Gen Z Can Rip My Skinny Jeans From My Cynical, Gen X Hands

Summary

A Gen X writer reflects on the shifting denim trends, particularly the move away from skinny jeans as favored by Gen Z, while asserting the enduring value and personal significance of skinny jeans in their own wardrobe.

Abstract

The article discusses the author's personal history with jeans, from the '80s to the present, highlighting how each generation, including Gen Z, has its own preferred denim styles. The author, a Gen Xer, laments the decline of skinny jeans, a staple they feel confident and comfortable in, despite the fashion shifts. They reminisce about the various jeans trends they've witnessed, including the popularity of JNCOs and the challenge of finding the right fit. The author values the versatility and comfort of skinny jeans, which they argue are a timeless basic akin to other classic pieces that Gen X has adopted over the decades. Despite the acceptance of diverse styles among their Gen Z coworkers, the author stands by their preference for skinny jeans, believing that personal style and comfort should prevail over fleeting trends.

Opinions

The author feels that skinny jeans are being phased out by the younger Gen Z, who prefer wide-legged crops.
They believe that despite the changing trends, skinny jeans are a classic and versatile piece that will remain in their wardrobe.
The author has a nostalgic attachment to skinny jeans, likening the feeling of wearing them to a sense of empowerment.
They express skepticism about revisiting past trends like JNCOs or ultra-low rise jeans.
The author appreciates the comfort and practicality of skinny jeans, noting their perfect length and ease of pairing with various footwear.
They acknowledge the importance of personal style and comfort over following fashion trends blindly.
The author respects the open-mindedness of Gen Z regarding fashion, recognizing their acceptance of individual expression and comfort in personal style choices.
Despite the variety of jeans styles in their collection, the author maintains that skinny jeans will always have a special place in their closet.

Denim trends along generational lines

Photo credit: Laura Chouette on Unsplash

I just came across a great article about how skinny jeans were out, according to Gen Z. Millennials (and Gen X) will have to wipe our tears away as we try to fit ourselves into wide-legged crop jeans with frayed hems. Somehow my 18-year-old sales associates make this look cool. They pair them with high-top Converse and a t-shirt that they got from a thrift store and it looks effortlessly stylish but when I do it I look like I’m trying. I also look two inches shorter. So, forget it.

I went through high school and college in the ’90s. I’ve seen it all. I have been through every version of jeans that you can possibly imagine: carpenter, boyfriend, wide leg, flare. I have even worn my fair share of capris too (not proud). I’ve lived through JNCO being popular and that is not an option either. Not ever again.

In the ’80s, every pair of women’s jeans were mom jeans. I hated the high rise but I didn’t have any other choice. I used to shop in the boy’s department to find a lower-rise pair. I made a trip to The Gap one day and I tried on every style of jeans in the whole store to try to get the right fit.

In high school, Guess jeans ruled. Mid-rise, baggy through the leg, and tapered. Possibly even rolled a couple times at the bottom. Nothing looked great with these jeans, and nothing looked terrible. They just existed.

I rocked bootcut jeans for a long time and ultra-low rise, which I do not recommend under any circumstances. No matter what size I wore, I always felt like I had squeezed myself into a size too small. And don’t even think about sitting down in them. I worked at Lucky Brand Jeans for four years and I could talk denim all day long. I still can.

I thrive on learning about different fits and washes. When I learned industry terms like selvage and flat-busted seams, I was hooked. I can fit anyone for their most-loved pair of jeans. I still miss that about that job. I remembered customers by what fit they wore. They were impressed. I was an encyclopedia of fits and washes.

When I wear my skinny jeans I feel like Kamala Harris cruising down the stairs of Air Force One, my Converse tucked neatly under the hem, as I stride down the jetway. My head held high. I can take on the world! Gen Z cannot sway my pride.

Gen X adopts basics from across the decades we have lived. We turn them into neutral, classic pieces while we let the fashion trends come and go. Denim that fits like a legging? That’s a basic, baby and we’ll be needing that because we’ve learned how to live comfortably in it. The versatility/diversity is unmatched. Dress ‘em up, go super casual, they adapt to any level of activity. With a flattering fit and a generous range of motion, it’s the denim of girl gang dreams.

Skinny jeans are comfortable, they are stretchy, and they are the right length. Do you know how much money I’ve spent at the dry cleaners to get my jeans hemmed over the years? Me either. It’s a lot. The ladies there knew me by name. They would also keep the original hem and reattach it — the key to a good denim hem. Skinny jeans also tuck inside boots super easily. Wait, are we still doing that or no? Oh yeah, I don’t care.

In skinny jeans I can:

Run from attackers

Run my sales floor

Fight zombies

Practice karate

Wear an oversized jacket and not get lost in my clothes

Kick it at a barbecue

Walk my dog

The options are endless. That’s what we want in a good basic.

I still love a good pair of flare jeans but the right length is almost impossible to find. I also wear a boyfriend style a lot even though they’re about an inch too short. When I wear them with sandals I feel like it’s not as noticeable. Boyfriend and wider leg jeans are also essential if you’re going to wear a pair of Dr. Martens boots. If I wear skinny jeans with that boot I risk looking like a white supremacist, just saying. These are things I think about.

The great thing about the Gen Z team that I currently work with is this — they will accept any style as long as you feel comfortable in it. Your personal style rules and comfort is number one. They will accept you as-is because you are an original just for being you. They embrace who they are, they love each other for it, and they will extend that to you too.

Update your style but stay true to who you are. Truth be told, I have a drawer full of denim styles. I wear jeans every day. Some days I’m feeling the boyfriend fit and some days it’s the flare. The skinny jean will always have a place in my closet, no matter what the next generation is telling me. And you know what? I think, deep down, they’re fine with it. Or they will be in 20 years when it’s a basic in their closet too.