How to wear skinny jeans, for those who don’t do skinny jeans

There’s nothing the media loves more than a bit of fashion outrage, especially when it involves skinny jeans. Every season it seems as though there is another instalment of “what the silly fashion people are up to now”, usually paired with a sniffy critique of the current and comical comings and goings of the sartorially-minded. Fashion month is ripe for the picking in this regard, and we eagerly await the comments section deluge that will inevitably occur when the tabloids clock the “walk of shame” trend that is emerging on the autumn/winter 2025 runways—perhaps even featuring skinny jeans in the mix..

But I digress. If there’s one trend that has evoked the most outrage over the last 12 months, it would have to be the skinny jean–and understandably so. Most of us who lived through the Noughties spin on the drainpipe silhouette will only just be regaining our circulation after a solid decade cocooned in Topshop’s Jamie style. In fact, every year the skinny was trending, it got progressively tighter and tighter, and its fabrication thinner and thinner, until all we were left with were denim’s own Frankenstein’s monster: the “jegging”.

However, for all the pearl-clutching comments and raging “will we, won’t we” debates over the skinny jean comeback, we have to remember that they’re just jeans, and most people wear whatever silhouette they love and feel best in, regardless of whether they are “in” or “out” of fashion. Maybe it needn’t be such a charged decision after all? Personally, I have a wide roster of jeans that cater to a variety of occasions: my high-waisted straight-legs are great with a heeled boot and a tucked-in shirt for when I want to nail the smart-casual brief, while my low-rise baggies are perfect for adding an edge to polished tops and jackets. Each has its place and its purpose.

Maybe it’s time to set aside my skinny jean reservations and consider it anew for a new season. Fit-wise, I would personally opt for a more subtle slim-fit jean over the spray-on skinnies of yore (Levi’s Shaping Slim Jean fits the bill nicely), and no matter what Miu Miu says, I won’t be going near a low-rise waistband when presented in conjunction with a tight leg. Styling-wise, I’m all about the knee-high boots plus oversized jacket and low-key top pairing, which I’ve seen everywhere at fashion week this season.