The 80’s revival of fashion has brought back skinny zippered jeans, but the modern incarnation is longer, sleeker and full of stretch. What would we do without stretch! I shudder to think. It’s the only way to wear tight clothing.
I was enamored with the idea of sporting zippered skinnies again because of my weakness for zipper detailing. I also fell in love with how the hems cascade over the foot and expose the ankle bone when unzipped, adding an unexpected and interesting detail to the outfit. So I recently added a premium pair to my denim collection and they’ve become a fast favourite. I’ve worn them three times in the last week.
These particular skinnies are tighter than my other pairs, but surprisingly more comfortable because they’re softer with more stretch. And you can’t even feel the zippers. Because they’re tighter, they’ve added a bit of curve to my legs which is a welcome change. It’s nice to have a variety of skinny jeans, each with a slightly different look and fit.
Zipper detailing is quite masculine and severe, so I like these jeans best when contrasted with feminine touches. Above on the left I’ve matched them with girly items: a ruffle blouse, oversized pearl beads and low yellow pumps. But I couldn’t resist throwing in the androgynous boyfriend blazer for some 80’s fun. A huge blast from the past, but much improved and I’m enjoying every second of it.
I’ve added similar feminine accents in the outfit on the right: a waterfall draped top, Chanel-esque jacket and chunky pearls. The buckled black booties are edgier, but I like how they contrast with the prim and proper top half of the ensemble.
The zippered skinny is also great zipped-up, where it essentially becomes a normal pair of skinnies. Above you can see a close-up of my new pair zipped and scrunched with flats. I wasn’t sure about unzipped with flats because of the length, but I wore this look yesterday and it worked fine. Lots of possibilities.
If you don’t like skinny jeans, this item is not for you. But if you’re all over the silhouette like I am, give the zippered version a try. They are available at Banana Republic, Martin & Osa, Nordstrom, Guess, Armani Exchange, Bebe and Shopbop at the moment and they’ll turn up in more stores as the season progresses.
