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Introduction
I should probably preface this piece by saying that I’m not talking about having a skinny body vs. that of a Greek god; that is another subject entirely. This is actually something of a reboot of an article I penned right around the time I first started writing for FashionBeans.
Back then I asked whether skinny jeans had any place in a man’s wardrobe. I think the definitive answer to that is yes, yes they do, but now I want to question just how skinny our skinny jeans can get. I want fresh eyes, fresh minds and vocal opinions to consider the question: how skinny is too skinny?
The Debate: How Skinny Is Too Skinny?
This was a question I asked myself the other day after one of my work colleagues commented on how tight my jeans were. He was of the opinion that they were just too tight and looked a bit immature. Admittedly, these were exceedingly tight jeans that I only ever wear casually, but it did throw up some rather interesting issues.
Considering the point raised above, is there an age limit to skinny jeans? I would say immediately that there isn’t, you can wear skinny jeans for as long as you want so long as they suit your frame. The thing here is perhaps just how skinny your skinny jeans are – do they err on the skinny side of slim or do you have to jump up and down to pull them on?
Common sense would dictate that an older gent would be better off with the wider end of the scale, but should that prevent you from experimenting? As with anything in fashion, you buy the clothes that suit you: your body, your style and your look. Skinny jeans shouldn’t necessarily be excluded from that.
Despite this I think there is definitely a time, a place and an age limit for the tightest of skinny jeans. I don’t anticipate it really being appropriate to wear my skin tight jeans after perhaps the age of twenty four/five but I certainly won’t be chucking them all in immediately. Skinny jeans (albeit slightly wider) will still have a place in my wardrobe for many years to come.
I have found that the tighter I go, the more casual my look has to become. I wouldn’t dream of wearing anything but trainers with my skinniest jeans simply because boots or brogues would look ridiculous. This however is just my opinion – for others, skin tight could be just the style they need. This is a question that isn’t as black and white as you might imagine, it varies from person to person and whilst the readership of this website has a very definite style, that doesn’t mean it is the same for everyone, we don’t all dress the same.
Skinny jeans have certainly thrown off the stigma of years gone by. As the masses have joined in they have become much more accepted; the feminine connotations are no longer a big problem, we no longer have to go into the women’s section to buy the perfect pair and we can leave the house knowing full well that our slimmer choice of trouser will be free from ridicule.
The onus now is perhaps more on us, the wearers of skinny jeans, rather than on the jeans themselves. We must choose the fit that is the most appropriate for our bodies. As the old saying goes, you can’t polish a turd and if something doesn’t suit you then there isn’t any sense in forcing the issue. Skinny jeans have earned their place in our wardrobes, they are most definitely here to stay and it is up to us to treat them with respect.
Men’s Skinny Jeans Lookbook
So from skin tight to ultra slim, how skinny is too skinny?
Current Men’s Skinny Jeans
To help you form your opinions and to perhaps give you some inspiration, here is a selection of current season skinny jeans, ranging from the widest to the tightest.
- Allsaints Sodium Cigarette
- Allsaints Stamp Cigarette Jeans
- Asos Super Skinny Blue Jean
- Paul Smith – Jeans 201m-300r Drainpipe Rinse Denim Jeans
- Cheap Monday Dark Used Broken Jeans
- Asos Super Skinny Jean
- Nudie Jeans Thin Finn Organic Dry Twill Skinny Jeans
- Nudie Jeans Grim Tim Slim-fit Distressed Jeans
- Uniqlo Men Skinny Fit Tapered Jeans
- Asos Super Skinny Jeans In Grey
- Neuw Jeans Iggy Skinny Red Stretch
- Topman Washed Grey Stretch Skinny Jeans
- Uniqlo Men Skinny Fit Tapered Jeans
- Cheap Monday Tight Favourite Jeans
- Natural Selection Smith Skinny Gee Gee Jeans
- Dsquared2 Mens Distressed 5 Pocket Pants
- Acne Mens Max Man Ray Jeans
- Lanvin Slim-fit Denim Jeans
Final Word
Regardless of whether they are an accepted part of the modern man’s wardrobe or not, skinny jeans will always divide opinion. Personally, I don’t feel that there is an issue with the jeans themselves but more with the way they are worn and the poor choices some people make.
But now it’s time for your say, I’ve no doubt that a lot of you have a great deal to say with regards to this topic, so let me know what you’re thinking in the comments below.
- What do you consider to be skinny jeans?
- Are you a fan of them?
- In your opinion, how skinny is too skinny?
- Is there an age limit for skinny jeans? If yes, why?
- Would you consider wearing any other fit?
Until next time.
Will
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Men’s Sicilian Style Inspiration
A Guide To: Men’s Italian Style
Taking Style Inspiration From Others
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I don’t understand why you don’t like to wear skinny jeans with brogues or boots| I really do like how these two blend in, it gives you a classy look (i don’t think classy is the word but nevermind) I mean, I think those two go very well togheter but that depends very much on your style
Agreed.
