Are skinny jeans actually cancelled?
- Tia Hall
- May 14, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 28, 2022
Looking at the rise and the possible fall of the revolution of skin-tight denim
Cast your mind back. It’s 2010 – we rocked skinny jeans, vest tops, and denim jackets. Life was simple, and so was fashion. Ten years on, and a pandemic later, should we still be sticking with jeans that we have to clamber and squeeze into?
TikTok trends are now leading the way for fashion and there is one debate that keeps coming back to haunt us all. The face-off between skinny jeans and…well, any other jeans, has divided the fashion community as stylists, influencers and designers battle it out to argue their side of the case.
As we slowly crawl out of our comfies slumber (Long live the tracksuit gang) and back into jeans, some have decided to ditch their skinny jeans for good, and others feel they will never let go, but what has caused a trend transformation from skinny to baggy (and everything in between)? Should we be chucking our skinnies away for good?
‘’Skinny jeans are less of a fashion choice than a default setting. We have come to see them almost as a blank canvas, a piece of clothing that has ceased to signify anything; come, in fact, almost not to see them at all.’’
Almost signifying that even in 2013, they were so popular that actually, they weren't even a garment to be trendy. They were so popular that they become the norm, take that as you will.
But with mom, dad, boyfriend, and any other relative's jeans becoming ever more desirable, there is a stir surrounding the skinny jean - and an even bigger question to be asked. Who, apart from the top designers around the world, should be telling us what's good for us? Is there really a Gen Z and Millenial divide over what's cool and what's not?
Figure-hugging denim has been around for the past fifty years, are we really ready to let go of such an iconic wardrobe element?
The jeans gene’s: A brief history
Skinny jeans stepped on the scene in the 1970s when the punk era was introduced as a counter-cultural movement. The unisex punk skinny jean was an iconic revolution, yet the pantsuit, flares, and polyester pants were worn by those wanting sexual freedom and expression. Skinny jeans in this era were usually ripped, painted, and covered in fabric patches.
Designer denim came into trend in the 1980s with Calvin Klein taking over the denim universe, Live About explaining that ‘’stonewash, acid wash, ripped jeans, and skinnier leg cuts that were tapered at the ankle were super in''.
In the 1990s, High-waisted jeans with crop tops rocked the top of the pops. The 90s grunge era brought dogtooth faded skinny jeans with Doc Martens, yet Calvin Klein popularised the minimalism femininity for slip dresses and baggier jeans were the norm.
The 2000s brought us the emo movement in which jeans were so skinny they could cut your circulation. Yet every millennial’s darkest secret in the noughties was that every garment that was worn on the lower half of your body was worn low on the hip thanks to the likes of Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, etc.
The ultimate skinny jeans era of 2010 saw everyone and their nan with the same pair of denim jeans. Paired with your heels for your night in town or converse to the supermarket, skinny jeans became the trend for all genders and ages.
Gen Z v Millenials
As of the present day, comfort seems to be a real contributing factor when purchasing our favourite denim. Although skinny jeans seem to be in limbo and a no-go to some Gen Z’ers, The EDITED Denim Report shows that ‘skinny jeans made up 48% of women’s assortment back in 2018 and dropped to 38% but are still the bread and butter of retailers’ denim buys in 2020’.
According to the same study though, relaxed styles have continued to flourish with the number of wide-leg styles in stock increasing by 108% from 2018, straight legs by 55%, and flares by 80%. Cropped and Mom styles remain popular, while boyfriend jean has had a noted decline of 5%.
Leila Shams, fashion designer and creator of TA3 Swimwear, made a TikTok that brought in 137.1k views explaining her experiences with skinny jeans as a fashion designer in the 90s. In her TikTok, she said ‘‘millennials are complaining their skinny jeans are going out of style, but if you’re like me and you lived through the skinny jeans coming in style, it will come as no surprise’’.
‘’When skinny jeans started to come in, women were pissed, they loved their low-rise and mid-rise bootleg denim and everyone thought skinny jeans were just for skinny people, but of course, everyone eventually gave in to the skinny jean trend.’’
With high-street fashion brands such as Primark, H&M, and New Look, and e-commerce brands like ASOS all selling a mixture of different silhouetted jeans, skinny jeans definitely seem to be desirable to some.
Yet many Gen Z'ers get the ick over skinny jeans and have already swapped theirs out for straight leg. Brooke Hewer, fashion TikToker who has gained 301.6k (from post date) for her real and honest clothing hauls, told Viral Magazine that the one thing she can't imagine wearing again is skinny jeans saying ''I used to wear them but I hate them now''.
Yet personal stylists are coming to defend their denim babies and expressing that skinny jeans are less of a trend, but actually a staple in your wardrobe that we will simply come back to again once mom jeans are out of trend.
Christie Ressel, personal stylist explains ''When something passes multiple fashion seasons, it's a wardrobe basic, not a trend''
''Wide-leg mom jeans and straight leg are the new trending silhouette, that's why they have more focus but it doesn't mean skinny jeans are cancelled.
''Just because something isn't a media focus doesn't make it dated''
As we exit a lockdown, we all dream for the comfiest of jeans, ones with space for our little tummies and breathing space, ones we can move in with ease - it's even a surprise we are wearing jeans again as athleisure still thrives post-lockdown. But if skinny jeans make you the most comfortable, and hey, they are great for showing off your curves in all the right places, then you can and should style them out for sure.
What to try instead:
Although a skinny jean advocate, Ressell gives some good advice,'' be willing to try something new and break up the silhouette''.
''Always do what makes you feel comfortable.''
With that in mind, if you are just now ditching your skinnies, or if you want to try a different shape, these are the high-trend jeans to try instead:
Mom
Straight-leg
Wide leg
Dad
Boyfriend
90s
Verdict
Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. If you keep up with viral trends, skinny jeans may not be the jean to wear for the upcoming seasons, yet according to many personal stylists, skinnies are not going anywhere. Keeping up-to-trend is all a part of personal opinion, and with trends changing like the British weather, ensure you keep your skinny jeans for the near future when we are rocking them with socks and sandals in 2030.
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