Is there anyone on the planet who isn’t familiar with skinny jeans at this point? They are one of the most popular fits of jeans out there and they are adored by millions of people all over the world.
They are such a popular fit because they are incredibly versatile. You can wear them with a cute top or you can even wear them underneath a small dress and they’ll still look good!
Skinny jeans weren’t always popular though, and it might surprise you when you find out just when they came out.
In this article, we’ll be going over exactly when skinny jeans first came out, and we’ll be looking back over the last ten or so years in which skinny jeans have evolved. So let’s get started!
When Did Skinny Jeans Come Out?
So, when did skinny jeans actually come out for the first time? Well, they first came into the public eye and gained popularity in 2005! This might be quite shocking because it feels like they have been around for a lot longer than that.
The reason it feels like that is that they were around in a sense before that, but it wasn’t until 2005 until they were introduced to the mass market.
Skinny Jeans: A Timeline
So now you know when skinny jeans first came out and gained their popularity, let’s look at the actual timeline and evolution of skinny jeans.
We’ll be going from 2005 all the way to 2020, so you can have a better understanding of how skinny jeans got to where they are today.
2005
Starting off in 2005, skinny jeans were very different from what we know and love today. Yes, they were skinny, but they weren’t as skinny as they were today.
Lots of the original skinny jean material was actually made out of Japanese raw denim, which meant the material had practically no stretch at all!
They didn’t look as good in 2005, but this was just the very beginning of their popularity, and skinny jeans were still finding their feet.
2006
In 2006, people discovered just how well skinny jeans and boots went together. This then gave birth to the famous and still well-known “boot cut” style of skinny jeans, and this was an absolute hit during this year.
Almost every woman you saw would be wearing boot cut skinny jeans with their favorite boots during this year. We know you’re getting flashbacks just reading this!
2007
By 2007, skinny jeans were immensely popular and the general population was incredibly accepting of them by this point.
Though they were very popular, skinny jeans still weren’t perfect by this point, so there was still a lot of experimentation going on.
2007 saw the increased use of accessories with your skinny jeans, some of which included boho belts and layered shirts. While it did work, it still looked a bit clunky, but skinny jeans were well on their way by this point.
2008
Up until this point, skinny jeans were just blue denim, but in 2008, they started to become available in all colors of the rainbow.
Whatever color you can think of was available as well, so even the most neon and not-so-flattering colors. While some colors really worked, some really didn’t!
2009
This was a great year for skinny jeans because they started to get more style choices.
Lots of people who were part of the rock/emo subcultures had turned to black skinny jeans as a faithful companion, and this saw some changes to the style again.
Pre-worn, ripped, black skinny jeans became all the rage, and while it started off in the rock/emo subcultures, this style soon found its way into the mainstream subcultures too.
2010
As soon as the rock influence was over, everything started to get a bit more glam in 2010.
It was during this year that people started to pair their skinny jeans with faux-fur jackets and vests, pump platforms, and other related “glam” clothes.
2011-2012
2011 saw skinny jeans evolve into jeggings because the stretchy fabric made them a lot more comfortable, and there was no denim used at all!
However, lots of jeggings at the time looked really bad and weren’t great quality, so jeggings were still finding their feet. This era is considered a dark time for skinny jeans.
2013-2014
The failure of jeggings actually brought people back to classic denim skinny jeans in 2013 and 2014. The most popular shades at the time were classic blues and dark wash.
The mistakes made with jeggings really helped in the overall evolution of skinny jeans.
2015
2015 saw skinny jean technology get even better, and high-waist skinny jeans really got their moment to shine this year.
High-waist skinny jeans became so stylish that they were especially popular for wearing on nights out!
2016 – 2017
High-waist skinny jeans continued to skyrocket in popularity for the next two years, and if we’re being totally honest, they never stopped being popular!
Because the waist got higher, the ankles became more exposed and this made skinny jeans a bit more accessible to petite women, so this of course meant more people could enjoy skinny jeans.
2018 – 2019
Skinny jeans started to lose their popularity a bit between 2018-2019, with people favoring wide-leg crops, mom jeans, and straight-leg styles instead.
Though skinny jeans fell further down the pecking order, they didn’t go completely, and they could still be found almost everywhere you looked!
2020
Skinny jeans stayed semi-popular 2020, but they never regained their original popularity. By this point though, they had become a staple in everyone’s closet, and they will remain a staple for many more years to come!
Conclusion
Skinny jeans have been popular for over a decade, and while they might not be as popular as they once were, this is absolutely no doubt that they are beloved by everyone.
They are incredibly versatile and comfortable, and they have gone through lots of changes over the years to make them perfect today!
Have you ever thought that you were born in the wrong generation? That you would have suited the 80s better? The 70s, 50s, or even the 30s?
Then welcome to my website, where you’ll fit right in. Hi, my name is Willa Price and I am a self-confessed fashion lover.
I specialize in vintage fashion at a designer label, and it is my dream job. I spend my days reinventing old pieces and reworking them into modern fashion trends.
Please, enjoy my website as you take a step back in time to relive the fashion evolution that we are still moving through now.
