A. generation war has been playing out on TikTok for a while, although anyone over the age of 24 could be obsessed with the millions of “millennial v Gen Z” videos that have appeared on social media site last year. But now the kids have turned their sights on something that millennials seem to keep close to their hearts: ski jeans.
In scenes reminiscent of the “OK boomer” meme that divided the generations in 2019, the videos have shed light on how Generation Z is – broadly defined as anyone born sometime between the mid-90s and 2010 – distinguishing themselves from previous generations.
Since January 274,000 videos have been tagged “no skinny jeans” on TikTok and 8.3m millennial v Gen Z. Earlier this month, male supermodel Luka Sabbat told Esquire: “Tired jeans don’t look so smooth today. ”
A video from TikTok user @momohkd asks their 410,000 viewers to throw away their ripped jeans, put them on or cut them into something new. Like other users she says millennials should be stopped to look younger.
Skinny jeans became mainstream in 2005 after appearing in the Dior Homme autumn / winter collection, as watched by Hedi Slimane. The size of the jeans – 27 inches – was considered tiny, especially compared to the price tag – around £ 200. “Slimane’s skinny jeans were important for the cut, but also for the body he showed on them – body very tired, both male and female models, ”says Emma McClendon, author of Denim: Fashion’s Frontier. “This changed the marketing and style of jeans advertising away from the more meaningful view that had dominated the market for low-cut, bootcut jeans to a thinner and more impossible figure. ”
The sleek jean became part of the 2000s boho scene of It-girls such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie (as stripped by Rachel Zoe), as well as being part of the other rock rise of the time as seen on bands including The Strokes and the Razorlight. But they didn’t really go away: Jill Biden recently wore a pair on Instagram and they were also a special feature of the “four guys in jeans” meme.
Kristian
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But there has been a greater focus on body inclusion in fashion in recent years. In September Versace threw three oversized models for the first time, and the plus-size model Paloma Elsesser was on the cover of US Vogue in January. This coincides with Generation Z’s social activity and calls for greater diversity. On TikTok, Gen Z users have opted for baggy jeans instead of slim fit – avoiding the prescriptive notion that jeans are affordable. According to market research firm Edited, sales of men’s casual jeans have gone up 15% and women’s wide-leg jeans have gone up 97%. The skinny v baggy online debate not only reveals generational division but other socioeconomic facts as well. “This is about ‘taste’ issues but they intersect with issues of class, age, place, gender,” says McClendon.
The tired jean may find it difficult to get rid of. Last month, Levi’s chief executive Chip Bergh told investors he did not “believe ski jeans are ever going on the women’s side of the industry”, despite a clear move towards “casual clothes, richer overall”, according to Business Insider. McClendon said that “they always have a way of kicking back. They are a very flexible and versatile outfit that carries so much cultural significance that they will never be irrelevant. ”