Just under a year ago, market research firm NPD Group confirmed that, thanks to Gen Z spending habits, straight-leg jeans had officially usurped their skinny, tight-fitting cousins. But three-quarters of the way through Fashion Month Fall/Winter 2023, it seems the pendulum is swinging back.
Skinny jeans, skinny pants, and — gasp — leggings have taken over the runway, most recently making their presence known at Saint Laurent. Following in the footsteps of Hedi Slimane and his ultra-slim silhouettes, creative director Anthony Vaccarello showed high-waisted cigarette pants with elasticated hems, a slinky take on sweatpants.
While Gucci showed several iterations of slouchy, oversized trousers and jeans, the label also dabbled in leggings — specifically, a pair of shiny, second-skin bottoms dotted with rhinestones. Prada got in on the trend, too: Trim cigarette pants were presented in a variety of colorways and fabrics.
Fashion's bigwigs aren't the only ones embracing tight-fitting bottoms. Diesel and Blumarine — powerful luxury players, to be clear, but less institutional than the likes of Gucci and Prada — also put their spin on the skinny fit, the former with skintight denim cargos and the latter with extra-long leggings.
And don't forget CELINE's off-schedule FW23 womenswear show, where models strut down the runway in the skinniest of skinny jeans tucked into leather boots.
While Gen Z once declared skinny jeans cringe, cheugy, and canceled, the tide appears to be turning, washing wide legs out to sea. The mid-2000s are calling from beyond the grave!