I like brogue boots with skinny jeans, just not with super skin tight jeans which is what I wear most of the time, they make the boots look like clown shoes. With normal skinny jeans everything is fine.
I find the same as Will, I prefer slim, tight shoes with skinny jeans, if that makes sense haha. so small sole and fits pretty tight.
I agree totally with what your saying, I myself live in skinny jeans and do have a skinny body frame but i do know what you mean about how your look becomes alot more casual when you wear them i feel skinnys and converse/vans are a perfect combo for just a day out but at the same time you can dress it up abit too, but in all fairness i think how skinny isn’t an issue just as long as you know your body type to understand what accordingly suits.
My legs are to strong for skinny jeans. For me, skinny jeans are a sign of weakness. The age limit shows it. Skinny jeans seperate the boys from the men´s.
I propose this rule of thumb: if your hands can’t go around your thigh, you shouldn’t wear skinny jeans.
I think if the jeans are too skinny and the boots too chunky it can look a little odd. But skinnys and Chelsea boots is a great look!
That’s exactly my thought. I like wearing skinny jeans, but you have to choose your shoes, coat etc. properly, or it could look a bit wierd.
I feel Skinny jeans/chinos become too skinny at the point when the fabric requires an significant amount of elastic stretch in order to accommodate my legs; I also find they become distinctly uncomfortable at this point. Skinny jeans are great, but you’ve still got to leave something to the imagination!
No age limit: If you’ve still got the physique, you can make them work.
All saints Ciggarette fit strike the perfect balance I think. I was
They follow the line of the leg from top to bottom without clinging to your leg.
I find it so hard to pick up jeans that I like.
One thing that I often find with jeans that are of a slim cut is that you get an excess of material through the thigh and the crotch area which in my optinion looks a bit sloppy in any type of smart outfit.
I’ve yet to see a full grown man in skinny jeans look anything but a dope. Leave this abomination to teens, and skinny ones at that. If you want to wear jeans cut close to your legs, then get ‘slim fit’ jeans, not skinny – there is a difference.
They are generally the same thing. Slim cut jeans…atleast where i shop and just a tad bit looser than the so-called skinny jeans.
I think it boils down to the overal look you’re going for. I tend to think of real skinny fit jeans as being more casual and a younger look. Being in my late 30′s I do prefer a much smarter overal look, and slim fit are much better suited.
Skinny on the bottom.
Chunky on the top.
Wear skinnys with a nice jumper or jacket layer combo, but never skinny jeans with a skinny tee or over fitted shirt.
Thats my rule anyway!
I have one pair of really skinny jeans – washed black, with a slight stretch. They feel and look great, especially with a rock t-shirt, or a tight short sleeve shirt.
The problem is, I’m 32 now, and past my physical prime. I’m still fit, but I have very big legs – I used to play football. I look good in them, but I tend to feel I also look like I want to look/be younger than I am. Which really isn’t the case, I’ve spent all my 20’s having a very boyish look, and I’m happy to finally look a bit aged. So I rarely wear them, despite the fact that people my age stop wearing tight clothes mainly to hide the fact that they have a gut. And I don’t have a gut.
To answer your questions, what is too skinny? Those Asos Super Slim Jeans are in my opinion a bit too tight. They look like leggings. Personally, I tend to go for slim fit rather than skinny.
There’s no real age limit to skinny jeans, but there is a frame limit. And it’s not necessarily the size of your legs, but rather the size of your upper body limiting you. If you’ve got too wide shoulders for your legs (some tend to only do upper body work outs at the gym), don’t wear skinny jeans. The same if you’ve got a gut. You’ll look like an olive standing on two toothpicks. And, let’s be honest, you also need the arse for it.
My favourite pair of jeans right now, are a pair of Iggy from Tiger of Sweden.
Some skinny jeans just go too far. Check out the pair second down on the right under “Current Men’s Skinny Jeans”. You can see the complete contours of the guy’s legs, and I really don’t like it. We’re quick to condemn muscle-bound guys for wearing skin tight t-shirts as showing off, yet we’re happy for thighs to bulge out in super skinny jeans? I don’t get it.
Most of the lookbook examples aren’t too bad, but part of the reason is because many of the guys there have slim legs (plus some of the jeans are closer to slim than skinny anyway), and this is where I think skinny jeans work best (the same goes for girls). Even though I fall under this category I don’t think they’re for me, and whilst I don’t see 24 as being an inappropriate age to wear them yet, I feel that as I move on towards my 30s a slim fit is more classy.
Skinny jeans really have one function in a wardrobe – creating an extreme silhouette. As a result a light touch and caution are required.
