Skinny jeans - how did they stay ‘in’ for so long?

[TheOGCCL]

Whether you like it or not, baggier jean shapes are more fashionable at the moment. There are plenty of skinnies in the shops but these are not what the high fashionistas are wearing and a glance down Oxford Street last night showed many more (youngish) people in looser clothing. It struck me that the real talking point is how skinny jeans managed to stay ‘in’ for so long.

They are so eminently practical for everything and everywhere you would have thought the fashion industry would have allowed them for a season or two maximum. Instead it feels like they were actually in for about 15 years, and that it took a pandemic, driving a new desire for relaxed shapes, to dislodge them, finally.

And that actually they haven’t really been completely dislodged, so many people have taken them to their heart, even where they don’t even suit their body shape particularly. Has people power kept them in fashion?

They suit me, my legs are probably my best feature and I like to wear long boots whenever I can. I don't want a load of spare fabric flapping around on a daily basis!

I'll never wear any other shape jeans as baggier styles do not flatter my body. I hate material flapping round my legs

I have tried to wear other shapes but they just don’t suit me. Mom jeans or any high waisted wide legs make me look like I have a massive bulge under my belly button (gunt?!) which I really don’t have! Skinnies suit me and I like wearing them with boots in winter. I don’t care if they’re not fashionable!

I adore skinny jeans. I like loose tops so they go with them perfectly. Otherwise I'd look a bit frumpy. Up with skinnies!

I find skinny jeans the most convenient shape. You can literally wear any footwear with them. With other shaped jeans you have to consciously think what to wear with them, longer boots being a good example.
Also I’m extremely clumsy and find myself tripping over anything flapping around my ankles.

Do people really listen to and wear what is "in" and what the "high fashionistas" are wearing whether or not it suits them?! You learn something every day - don't people just wear what they actually like?

Don't wear jeans often at all but when I do I like my skinny jeans and they suit me so I'm not going to stop wearing them because someone who fancies they're some kind of fashion guru says they're not the right season 😂😂😂

Skinny jeans are flattering on a lot of people. They look incredible on me but I much prefer the comfort of something more baggy. I don’t think it’s that odd that they were in style for so long 🤷‍♀️

My legs are my best feature while I’m self conscious about my top half - I have a bit of a hunchback due to spinal curvature and small breasts - I much prefer to wear looser tops or shirts as these disguise both features. So I go for skinnies as otherwise I think I’d look like I was wearing sacks?

I think people like the convenience of them (tucked in to boots in the rain for example) and that it feels weird wearing different cuts to begin with. A switch can also mean not just new jeans but new other things - tops, shoes etc - which can feel daunting.

I binned all my skinny jeans years ago, and have never looked back. I’m a pear-shaped 10/12 and they always looked crap on me - I need something that defines my waist and the skinny bottom/flowy top doesn’t suit me at all.

We moved into this house in June 2015 and I was wearing black Topshop mom jeans with a stripy top from Warehouse on moving day. I think I maybe had skinny jeans that winter but that was probably the end.

I read a lot of posts here where people say you will “prise skinny jeans from their cold dead hands”. I do wonder how many of those people look genuinely amazing in skinnies, and how many might get a surprise that they look much nicer in a different cut.

For a long time, I couldn't find any other style to buy
And I looked bloody awful in them!

Because they're practical. Also a lot of people like covering their stomach and looser tops look best with them.

I love them but I've never been a fashionista. For me they're flattering, comfy and practical. I loved flares too because they were flattering but hated them dragging over wet ground.

Practical in winter as they don't get wet. We all remember our wide or bootleg jeans soaking up puddle water or just wetly flapping in torrential rain.

I am going to stick with straight legs in winter. Still practical but a bit more current.

I couldn't give a flying one what's supposedly in or out. I'll wear skinny jeans for as long as I want to. Being short they suit me so much better than any other style and they're much more versatile.

I still wear slim cut, if not skinny, jeans because baggy jeans look dreadful on me. The did in the early 90s and they do now. I have always liked flares but haven't got round to going and getting some as they need to fit right.

I am 😍 to be back in the kick flares that suit my shape and have found Mom jeans to be super practical with trainers.

However, I love a long boot in winter so will definitely be keeping my skinnies for this and also will not be wearing kick flares in the rain etc to soak up water like I used to do in 05!

so will be keeping a mixture here!

A lot of people claim skinnies suit them but in real life I know very very few people who genuinely look best in skinnies.

They keep the draughts out and they look good with boots and big sweaters. We will go crawling back to them this winter

I wear jeggings ( best of both worlds , the skinny jeans look but no flies/buttons to deal with Yay )

The baggy jeans looks like they've woken up and just dragged on someones random clothes . Like "boyfriend" , , pinched from your DP .

My DD tried Mom jeans and Boyfriend but found the extra material annoyed her .

Absolutely.

Skinny jeans look good on 5% of people who wear them.

to dislodge them, finally

I’ve seen posts like yours saying that skinny jeans are ‘finally’ going for about 15 years-they are still going strong wherever I look! The baggy style of jeans looks pretty awful on lots of people.

This! It's just that people have got used to seeing themselves in skinnies.

They're quite unflattering on most people, straight leg or bootcut are more flattering to most.

Although if you wear long boots in winter, keep a pair or two of skinnies as they're more practical under boots/wellies.

Wide leg high waisted jeans look fabulous on a size zero. Any bigger than a ten, you just look awful

I thinky people don't know what looks best on them tbh.

Last two days there’s been torrential rain showers. I have been in skinny/slim jeans because I remember spending the 90s with soaking wet jeans flapping about my ankles and it’s too cold for bare ankles.