On paper, Emily Ratajkowski in a T-shirt and blue jeans sounds almost too simple to analyse. Then you see the images from her Abercrombie and Fitch fall 2026 denim campaign: relaxed, low-rise jeans, a trench shrugged on, a striped tie knotted loosely, downtown Manhattan as the backdrop. The clothes barely try, yet every frame feels like an off-duty editorial. That is exactly the point.
Ratajkowski has reached a phase where her off-duty model style is built around what she calls jeans you “stop thinking about once you put them on.” They look effortless in street-style galleries and paparazzi shots because they are effortless in real life. For working and aspiring models, that approach is more than aesthetic. It is a blueprint for uniforms that survive long days, commute between castings, and still read as camera-ready on the sidewalk.
Why Emily Ratajkowski’s jeans matter for off-duty model style
Ratajkowski grew up in Southern California, where her wardrobe revolved around denim and easy basics. She has said her style was always casual, and Abercrombie and Fitch jeans were part of that era for her because of how “effortless” they felt. That teenage memory runs straight into her current closet. The silhouettes have relaxed and the rises have dropped, but the brief is the same: jeans that feel lived in instead of stiff or costume-like.
Over the years, she has moved away from chasing every micro-trend and toward clothes that make her feel like herself and fit into her actual life. Her own definition of the perfect pair is disarmingly simple: “The best jeans are the ones you stop thinking about once you put them on. They should feel lived in.” She adds that she is more into relaxed cuts these days. Look at candids of her walking her dog or heading to meetings and you see exactly that: loose denim, a strong jacket, flat shoes. These are looks designed to function for hours, which is precisely why they translate so well on camera.
Inside the Abercrombie denim blueprint
The fall 2026 Abercrombie and Fitch denim campaign makes that quiet formula explicit. Shot in downtown Manhattan by Cass Bird, it follows Ratajkowski through the city in a rotation of relaxed, low-rise jeans styled with trench coats, cool leather jackets and striped men’s ties. Paloma Elsesser appears alongside her, reinforcing the idea that this is about real bodies moving through real streets, not a fantasy set. The aesthetic nods to early-2000s prep, but with softer washes and easy fits that feel grown up.
The brand itself has traveled a long way from its late 1990s and 2000s mall-culture peak. Founded on New York’s Lower East Side in 1892, it now leans into elevated basics and a more inclusive image. Casting Ratajkowski makes sense: she remembers that aspirational era, but she wears denim now with a Rihanna-style confidence that belongs to today. New York is still her favorite city to get dressed in because, as she has put it, everyone knows they are being seen and still has a full day to handle. That mix of practicality and individuality is what the campaign, and her jeans, crystallise.
- Relaxed low-rise jeans + long trench + loose tie: reads like a street editorial, but every piece is comfortable enough for a full day of calls and castings.
- Baggy blue denim + cropped leather jacket: a single strong layer on top of unfussy jeans creates instant model-off-duty energy with zero fuss.
- Low-rise jeans + cropped top + sneakers: pure SoCal-meets-Tribeca, easy to move in and endlessly repeatable for coffee runs and go-sees.
- Jeans + denim or shearling jacket + subtle preppy details: a clean way to reference early-2000s nostalgia without slipping into costume.
How to build your own “forget-you’re-wearing-them” denim kit
Translating this into a working wardrobe starts with fit, not logos. Think in terms of a small, tight edit rather than a pile of almost-right pairs. For many models and creatives, three core jeans are enough: one relaxed straight or loose high-rise for days you want more coverage, one slouchy low-rise that sits comfortably on the hip, and one black or very dark wash pair that can pass in slightly dressier settings. From there, you can plug in simple tops and rotate outerwear the way Ratajkowski does, letting a trench, leather jacket or striped tie do the talking.
When you try on jeans, use her “forget-you’re-wearing-them” test. The denim should feel soft but not flimsy, with enough ease through the hip and thigh that you can climb subway steps without thinking about it. The waistband should sit flat without digging when you sit, and the length should work with both sneakers and boots after a small cuff if needed. Walk around, sit, reach for something, take a few test strides like you are crossing a street while a photographer shoots from the corner. If you are tugging at the rise or checking for gaping every few seconds, they are not the pair.
Once the base is right, borrow the rest of the blueprint: build outfits around one “conversation piece” over invisible comfort. A tailored trench, a slightly unexpected tie, a boxy leather jacket or a sharp bag shape will give street-style photographers a clear focal point without asking you to suffer through a difficult silhouette. The jeans fade into the background of your awareness, but the overall picture still has structure and personality. That balance is what makes Emily Ratajkowski’s denim so useful as a reference point for anyone who lives part of their career on the sidewalk.