They can be best worn in two ways 1) CONTRAST: match with heavier items – I’m thinking a knit (not too chunky as you don’t want to over stretch the contrast) and boots. Keep colour combinations simple making the highly fashionable silhouette the focus
2) CLEAN: A simple T with skinny jeans and plimsolls / loafers gives a great stripped back and light feeling outfit. How about coloured skinny’s and a white T using colour to add a little edginess.
CAUTION: In either case think about what your carrying. Pockets bulging with your manly utilities is not a good look – particularly if your going for the CLEAN look.
I’d say that the extreme nature of skinny jeans makes them difficult to pair without proper consideration and in fact rather than being childish or immature require sartorial confidence and expertise in order to pull off effectively. Age has little to do with it.
I concur with much of what has been said, I find skinny jeans look best with a slightly oversized or chunky upper half of an outfit. I am 28 now and personally am edging towards slim fit chinos instead, as the fabric hangs better giving a smarter look and pairs a lot better with a leather soled shoe or boot.
Skinnies certainly have a physique limit that tends to match with a general age limit. I’m 6’3″, age 19 and skinny so I can get away with them. I always look for jeans that ‘hug’ your legs all the way down but are certainly not skin-tight; there should still be small excesses of fabric that can be pinched. All Saints Cigarette jeans, as mentioned by others here, strike the perfect balance.
I agree with almost that has been said but at 31 I still wear skinny jeans. As a guy with shorter legs I fin that skinnies are the type of jeans that fit my legs smartly all others tend to sag around the thighs and bag at the ankles. They can be paired with almost anything as long as think about it first. So to the question ” Is their a age limit on skinny jeans” all I can say is that I hope not because I will be wearing them for some times to come
What do you consider to be skinny jeans?
Jeans that has tighter legs than normal jeans :D
Are you a fan of them?
Yes!
In your opinion, how skinny is too skinny?
When you can’t put anything in your pocket and when your package is fully visible.
Is there an age limit for skinny jeans? If yes, why?
I think about 35…Skinny jeans are, IMHO, for younger people.
Would you consider wearing any other fit?
Yes, I got some regular fits but also a lot of skinny jeans. I just came back from the USA and I bought a pair of Levi’s 511 and 513′s. They arent too skinny but still nice!
I now tend to opt for skinny over slim now. The problem I have with slim is that I have big thighs and a small waist (28″) because I do a lot of running. Most manufacturer then make their 28″ jeans smaller in the seat, so sometimes I can’t even pull them up to my waist. Then when I do get into slim jeans, the legs is still so tight I might as well wear skinnys and have the added practicality of the elastine content.
I dont think any of the jeans you included in this article was too skinny. As you wrote, it is all about what else you wear. I really like skinny jeans, but now in the wintertime, when I use slightly bigger boots, I tend not to use my most skinny ones.
Personally I only wear skinny pants(jeans, cotton, chinos etc,,,)
I love the way it blends with chelsea boots or semi-formal shoes.
Although I dont like it when cuff is fold worn with shoes without socks.
That gives a girlish look to the fit which I’m not a big fan of(the guy in centre, middle row).
I think the guy on the right side of the middle row, and the guy in middle of bottom row pull off the skinny pants perfectly, those are the styles I like to pull with skinny pants.
I prefer slim fitting jeans rather than the skinny as they remind me of teenager wear not to say i think there is an age limit but i choose this for aesthetic reasons as skinny can make footwear look larger than they are. But i notice places still selling baggy jeans i have a few pairs i know they not en vogue but baggy supplies more room in all areas and i notice that you never show baggy for some reason thanks
Skinny jeans all the way – I’m 30 and showing no sign of stopping wearing them. Slim jeans just look lame and half-arsed, and baggy jeans look like you forgot it isn’t the 90s anymore.
Skinny jeans add an edge to an outfit- you can wear something that would be otherwise unremarkable, and give it a real twist with skinny jeans – it’s a great way to add some individuality to more mature styles without dressing like a kid.
To start off I have to admit that I am a massive fan of skinny jeans. So much so that all but one of the jeans / chinos I own where found in the ‘skinny’ section. I also had the comment at work about how tight a particular pair of Levi’s where, which lead me to asking the question are they too skinny? And the dreaded statement that my mum keeps brings up…Aren’t you a bit old to be wearing skinny jeans?
Well at the grand old age of 26 my firm answer is still no! But are they suitable for work or should they just be used for out of the 9-5 time frame? Personally I believe they are good 24/7 however some days I don’t always feel the urge to peel myself into a skinny pair of jeans at eight in the morning. That’s why I find it handy to have different versions of the skinny jeans, one suitable for every occasion as some brands such as Topman don’t seem to stay skintight for long compared to my Levi’s which are the pair I have to peel myself out off.
