We Tried Reformation’s Bestselling Cary Jeans in 4 Different Cuts and Colors

I first laid my eyes on the Reformation Cary jeans at the Soho store in New York City. It was the Chesapeake Studded pair, which is currently the second most popular iteration of the perfectly baggy denim. I tried them on alongside my best friend, and we both popped out of our dressing rooms (which are decidedly luxe and technologically advanced, just in case you’ve never been to a Ref shop before) equally delighted and shocked. We have completely different body types, but we loved the subtle slouch, give, and swingy feel of the jeans just the same. One thing led to another, and I ended up enlisting three fellow PS editors to test them via our Vetted series. Could these jeans be universally flattering? I wondered.

Alexandra Avdey, Vice President of Buying at Reformation, shared that the Cary was first launched around the time customers started shifting away from a skinny fit, and the silhouette was loosely inspired by the bestselling Mason, a pooling trouser with a similar leg opening. After the high-rise Cary was launched in the brand’s signature Colorado wash, it exploded in popularity and naturally progressed to a low-rise version in September 2024. Today, the low-rise in Ondine – which one of our editors tested! – is Reformation’s top-selling denim style. The low-rise in Cleary (the pair I personally own) comes in at number three.

“The Cary is designed to fit like your favorite pair of well-loved vintage jeans, fitted through the waist, and relaxed at the hips and thigh with a wide leg. Go for your true size or even size up for an ultra slouchy fit. These aren’t meant to be super tailored so if you don’t want a slightly oversized fit, opt for a straighter style,” Avdey says. Like most of the eco-conscious retailer’s denim, the Cary is made with regeneratively grown cotton and TENCEL™ lyocell, with the fiber makeup varying slightly across SKUs; can be recycled via RefRecycling when customers wish to retire them; and should be washed on cold and left to air dry to preserve fit and color.

The Cary has a 32-inch inseam, which wasn’t exactly ideal for our more petite editors; however, Reformation conveniently offers free in-store alterations to solve that problem. Keep scrolling for reviews from our editors who tested four different cuts and colors.