Historical Denim: The Origin of the Skinny Jean

Did you know skinny pants are over 200 years old? In face the word pants originally referred to a skinny trouser. The first recorded fashionable skinny leg trouser was in men’s fashion of the 1790’s; they were worn high on the waist and then tied at the ankle so they stayed neatly tucked into boots. The style didn’t resurface until the 1950’s when popular celebrities of the era, like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, started wearing tapered jeans that became very slim at the ankle. The trend continued with the bad-boy rock stars of the 1960’s while Audrey Hepburn made them classy and fashionable for women. A reaction against the bell-bottom jeans worn by hippies in the 1970’s kept the skinny jean popular, though they were referred to as drainpipe jeans at the time. The punk movement even popularized the skinny plaid jean, a precursor to all the bright options we have today. In the 1980’s into the early 90’s the skin-tight jeans of choice often came with stone or acid-washed finishes. With the rise of hip-hop and grunge in popular culture, however, the skinny jean briefly went out of fashion. In the 2000’s skinny jeans once again became popular for all genders, coming in a variety of retro finishes, like acid-wash, and bright colors. Though the skinny jean’s origin is over 2 centuries ago, they remain a popular and comfortable choice no matter what your style. Check out skinny jeans through the ages below:

posted by: Bonnie Coombs on January 24, 2012 at 11:33 am
filed under: Denim 101 | Add a comment
TAGS: skinny jeans, high waist jeans, taper jeans

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