THE EVOLUTION OF THE SKINNY JEAN

Our KEEPER Denim Elwood Skinny jean is a timeless staple. It is the perfect addition to any capsule wardrobe as it can be paired with both classic and seasonal pieces. It can be worn all year round and can take you from day to night depending on how you accessorise it - the options are truly endless!

This jean has undergone many transformations over the last 16 years, yes that’s right 16 YEARS! since they first appeared in the fashion magazines. So let’s go back and take a look at the evolution of the skinny jean and how it became the one that we know and love today.

2005 - ENTER, THE SKINNY JEAN

The first skinny jean was made popular by Kate Moss, however this jean was different to what we are used to today. It was made with traditional Japanese, which is comprised of 100% cotton and has no element of stretch in it, so they weren’t skin-tight. They were also more of a straight leg style jean, as they were loose around the ankles.

2008 - COLOURED DENIM

This was the year we started to see skinny jeans available in a variety of different coloured denims, particularly bright colours and the colour blocking look was just starting to be more popular!

2009 - DISTRESSED DENIM

The highly distressed denim look took off, with big rips, shredded denim and large amounts of fading. This style was inspired by the vintage Stove Pipe jeans of the 1960’s made popular by rock ‘n’ roll musicians. Just quietly, we are glad this look has become less popular over time.

2011 - THE JEGGING

The jeggings trend started and instead of the usual 2% elastane for stretch, they had 70% elastane! This made for very thin and stretchy jeans that didn’t take long after a few washes and wears to lose their shape. They were not a very sustainable option, given they didn’t last for very long.

2013 - WARDROBE STAPLE

The skinny jeans we have come to know and love started to become more popular. With traditional denim and a small amount of stretch, they had less fading and distressing, making them a more timeless wardrobe staple.

2015 - HIGH-RISE SKINNY JEAN

Up until now, skinny jeans were only low to mid-rise, but this was the year we started to see more high-rise skinny jeans, with many finding the high-rise more comfortable and flattering, you can include us in this category!

2016 - ANKLE CUT SKINNY JEAN

Enter the high-rise, skinny ankle cut jean. We all became aware of how versatile this length was. You could wear them with flats, heels or boots in winter and they flattered so many women of all different shapes and sizes as they came in at your waist and elongate your legs.

2021 - TODAY

Today the skinny jean is still one of the most popular style of jeans, with their versatility and flattering silhouette, they are the perfect addition to your wardrobe!

Learning about the evolution of the skinny jean has made us here at KEEPER Denim appreciate it just a little bit more, if that was even possible and we hope it has done the same for you!