Skinny jeans and pants are not an on-trend silhouette right now. Current bottoms are looser, wider, roomier, and relaxed all over. Instead, skinnies are a classic, and one that can be a practical and versatile choice. They are great to wear tucked into tall equestrian boots, snow boots, and the like. They are fab when you prefer to wear “long over lean” outfit proportions, or simply prefer slim-fitting pants and jeans.
When skinnies came back seventeen years ago, they weren’t nearly as skinny as they are these days. They were tailored straight legs, and many had leg scrunch. Over time skinnies became tighter and stretchier. I suspect that’s because they were competing with oh-so-popular leggings. Fitted straight legs with narrow hems are skinnies to my eye. Just not as tight on the lower leg.
When skinnies came back into fashion, many of my friends and clients stuck to bootcuts. Some stayed with bootcuts and flares, while others moved to skinnies. Now, some are staying with skinnies while silhouettes are wide, roomy, and flowing.
Retailers continue to supply skinnies despite the ongoing wide and relaxed bottoms trends. That’s because they sell. If the demand for skinnies was severely lacking, retailers would not continue to offer them.
If you enjoy wearing skinnies, wear them with a happy heart and a spring in your step. If you like them, but prefer wearing a more current roomy, wide, and relaxed bottoms silhouette, pack them away until you feel like wearing them again. If you’ve moved on from skinnies, pass them on, and wear what’s tickling your fancy. But rest assured, skinnies are alive and well.
