.

Image: The Iconic.

Bardot Bruna Pedal Pusher Jean, $119.99.

Image: The Iconic.

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Feature Image: Supplied.