Like a Hollywood actor with a prescription for the weight loss drug Ozempic, the skinny jean is returning to the spotlight.
Having survived social media scorn as a Generation X aberration from influencers in wide-leg styles, skinny jeans are now clinging to the calves of celebrities and models on the runway. The Batman actor Robert Pattinson and model Lila Moss, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss (who never stopped wearing skinny jeans) are among those breathing in before buttoning up.
Musician and ‘Pull it up’ singer Gold Fang is ready to return to skinny jeans, wearing Australian brand Ksubi.Credit: Nikki Short
“Once a ’fit shows up in street style, it’s on the brink of a revival,” says Jill Guenza, global vice president of women’s design at Levi Strauss & Co. “Fashion’s ongoing obsession with the Y2K aesthetic meant it was only a matter of time before we reassessed the skinny silhouette.”
“Skinny jeans had a real moment these past few fashion weeks, and it’s not as scary as some fashion-goers may think.”
Italian trendsetter Miuccia Prada included skinny jeans in the Paris Fashion Week show for her label Miu Miu. At Balenciaga’s show, distressed jeans were tucked into boots and designer Sean McGirr included skinny styles in his debut collection for Alexander McQueen, worn beneath furry egg cup tops.
Once a nightclub staple and on-stage favourite for musicians such as The Strokes, Pussy Riot and Justin Bieber, the style’s descent from popularity began in 2016, when searches for “skinny jeans” began to decline according to Google Trends data.
“I used to wear them back in the day,” says Trinidadian-born rapper Gold Fang (real name Jamunajai Renaud), 26, who defected to baggy styles. “Now I’m getting back into them. There’s a bit of that rebel spirit, but it’s all about the stretch.”
Fang’s jeans are from Ksubi, the label that helped popularise the style in Australia in the mid-2000s, alongside sass & bide, Bettina Liano, Levi’s and episodes of Kath & Kim.
The brand’s US customers are driving the revival with 78 per cent of male customers buying skinny styles, compared to 50 per cent in Australia.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been loyal to skinny jeans throughout the denim downturn, wearing her favourite style in October.Credit: Getty
“The skinny jean will always be a constant,” says Ksubi creative director Brad Triffitt. “It’s the official uniform of anarchy and rebellion.”
Thanks to US interest, women’s skinny jeans sales have increased by 22 per cent in the past 12 months but still sit at 18 per cent of all sales in Australia. There are signs of renewed interest at other brands.
Influential label Anine Bing sells 10 per cent more skinny jeans in Australia than internationally. Next month the brand launches a new skinny jeans style, with more room around the ankles.
“The era of the 2024 skinny jean could look vastly different from the super tight and low styles we came to know in the noughties, with brands modernising the trends for today’s consumers,” says Guenza.
Outland denim founder James Bartle, who acquired Melbourne denim brand Nobody in October, is ready for the revival.
“It’s something that the brand is known for and there’s a bit of nostalgia to it,” Bartle says. Catherine, Princess of Wales, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez have all remained loyal to the style.
“For some generations it’s been a little bit hard to let go of wearing skinny jeans because they look good and are pretty comfortable,” Bartle says.
“They’re not going anywhere, so a new generation is bound to discover them.”
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