Skinny jeans used to be all the rage. According to The Guardian, In the early 2000s skinny jeans became a symbol against the status quo as alternative styles like punk and the rising emo movements adopted the pants into their style as a counter to boot-cut jeans seen in celebrity styles. It was only until the mid-2000s when celebrities like Kate Moss and Hedi Slimane were captured incorporating skinny jeans into their looks that pushed the jeans into the mainstream.
Once the 2010s rolled around, skinny jeans were a staple item in fashion wear and became a popular clothing item in other fashion styles. However, like any fad, skinny jeans saw a downward trend leading up to 2020, and it was only exacerbated by the pandemic.
The lockdowns had forcefully shifted the way Gen Z thought about their clothing styles, pushing them towards styles that favored comfort. Additionally, trends like the “no skinny jeans” trend on TikTok accelerated the push away from skinny jeans. That said, skinny jeans are far from over.
In an interview with The Standard, Senior Head of Menswear and Womenswear Buying at Browns, Heather Gramston, noted that while skinny were having a rough time with the general population, they weren’t going away on the runway.
“The past few years we have seen the resurgence of denim as a trend on the runway which has driven the return of the jeans in all shapes and styles. Skinny fit is back though not yet the overarching trend, with Hedi Slimane at Celine leading the way. For AW23, there was a dramatic shift to classics, and we expect to see this trend continue on the runway for the coming season.” said Gramston.
Even so, outside the runway skinny jeans have found a place in current fashion. According to Elle, skinny jeans have seen a 50% spike in popularity in early 2024. This is likely thanks to TikTok’s algorithm popularizing alternative ways to incorporate skinny jeans into outfits unique to each person.
While skinny jeans aren’t the main style of jeans trending, it’s become one of many popular types of jeans for people to wear, no matter how much wish they were gone for good. That said with how popular early 2000s themed trends like Y2K dominated TikTok’s algorithm, there likely will be a future trend that might kick start the skinny jeans back into pop culture’s spotlight.
