Titans offer their opinions on the polarizing subject of jeans.
Aaliyah Roster
Staff Writer
A good pair of jeans can go a long way and luckily, there are dozens of different styles of jeans to choose from. Whether you want to dress comfortably, keep it casual or dress up, the possibilities are virtually endless. The students of Alexandria City High School have very strong opinions on a few styles of jeans that are popular right now.
Fit and flare jeans
If you were alive and wearing jeans in the 70s, you probably recognize this first style of jeans: Fit and Flare. These pants, which peaked in popularity in the 70s are making a rapid comeback in the fashion world. ACHS Sophomore Sophie Waldhoff said the flare of the jeans makes her “feel like a 70s rockstar.”
Fit and flare jeans are pretty self-explanatory. The thigh portion of the jeans has a tighter fit and has a dramatic flare from the knee down. Fit and flare jeans provide a comfortable and flattering feel, especially when they are built to last you a long time, which, if you buy a higher quality pair with a higher percentage of cotton, they do. You can find fit and flare jeans in a multitude of different fits like mid-rise, low-rise, or high-rise and different lengths like boot-cut or floor length. They can be styled with big tops like crewnecks or t-shirts or with smaller tops like tank tops or cropped shirts.
Senior Phoebe Cavanaugh thinks that fit and flare jeans are well paired with “boots and bold sunglasses.”
Although most people seem to like fit and flare jeans, freshman Annabel McLenahan doesn’t agree, saying, “Get out of the 70s.” Regardless, the versatility and funky look of these jeans are why they are making such a strong comeback in the fashion scene and students don’t seem to be mad about it.
Wide leg jeans
Though “street-style” fashion has kept prominence within luxury brands and higher-end fashion, the trend has come back into the spotlight amongst everyday people. Celebrities like Rihanna, notorious for sporting street-style, have also increased the style’s popularity. A staple for any streetwear style is wide-legged or baggy jeans.
Junior McKenna Buckley loves wide-leg pants, saying, “[They’re] comfortable and you don’t have to worry about how you look in them because they are baggy.” Wide-legged jeans can vary from sweeping floor-length to a boot cut, cropped fit, and can be easily styled to be more masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral. Longer wide-legged pants give the wearer an elongating effect and can make you look taller especially when styled with platform shoes.
For styling wide-legged pants, junior Naeem Scott said “[Wide leg pants] only really go well with wider or baggy tops and coats.” Wide-legged pants go with everything and provide excellent mobility so you’re not restricted from doing the things you want to do while wearing them.
Skinny jeans
Think back to the early 2010s era. What was everyone wearing? Cardigans and American Eagle brand sweaters, Hollister graphic tees, checkered slip-on Vans, and skinny jeans. You either love or hate skinny jeans and the students of ACHS have strong opinions about them. Their spandex material makes them uncomfortable; they are skin-tight, which limits your mobility; and they are prone to ripping in the crotch, which leads to awkward situations. An anonymous sophomore said. “[I’m] pretty sure future generations are gonna look back on the skinny jeans era and just wonder ‘Why?’.”
A passionate junior said, “Please set them on fire; they look good on some people; however, the sensory feeling of wearing them is awful.” However, not everyone is quite as opposed to skinny jeans. Others think they’re not as bad as people put them out to be. Junior Kate Harbour said skinny jeans are cute, and junior Naeem Scott said that skinny jeans are “classic.”
“They look good with big coats without seeming unproportionate, ” Harbour said.
Apple Bottom jeans
We all know the shawty with the Apple Bottoms jeans and the boots with the fur but what are Apple Bottom jeans anyways? With the increase of the year 2000 or Y2K fashion, low rise and apple-bottom jeans are making a fierce comeback. Apple Bottom jeans are super low-rise jeans with “Apple Bottom” embroidered on the back pockets. Styling low-rise jeans is really easy. Chunky shoes like Dr. Martens or another platform shoe and shorter-length shirts accentuate the details on the waistband and pockets of the jeans.
A common concern with low-rise jeans is that they are uncomfortable and make people self-conscious. Junior Sophie Dechant said, “Sometimes low rise jeans can be uncomfortable.”
Cavanaugh said, “I know a lot of people get self-conscious about wearing these because they show the stomach, but I think these look great on any size body!”
Junior Thomas Mclenahan said that low-rise jeans remind him of Hannah Montana and that, “They don’t work for men.”
