Why you should hold onto your skinny jeans
Image Courtesy: University of Fashion
If TikTok has taught us, it’s just how fast fashion trends go in and out of fashion. For decades there has been a phantom rule in the world of fashion that states: fashion remains cyclical throughout time. So before you reach into your closet and throw out all of your “CHEUGY” pieces, remember the 20-year fashion rule. Cheugy refers to outfit’s that are outdated and associated with millennials' fashion favorites.
The term 20-year fashion rule/cycle definition is the time it takes for a trend to die, then become fashionable again. In fashion history, it has been recorded that certain branches of trends that die out become trendy and in high demand approximately 20 years later. An example of the most recent 20-year cycle is the rise in y2k fashion. 2020 and 2021 has brought back some nostalgic looks and pieces that thrived in the early 2000s, only now they are styled in a more updated version, such as low rise jeans, paired with graphic cropped tees, and lace trimmed dresses. Just look on social media platforms, and you will see the infiltration of y2k trends return.
Image Courtesy: Pattern
Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are the most popular ways for people to try out different fashion trends. However with all of these trends coming in, it leaves a lot of our older pieces left in the dust. In 2021 TikTok videos made about pieces and outfits that are outdated and not considered fashionable anymore; these were phrased as “cheugy”. Around this time on TikTok came the debate between millennials and gen z on skinny jeans and oversized jeans. The debate was gen z sharing that they liked the oversized jean with small top look, unlike millennials that enjoyed the skinny jeans look. This discussion has led to many people donating or throwing out their jeans due to the reputation it’s now given.
With trends going in and out faster in recent years due to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, consequences of mass production of clothes on fast fashion websites like Shein, Forever 21, and H&M are already showing up. If you have gone thrifting recently, you may have noticed an increase in pieces from Shein in the racks. This is a result of people donating and getting rid of their pieces the second they are no longer ‘fashionable’. Another problem with trends and fast fashion is the environmental impact. In a 2019 article, The World Bank Organization shared that the fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. At this pace, the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions will surge more than 50 % by 2030. Now with the 20-year fashion rule, those skinny jeans have been a part of fashion since the ’60s, having changed in silhouette from bell bottoms to low rise skinny since then. In 2021 baggy jeans rose to fame, leaving many to dissect their closets, hoping they kept their outdated pants.
With this fashion rule in mind, it won’t be long until skinny jeans come back into style, maybe even in the next couple of years. So before you dive into your wardrobe and throw out everything that isn’t as trendy as it once was, keep the cycle in mind. You can always upcycle some of those pieces as well! Some things you can try out are painting an old pair of jeans and sewing on cool patterns and patches. Be creative, be you!
Strike Out,
Writer: Nataly Ariza
Editor: Alexandra Laguna
Orlando