There may be strange things happening behind the scenes at J.Crew these days, but there's one place where strangeness is a good thing for the brand: pants.

From wide-leg to loose and relaxed to old man vibes, the go-to below-the-waist trend these days is, roughly: bigger is better. This roomier look gained traction on both high-end runways and on the street, thanks to the recent obsession with skater style—and now J.Crew's getting in on the action with its own looser silhouette. Called the 1450 Relaxed Fit, it's a big statement from the brand that originally brought slimmer tailoring to a mass audience around a decade ago with their Ludlow suit.

J.Crew, sensing that this additional fit might cause some confusion among their menswear fans, made a short video explaining the differences between their new fits, and featuring some fancy footwork from a team of dancer/models in a video. The clip echoes nothing so much as the legendary Gap commercials of the 90s, and the callback to that grungy, sportswear-loving decade makes sense: fashion is in the midst of a massive '90s revival. And J.Crew's prep was one of the touchstones of that period—so it makes sense for the brand to reach back into its archive to move itself forward.

Don't be nervous about the idea of letting your pants get bigger this season — J.Crew is that perfect label (good quality, safe vibes, reasonable prices) to test-drive the trend. And it's also confirmation that big pants have gone from niche to mainstream, regardless of how you feel on the matter (or how many pairs of Saint Laurent painted-on skinny jeans you have in your closet). If J.Crew is looking to get loose, you should definitely be paying attention.

And if you need some ideas on how to make it work, well, you've come to the right place.

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