free your ankles

Skinny jeans dominate the denim world; to the point where I don’t really remember a time when it wasn’t considered standard to have your thighs tightly hugged by a scratchy denim, and how it feels when peeling off your jeans at the end of the day to not be left with seam marks running down your thighs.

The skinny jean goes with everything, the skinny jean is flattering, the skinny jean is BORING.

The rise of the Topshop Joni jean (which I do admit I have owned a solid 3 pairs of) has created a new uniform. Of a Sunday morning Instagram is spammed with a slew of groups of girls sporting the failsafe night out attire of the Joni jeans and a nice top combo. I have fallen foul to this more often than I care to admit, it’s just so damn practical, and therein lies the problem. I can’t help but feel the skinny jean is lazy. As someone who truly appreciates the fun of dressing, I don’t want to live my short life in clothes that don’t make me smile. I love the feeling of dancing in flares, the super comfort of a good slouchy pair of mom jeans or the fact culottes are basically pj bottoms without the stigma. I just love the fun of a jazzy pair of pants.

Despite the clear leaning away from skinny jeans by those with an interest in fashion, it seems that most of the country are less inclined to free their ankles. Skinny jeans still dominate campus and reign supreme in the clubs of Newcastle. Despite this, we can only hope that those stuck in their tight denim prisons see the light. We must raise awareness and let them know of the fun of a kick flare and the elegant joy of a cigarette pant. We must fuel the skinny jean revolution.