Carole Middleton's flared jeans from 20 years ago are bang on trend today

Carole Middleton’s flared jeans from 20 years ago are right on trend today and they’re easy to dress up or down to suit any occasion.

The Princess of Wales’s mother is one of those people whose style has remained effortlessly elegant, no matter the decade or the occasion. So many of her outfits from the years before Kate became a member of the Royal Family are still something we’d wear now and her love of denim has never wavered. She might be seen more often nowadays wearing gorgeous midi dresses to more formal events, but for low key outings Carole has always loved a good pair of jeans.

Like Kate, skinny jeans have been one of her go-to styles for a long time, but Carole’s flared jeans from 2005 are a stunning alternative that are still right on trend now, 20 years later. She wore them to the Spirit of Christmas Shopping Festival with the Princess of Wales and they’re a great choice for daily wear when you want comfortable jeans that make you feel put-together.

Shop Flared Jeans Like Carole's

Style Your Flares Like Carole

Carole’s jeans were on the subtle side and flared out from the knee down, but were more streamlined at the top. We often find skinny jeans uncomfortable over our calves by the end of the day, but the looser silhouette of flares avoids this whilst still having a more fitted top half to balance out the bottom hems.

The Princess of Wales’s mother appeared to be wearing a mid-rise pair of flared jeans and we’re not at all surprised that she opted for a darker tone. When it comes to jeans, lighter shades often feel a lot more casual and Carole Middleton’s signature style is typically quite smart-casual even for day-to-day outings. She’s always favoured indigo and mid-blue washes and the deeper colour of her flares in 2005 gave them a more elevated feel.

Once you’ve found the best jeans for your body type it’s all-too-tempting to stick with that design, but flares are a style that woman&home’s Digital Fashion Writer Molly Smith believes have a "timeless quality" and would definitely work in 2025.

"Whilst denim trends come and go, flares will always remain my ultimate go-to," she says. "The flared silhouette is flattering, and there is a timeless quality about this style that I believe will always be in fashion. Pair yours with a fitted blazer for a smart-casual feel or a satin blouse for a dressed-up occasion."

We’ve seen more relaxed jeans like flares and wide-leg jeans become increasingly popular in recent years and this is showing no sign of changing in 2025. However, as Molly said, flared jeans like Carole Middleton’s will always be a classic choice and they’re easy to elevate or make more casual.

The Princess of Wales’s mum wore hers with low-heeled black ankle boots, a matching black blazer with a cosy faux fur scarf and carried the Mulberry Helier bag. This combination was chic but low-key for a day browsing the stalls at Spirit of Christmas with Kate, but she could have made it more comfortable still with a pair of her best white trainers and a longline coat. To take it up a notch for a slightly more formal occasion, we would have gone for higher heeled boots and a black shirt or fitted jumper and sparkling jewellery.

Ultimately, though, you can style flared jeans like Carole’s in exactly the same way you would wear skinny jeans to create an ensemble that looks so put-together but is comfy and on trend for 2025.