- Millennials, ignore Gen Z. You don't need to throw away your skinny jeans.
- Fashion experts and fans shared their top tips for wearing the style with confidence.
People won't stop coming for skinny jeans.
Stylists say they're outdated. Celebrities have ditched them for wide-leg denim. And most notably, Gen Z hates them.
But as fashion experts and fans have told Business Insider, you should probably throw that advice out the window and wear your skinny jeans anyway.
Here's how they suggest wearing the controversial denim style with confidence.
Focus on comfort, confidence, and proportions — not trends
Kenzie Welch, a stylist and wardrobe consultant with nearly 853,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, told BI that she's a big proponent of wearing skinny jeans if the style works for you.
"I don't think skinny jeans or any other style is the best for every body type," Welch said. "I think what's more important is figuring out the most flattering jeans to balance out your proportions."
While straight-leg jeans might be popular at the moment, as Welch pointed out, they might not work on every body type — and that's OK.
"Women wonder, 'Why do I hate them?'" she said of new denim styles. "And it's because they don't feel their best in them."
"If you think a style doesn't look good on you, you shouldn't be forced into this idea that you have to wear that," she added.
Don't be afraid to experiment
Krista Lavrusik is a 37-year-old fashion influencer who describes herself as a millennial mom with Gen Z style.
Speaking with BI, Lavrusik noted that the two generations don't dress that differently — they just approach fashion in different ways. For instance, Gen Z is more open to experimentation, she said.
So, in her opinion, the best way to rock skinny jeans is to wear them on rotation with newer, more modern styles that you can slowly introduce to your wardrobe.
"If you really feel secure in them and you love how they make your butt look, I get it," she said about skinny denim. "But don't let your closet only have those. Keep one or two pairs that you are obsessed with and that make you feel like a 10."
As for how to begin experimenting, Welch suggested trying on a range of denim styles — not just one that's trendy at the moment.
"If you want to get out of the skinny-jean look and move into something that feels a little more modern, go out for the day and try on multiple silhouettes, maybe a straight leg, a flare, and a boot cut," she said. "You'll be able to see which one makes you feel the most confident in yourself."
Use these styling tricks to perfect any denim look
If you look at outfits worn by fashionable young people and influencers, you'll likely notice one thing they all have in common: balance.
They often pair their crop tops with baggy pants, and their oversized tees with tight-fitting jeans and leggings.
What they're employing is a popular styling technique that's easy to recreate at home, according to fashion content creator and marketing professional Mikala Mahoney.
"If you wear baggy jeans and a really baggy, slouchy top, you can start to feel swallowed — or like your clothes are wearing you," she told BI. "It's a big issue that people run into when they're trying to get into the baggy style of clothes. So it's about having a balance."
She said the same goes for styling skinny jeans — just in reverse. If you decide to wear them, it's the ideal time to wear your larger, baggier tops.
Another trick is to focus more on the pieces you're wearing with your skinny jeans than the denim itself.
Lavrusik explained that skinny jeans look the most outdated when styled like they were in the 2010s, often with ankle boots, a tucked-in sweater, and no belt.
"That is the outfit that I can't get out of my head," she said. "It just screams, 'I'm a millennial. I'm old.'"
So instead, you could try pairing the jeans with chunky sneakers, an oversized crewneck — a staple of the "hot girl errand fits" that TikTokers love — and cool accessories like a hat or gold jewelry.
But the most important tip that fashion fans and experts agree on is simple: Don't throw away your skinny jeans just because the internet tells you to.
"There's this narrative: 'Millennials, get rid of your skinny jeans!' But on some people, skinny jeans look really flattering and there's nothing wrong with that," Welch said.