Skinny jeans

[RillHunner]

I have begun to feel frumpy and outdated wearing skinny jeans. Can’t really afford to refresh my wardrobe atm. I lived in them for years either with knee high boots or Chelsea type boots.

Is there a way to make them feel modern? I am middle aged, petite, size 10 in case that’s relevant.

to make matters worse, in the last few weeks before I started feeling they were outdated, I bought several bargain pairs on Vinted.. so my wardrobe is now full of a garment which doesn’t make me feel great 🙈

I think if u have worn skinnies for a decade or more it takes time to adjust to what other shapes look like on you. It took me a while but now im a convert!

It took me a while to find jeans I like as much as my old skinnies. Barrel jeans look ridiculous on me a 5' 2" woman and wide legs even worse. I finally bought some girlfriend jeans from Marks which bridge the gap between wide leg and skinnies and come in shorter lengths. I'm hanging onto my skinnies though in the hope they make a come back.

Hi op, i have some barrel jeans but they just don’t suit me and make me look huge tbh. Just go with what you feel comfortable in.

I don’t care about fashion because I am 5ft, so fashion doesn’t care about me.

This is also a really good point. I don’t always wear tight tops and look incredibly frumpy if i put on a nice sweater with barrel jeans.

I think thay depends on the shape of the jeans and your body shape, as said, mine are slim fitting round the stomach, backside and hips, and upper thighs, so both styles work for me, I can wear slouchy Jumpers and as the jeans give definition, and I can also wear slim fitting. I think th4 issue is maybe people don’t try different styles, or maybe doesn’t work for their body shape, for example when I was larger I could not get away with a slouchy jumper and wide leg jeans, id have looked huge.

I wear barrel jeans a lot with jumpers, but either wear slightly cropped jumpers or for normal length ones I tuck them in so you can see that I have a waist. I wouldn't wear a jumper with barrel or wide jeans that was both oversized and hit anywhere below the waist.

Yeah this is the thing, after 3 stomach surgeries i’m not looking for any outfits where i need to tuck in my top and show my big stomach. I just about still have a waist, but a stomach to come with it.

Basically i give 2 fingers up to fashion as it isn’t made for me. Plus whatever i wear gets messed up by a 2 year old anyway.

I wear skinnies with heavy knit, thigh-length jumpers and knee high (flat) boots - especially useful for cold, muddy dog walks!

Skinny Jeans for Women | Ladies' Skinny Jeans | Primark UK
Lily Slim Fit Jeans | M&S | M&S
Women's Jeans | UNIQLO UK

No, it isn't you. I am 5 ft 9 and a size 10/12, and wide leg jeans make me look like coco the clown. May be denim is too stiff and a softer fabric, like corduroy, would work.

I really like wide legs but, this time, I've not got on with wide leg jeans as well as I expected. They're either too stiff as pp says, or they start off fine but go droopy really quickly. (Looking at you, M&S.) I find corduroy, cotton twill/drill or wool hang much better.

I don't remember having this problem last time around so I'm not sure what's going on. We did have Gap then to answer all our jeans needs so it could be that. Or maybe I've got fussier.

I'm wearing straight leg jeans a lot at the moment - some vintage Levi 501s and an imitation in a brand I hadn't heard of.

Barrel legs remind me of old cowboy films with John Wayne sauntering into town.

Same.

I am a short size 10 with disproportionately short legs and I bought some flared jeans in short length from M&S today for £26 that look great. I know it’s still £26 and that’s not nothing but I think they’ll go with loads of stuff. They’re here:

www.marksandspencer.com/eva-high-waisted-bootcut-jeans-with-stretch/p/clp60458381?extid=ps_ps-bg_ggl_ww_ch_allcategories_-UK-_-_modernsearch&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=22933239264&cq_con=185522677338&cq_term=m%26s+slim+bootcut&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22933239264&gbraid=0AAAAAD7g6bTIcO5PhiZZ5W1ND0k3cZMES&gclid=CjwKCAiA9aPKBhBhEiwAyz82J7HBqPbviD_nOhwBVaxYRihzKuO8xNWYMkWZMh-McT1O3JP1KU6U2BoCPE4QAvD_BwE&color=MEDIUMINDIGO

As PPs have suggested, you could go and try on a few different styles of jeans to see which style suits you and you feel comfortable in, and then try them at home with the tops you already have. I tend to wear mom jeans and I’ll either wear a fitted t-shirt or long sleeved top tucked in, or a thicker jumper that lands just at my waistband to avoid looking frumpy. I’m also a fan of the French tuck (controversial on MN 😅). I do see some people still looking quite stylish in skinny jeans, but I personally feel they look very dated whenever I throw mine on.

I wore flares a lot this summer. Trinny and Susannah (I was a big fan once) always recommended them to women with short legs. I really like them although they’re not very practical in the rain.

They are bootcut not flared.

Women’s Flared Jeans at M&S

Maybe my body is wrong but they look flared on my legs. Thanks though.

Just wear what's right for your body shape.... Fashion be damned.

I wear what suits my shape and style. I’m similar to you OP - size 8/10 5’2” and would look ridiculous in wide leg, barrel or any of the other ‘fashion’ cuts of jeans. I wear skinny jeans when wearing knee length boots, straight leg otherwise. I like Levi 501’s. I also like capri and or cigarette style trousers.

Deleted message was a link to the difference between flared and bootcut jeans.
Flared jeans have a pronounced bell shape starting from mid-thigh, while bootcut jeans offer a subtle flare at the ankle.

Any shop you go into has every type of jeans. M and S carry a big poster to show the different styles. I was a " forever skinnies" person until recently but now into wide legs. They shouldn't work for me a shorty but for some reason they do even minimising my hips. They are so much more comfortable to wear as well. As a pp said you have to adapt with a shorter top. I got rid of all of my old skinnies. I don't care if VB has been seem in them recently. She's in the fashion business to make money.

Any shop you go into has every type of jeans. is probably not true.
Shops like M&S do.
If skinny jeans are so old fashioned, why do H&M and Mango sell them?

I usually wear straight jeans, but have skinny jeans and bootcuts.

I'm a size 10, 5ft 3

I wear skinny but also I wear the boots cut ones from M&S