Where do Skinny Jeans fit into Fall Fashion 2025? Two Lessons from the Past.

It's September. You know what that means: a social media frenzy about fall fashion (even though in Texas our legs will be sticking to the car seats until Halloween) and the annual circle back to the skinny jean discussion. Are they "in" or "out" for fall? How can you style them to look current?

Here's my perception of the skinny jean timeline (without dates because this isn't the history of fashion):

• Everyone is wearing a low-to-mid-rise skinny jean

• Jeggings enter the picture for longer than they should because why wouldn't we want our denim to mimic Lululemon leggings

• Skinny jeans (and athletic leggings) start to have higher-rises (the realization that muffin tops can be concealed with a little extra fabric is life changing)

• Straight leg jeans with higher-rises (that would be mid-rise by today's 2025 standards) enter the picture - many women stick with skinny jeans

• Wide leg jeans with high rises arrive - many women stick with skinny jeans

• A "new" skinny jean ever so slightly less narrow than the original is offered to appease the die-hards who rejoice that "They're back!"

• Barrel leg jeans lead to all bets being off with denim and an "anything goes" approach is adopted - many women stick with a version of skinny jeans

As an early member of the Free Your Legs Movement, I've been baffled by the strange (literal and physical) grip this denim style held/holds over the masses. Based on countless discussions with clients, friends, and women sitting next to me at the nail salon, here's what I think we should take away from the skinny jean saga instead of focusing on if we should be wearing them.

First Lesson: Don't fall for the "universally flattering" trap. I don't care what anyone says about this style looking good on everyone. What a lie. Yes, skinny jeans looked pretty good on some women (a quick Google search of "Kate Middleton skinny jeans" is proof), but I feel women were sold a false bill of goods on this one. In my opinion, describing any article of clothing as "universally flattering" is a sales tactic, not a true statement about fit.

Tight clothing draws attention to the part of your person you've chosen to encase. Here, the entire lower half of the body. The result is to highlight not only every curve, lump, and bump, but also draw attention to your legs to bottom proportion. If your legs and bottom aren't of precisely corresponding magnitude, you may end up appearing to have chicken legs or a very pronounced behind - even if neither is true.

To be clear, the problem isn't (and never was) the bodies in the jeans. The problem is the style groupthink that convinced us these circulation killers were the only way to wear denim and look cute. For most women, me included, it didn't even occur to me to explore additional options during the peak of skinny jeans. I don't even remember seeing other options in stores. I'm sure they were there, but it didn't feel that way at the time. Now I know I could have done (and looked) better.

Second Lesson: Take the time to learn how to style new pieces - your wardrobe should evolve with you.

Styling skinny jeans was pretty straightforward. All tops were fair game. Once you found a pair with the correct length for your legs (or scrunched/folded as you deemed fit), you were done. The fact that the pant stopped at the ankle or top of the foot largely eliminated questions about which shoes to wear. The answer was all. of. them. Even booties - tuck the jeans into the tops and you're done. It was a special time.

You can have the same confidence styling other denim shapes. Because although you may want to fit into clothes from your younger years, you probably don't want to look like the last time you went shopping was 10 years ago. The latter was (and is) often an actual result of choosing not to update your skinny jeans, digging in your heels and throwing up your hands when presented with alternative denim options.

I know that sounds harsh. It's also the truth. You and your body change and develop with age, life events and circumstances. Styles and shapes of clothing shift and evolve (even "classics"). As a personal stylist who works with midlife women, I often advise women their style is fluid. You aren't the same woman you were 5 or 10 years ago; you shouldn't dress like her. Instead, take the time to ensure what you see when you look in the mirror reflects the current version of yourself you desire to put out into the world.

The Big Picture

After a decade-plus of hearing about a singular denim shape too extreme to be considered a true classic, I'm exhausted. For me, the story is no longer about jeans. It's about discernment, thinking independently, and educating yourself about what styles make you feel amazing (and how to wear them).

Even if you moved on long ago from skinny jeans, take these lessons with you into peak fall fashion 2025 and denim season. Don't put on blinders when shopping for wardrobe staples like denim; it's limiting. Instead, take time to experiment. If you find a fresh silhouette you love, embrace it by learning to style it with pieces you already own. Minor positive tweaks to your wardrobe can have big impacts on both your look and self-esteem.