Words by Natasha Djanogly
Watch any TikTok or IG Reel where London’s Gen Z is asked about their least favourite fashion trend, and the answer is almost always some variation of “skinny jeans”. Thanks to the iconic 60s film and rock stars, the rebellious 80s Punk Movement, and the nostalgic Y2K era, skinny jeans enjoyed massive popularity. From Elvis to Alexa Chung, society’s most stylish celebrities revelled in this form-fitting trend. Fast forward to 2024, and skinny jeans have plummeted from Y2K royalty to one of 2024’s most unforgivable fashion faux pas. Nowadays, it seems that the bigger, the bolder.
London’s streets are overflowing with wide-leg jeans, outnumbering even the Boris Bikes. From prim boyfriend cuts to dramatic balloon styles, baggy jeans come in an unimaginable variety. Straight legs are the absolute limit — venturing into skinny jeans territory would definitely warrant an emergency call to the Gen-Z fashion police.
Of course, trends constantly ebb and flow, and even Y2K’s questionable obsession with dresses over jeans has returned. However, the hatred for skinny jeans seems stagnant. Perhaps the trend truly met its demise in the 2010s? If so, what finally sealed its fate?
It might “hurt to be beautiful,” but the agony of squeezing into skinny jeans is simply unjustified, even if they look fabulous. In this era of self- confidence and treating bodies kindly, skinny jeans just don’t fit.
Comfort has largely fuelled the anti-skinny jean movement. Londoners love to move around, whether they’re swaying to House music at a South London rave or embarking on ambitious 20K-step thrifting sprees in East London. Frolicking across the city in airy, soft baggy denim undeniably trumps breathlessly crawling through it in constricting skinny jeans.
Skinny jeans might feel bearable when you first pull them on, but after a morning latte and a tiny bit of bloat, those jeans will ruthlessly cut you in half. Looking great doesn’t feel so great if you can’t enjoy London’s infamous buns at home. Now that everyone has experienced the liberating freedom of wide-leg jeans — and the limitless dancing, feasting, and exploring they allow — why would anyone willingly revert back to the restrictive skinny style?
Another compelling reason behind the skinny jeans backlash is their disturbingly long list of associated medical issues. The tightness around the intestines, vaginal area, and legs has been linked to yeast infections, UTIs, vulvodynia, bacterial vaginosis, compartment syndrome, muscle pain, blood flow problems, heartburn, acid reflux, and postural problems.
While skinny jeans may look gorgeous, no one feels confident or beautiful when they’re crying hysterically on the loo every 15 minutes, battling a horrifying UTI. With all this pain and the associated health risks, it’s no wonder that skinny jeans have been ruthlessly downgraded to a fashion faux pas. Even a glimpse of them can send any Gen Z-er into intense stress, bringing back memories of constant discomfort and wedgies that defined the 2000s.
London has been gliding carefree in wide-leg jeans for so long that the Y2K “survival of the fittest”-style adaptation to skinny jeans has diminished. Now that everyone can finally breathe, eat properly, and think clearly, there’s no way anyone in their right mind would ever want to go back to the constricting past.
After all, this is fashion — a world where nothing stays dead for long. Who knows? Tomorrow could bring a revival, and terrifyingly, those skinny jeans buried in the back of your closet might just see the light of day again. Until then, we’ll stick with our wide-legs, comfortably watching fashion’s unpredictable twists and turns from a safe distance.
Fashion, by its very nature, is an ever-evolving landscape. As we embrace comfort and body positivity, the question remains: what will be the next trend to dethrone the reigning baggy styles? Will it be an unexpected resurgence of skinny jeans, or will new silhouettes continue to rise, pushing the boundaries of fashion even further? Only time will tell, but for now, it seems that the era of skinny jeans is finally behind us, and the future is looking wide and wonderful.
