Wider, bigger, roomier, relaxed, and slouchy jeans and pants silhouettes have dominated fashion trends for years. There are straight legs, relaxed straight legs, flares (or bootcuts), bellbottoms, cropped flares, wide legs, wide crops, barrel, horseshoe, lantern, sailor, boyfriends, pleated styles, trouser cuts, mega slouchy looks, jorts, and statement cuff silhouettes across several washes and rise lengths. All of which are a movement away from skinny jeans and pants.
That said, skinny jeans and pants did not disappear. They simply took a backseat. They have been available at both first and secondhand retail in mid and high rises.
This year slim straights are back as a fringe trend. Interestingly, when skinnies resurfaced almost twenty years ago, and as I remember them back in the ’80s, they were slim straights with no stretch component as we know them today. As the skinny jeans and pants trend continued in the ‘00s, they became skinnier and stretchier. They were very tight and stretchy like leggings, which made tucking them into tall boots a whole lot easier and more comfortable.
Most of my clients have moved away from skinny jeans and pants, favouring relaxed, flared, barrel, and wide silhouettes. Some also wear slim straights. Some kept their high rise skinnies to tuck into snow boots, western boots, riding boots and the like because it’s a very practical way to dress in wet, icy and snowy weather. Some kept their skinnies to wear under voluminous and avant-garde tunics.
I kept one pair of slim straight jeans, which are ten years old and my skinnies. They are my least frequently worn pair of jeans because I favour roomier and wider styles that don’t grab onto my thighs. Yet they are unique and I’ll keep them until they wear out.
I tried many pairs of slim straight jeans in a blue wash earlier this year since they were a fringe trend and I’m fast to adopt to new trends in bottoms. They were essentially the classic skinnies I wore in the ‘80s. I said no thank you to all of them. None of them made me as happy as my old pair, which I suspect is due to their awesome-to-me glitzy gold button detailing. I prefer complex jeans. Bring on the bells and whistles, a bright colour, or dramatic silhouette.
As an ex-equestrian I have a soft spot for skinny jeans tucked into tall boots. Although I don’t want to wear the combination on this leg of my style journey, I suspect I’ll revisit the vibe at some point.
For the most part, never say never when it comes to fashion and style. On that note, over to you. What are your thoughts on skinnies?
