Interesting! I agree with both sets of reasoning.
BACKGROUND:
Bootcut jeans originated in the l1870s-1890s as functional workwear designed with a slight flare to fit over cowboy and rancher boots
While they became a fashion staple in the 1970s, they saw massive, widespread popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, returning again as a trend in the 2020s.
Slim straight and cigarettes became popular in the 1950s and 1960s popularized by Audrey Hepburn, The Beatles, and Marilyn Monroe as a tailored alternative to wider styles. There was a big resurgence in the 1980s.
K.Period. your comment on the blog this morning was particularly astute and worth pondering:
"Slim straights represent the point where I can’t quite decide if I’m an early adopter or just very late to let go. My wardrobe is mostly wide legs, both cropped and long, straight legs, and barrel legs, and I’ve left behind skinny jeans. But I still have several pairs of dressier slim straight trousers. I suspect they are like pointy-toe shoes for me: something that I love so much that it is a “classic” for me. Knowing my sugar-eye for those items, I’m trying to pay attention to how current iterations look. And I’m committed to choosing to enjoy them"