I think they are the best fit for me because of my build is tall and slim, however darken colors are more forgiving for the bigger legs and wouldn’t venture into the lights blue jeans as I think they would draw too much attention to what I believe are my big tights!
They are a design that many can pull off but not sure they suit the bigger build of a guy whether it be fat or muscle. Age wise I’m not sure it matters too much, for me it’s more based on the build.
Its certainly a style that I will be carrying on to wear for the next few years as long as I can still find the ones that I see as the perfect fit!
theres no such thing as “too skinny” skinny jeans, darling :)
I consider anything that is noticeably altered to be skinner then a ‘straight leg’ or a style that runs with a closer fit to the leg of the wearer, as ‘skinny jeans’.
I am 27 and still wear skinny jeans. In the last few years I have taken more interest in a slightly looser fitted jeans and smart trousers to vary my wardrobe.
I think that with a lot of fashion debate that it depends on the wearer in question. Some people can carry off things longer because of the overall styling and other factors such a facial hair, tattoos, piercings, glasses and hairstyle.
I normally am asked by people who add pose the question ‘what’s with the skinny jeans’ in a negative sense. I find that those who do are the ones that don’t venture out of the straight leg so doesn’t really register as some have said they wish they could.
Maybe once past an age probably somewhere in your 30′s a slightly looser leg would be more mature but as long as you haven’t got hair draped across your eyes still I find most guys in skinny jeans wear them really well.
I consider jeans are too skinny when it’s skin tight and hard for you to squart normally.
I always wear slim and skinny fit trousers, however, it really depends on the brands. For some brands even the regular pair is quite skinny for me.(cuz I have quite muscular legs). However, I always avoid skin tight trousers. They are not comfortable and looks like leggings.
I think there is age limit for skin tight jeans. It’s kinda young fashion, and it is little bit awkward to see mid-aged people to wear this kind of stuff. But I think it’s okay to wear slim trousers for people of all the ages.
Yes, I wear all kinds of fit but low rise and baggy ones.
I look pretty stupid in anything but skinny fit jeans, because of my frame. Even with the best quality jeans I just can’t get away with wearing anything straight cut, and god forbid, boot cut. Levis 511s are the perfect balance, for me anyway. Got to say skinny jeans look awful on anyone carrying any weight though, so they’re not for everyone.
Seracs- “I look pretty stupid in anything but skinny fit jeans, because of my frame”, you say… really? No comments on your physicality at all but either your very young or you spent a long time in your life looking as you Stupid. Have you ever thought maybe jeans are not for you? Just a thought.
Did you say, “You can’t polish a turd”? That my dear writer was disgusting.
Skinny jeans don’t really have an age. But the do have an image problem. They will not be around forever like many are incline to believe. The jeans really don’t when they look like a stuffed sausage or when they are “sagged”. OK Why would anyone want to sag skinny jeans/pants? It’s a ridiculous idea. I’m all for fashion but there is also style.
BTW Skinny anything will not be MY style, nor the slim cuts either.
I personally would never wear skinny jeans. I like that my pants aren’t as tight or tighter than what girls have on. Also most men I’ve seen wearing skinnys are quite or very thin legged fellas, so I don’t understand why would you want to highlight your chicken legs even more.
Just my two cents.
I really love skinny jeans. I wear them all the time I can but not for work (suited and booted for work!!) I think that they make legs look long and more attractive than baggier styles. Surely the idea of fashion is to make your body more attractive. Plus they come in such lovely colours apart from black; and we all need some colour in our lives. Am I the only 63 year old to wear my skinny jeans with pride??
48 years old and actually just bought my 4th pair of Levi 511′s. 6’4″ still fit and slim. I sure hope there is no age limit, because I’ll admit, I love wearing skinny and slim fit jeans!
I love skinny jeans but i can never find any to fit, they’re always way too baggy for me and the ones that actually feel and look like skinny jeans are way too short. I hate that most high street brands are designed to accommodate fat, short people :(
I am quite tall (186cm), really slim and i’ve got quite long legs, but I’ve never had a problem getting jeans exactly for me. (Of course I mean nowadays. I’m 19, but i had a problem buying jean when i was a kid, but that’s whole different story) I just really think, that buying high street brands clothes only is not the right way to go. You could be really surprised what you can find in smaller, cheaper shops :)
Google ‘mens skin tight jeans’ and go to ‘images’. The first picture on the top left has it about right, – good legs, superb fit – not broom pole skinny and not work-out muscle bulging but tight none the less. It’s abouit pushing the envelope, confidence at being a bit edgy, dodgy. Spray on jeans with double sole creepers and a studded biker jacket is about right for me. If you want to class it up a bit then cuban heel chelsea boots. But that’s me , some freak at it, n some love it by WTF.
Henry
is a nice trends, but you must be careful according your legs type, and places, its ridiculous for gala party, for example