The trend of “skinny jeans” is rising on Butler
Mischa Barton and Lindsay Lohan, amongst a handful or other teenage Hollywood actresses of today have walked the red carpet in designer gowns and ensembles, including a recent trend, skinny jeans.
This year, “Lucky” magazine fashion director Hope Greenberg, in a “USA Today” article, said the trend of the universally flattering boot-cut jean has gone somewhere else, to a skinny fit. Butler students have picked up on this trend and have observed this current “it” trend status.
“I think it is an old trend, kind of like the tapered jean, that has probably been around since women began wearing pants,” senior marketing major Janneane Bloomenberg said.
Today’s trend is a spin off of rock fashion.
“People tried to be different wearing skinny jeans, but now they are of mass appeal and aren’t different,” Bloomenberg said.
This trend has come to be known to anyone who can visit a local mall. Stores ranging from Express to Saks Fifth Avenue sell these jeans. Pitaya store worker, Britt Leiendecker, said she heard about skinny jeans about five months ago when the store started to carry a few types of the jeans. She said she doesn’t believe the trend will last more than two seasons.
While they are still in fashioin, skinny jeans can be worn in a variety of ways according to Butler students. Sophomore PCC and business major Kristen Foley said she weard them with an oversized sweater, moccasins and a big belt around the waist.
Pitaya store worker Lindsey Gemma prefers to wear skinny jeans more as leggings with a long tunic and with flats (shoes).
“I can’t quite get into that silhouette with just a little t-shirt,” Gemma said.
Sophomore music major Dane Suarez said he thinks women look good in skinny jeans with high heels and long shirts that are pulled together with a wide flashy belt to show off their curves.
Wendy Meaden, assistant theatre professor and costume design director said she thinks skinny jeans are great for weekends or going to clubs, and need to be worn appropriately.
“If you are going to wear these low cut skinny jeans,” Meaden said, “then get a top to cover your thong that will stick out. There are certain things that I don’t want to know about.”
Jeans have varied in style since the first women’s designs. Whether it was a straight leg, wide leg, extreme flare, boot cut, cropped or skinny, jeans and all pants are designed differently to conceal certain aspects of the body. With skinny jeans though, this may be a little more difficult, for those who don’t necessarily have skinny, long legs, sophomore biological science major Cindy Halfman said.
Meaden agreed that the skinny jeans look compliments some women’s bodies, it all depends on which body it is.
“For a well toned and shapely body, yes they are complimentary,” she said. “It depends on your aesthetic image of what looks good. In America we have a vogue for thin, that is our cultural aesthetic. Not all men buy into that cultural image of thinness, some like curves and lots of muscle tone. We are not living in a Rubenesc period, though in which women with lots of curves and flesh are admired.”
A woman’s body usually has curves from the waist to the hips, but for men, their typical “y” shape presents something new for the skinny jean trend.
Leiendecher said she loves guys that wear skinny jeans because they don’t have butts and if a girl has a boy-shaped body, she should try skinny jeans, too.
“I have guy friends that wear them,” Halfman said. “I like them if they’re worn well, with other nice pieces of clothing. They have to own it if they are going to wear them.”
The rock band style has come to Indianapolis, Gemma said, as she has seen guys who are in rock bands and guys coming out of the Vogue wearing them. Foley noticed the band phenomenon too but disagrees with the male wardrobe choice.
“Guys do wear skinny jeans and I think it is gross.” Foley said. “Punk rocker guys wear them and then put those checkered shoes with them and spiked necklaces.”
