My first pair of skinny jeans was a terrible mistake. Perhaps because they were. My mom bought me a pair of Wet Seal boots when I was 12. I was sick of the bell bottoms and bootcut she had always given me. But mostly, I wanted to be cool. Cropped hemlines weren’t a common trend back then. We wore ours for a bit longer than we needed and rolled the hemlines to hide our ankles. We wore ours with platforms on our feet. However, 15 years later, I still have not got a single pair of skinny jeans. After I decided that I was done with this trend, I gave a friend the last pair of Everlane jeans I purchased in 2019.
When skinny jeans were banned by Zoomers earlier in the year, I was shocked at how many millennials took it personally. Most people know by now that millennials are familiar with the pain of being blamed for everything, including marriage, diamonds, beer, and napkins. It was hard to give up skinny jeans. But mostly wanted to know if the Zoomer’s disapproval was enough to end skinny jeans forever.
It turned out that it wasn’t. It doesn’t matter if you like skinny jeans or not.
In 2021, the demand for skinny jeans was not declining despite the rapid growth of looser styles, be they slim-fit or barrel. The top fashion searches for in were skinny jeans. Although most searches were probably from people looking for information about the jeans, queries such as “side part skinny jeans” or “skinny pants date you” were most popular. However, it seems that any press is good news. Lyst reports that searches for skinny jeans have increased by 77% per month since September, according to the global fashion platform Lyst. (That doesn’t mean shoppers don’t want other styles. Data shows that they prefer wide-leg and baggy Jeans for the majority of 2021. Searches for both have increased by 110% each month since January.
Designers are defying TikTok’s directive to wear skinny jeans on the runway. boots made us wonder what would happen if they were worn to a no-shoe party. Tom Ford has also featured skinny jeans in recent collections. He also included leather-looking, low-rise versions in his fall 2021 collection. Givenchy has also approved skinny jeans in its prefall 2022 collection, including washed and ruched denim. Both luxury and retail brands still sell skinny jeans in low-rise and high-waisted styles.
Spring 2022 collections predict that the 2010s, the era of skaters, thigh-high socks, and colorful jeans, will be back. This includes high-low hemlines and gladiator sandals. A dormant trend waiting to see its partners for spring may be the reason for the recent surge in skinny jeans sales. Don’t forget your skinny jeans, millennials. They may come in handy very soon.
The options below may be an option if you are missing a pair.