The generational divide pitting skinny jeans-loving millennials versus anti-skinny Gen Z consumers took a bite out of 2023 jeans sales.
This year, U.S. women’s jeans sales declined by 3 percent through September, according to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service data. For every $10 lost, the firm said $8 came from skinny jeans. Sales of skinny jeans fell faster than the overall market, down 22 percent.
The debate over skinny jeans erupted online in 2021. Influenced by ’90s and Y2K fashion trends, unisex styling, and the pandemic’s effect on dressing for comfort, younger shoppers shifted gears away from the bodycon silhouette by embracing wide-leg jeans and utility-friendly cargo pants.
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Skinny fits remained the most popular jeans shape for both genders in that year, however, but their assortment plummeted the most of any silhouette in 2022, falling 52 percent in men’s and 29 percent in women’s, according to data from Edited.
In March 2022, the NPD Group, now known as Circana, published data showing that straight-leg jeans were the top-selling fit among women in the U.S., dethroning the skinny, which was the only jeans style to experience a revenue decline in 2021 from 2019.
The body-hugging silhouette hasn’t bounced back as consumers across age groups follow Gen Z’s lead. Loose-fitting jeans are now mainstays in collections from 7 For All Mankind, Levi’s, Madewell, Old Navy, Universal Thread and more.
Circana said looser fits such as bootcut, wide leg, and flare styles are a “bright spot” within the business and are all up double-digits so far this year. Combined, the three fits account for 23 percent of women’s jean sales, which is nearly 8 points more than a year ago, and 13 points higher than pre-pandemic 2019.
“Today, sales of larger bottom styles within the designer and contemporary brand space are growing at a faster rate than the overall jeans market,” said Maria Rugolo, Circana apparel industry analyst, adding that the combined sales of bootcut, wide leg, and flare fits across designer and contemporary brands account for 42 percent of sales dollars.
“This shift could start to accelerate faster even outside of designer and contemporary brands, especially with the help of viral trends,” she said.
Don’t count out the chance of a skinny jean comeback, however. Denim Dudes’ Spring/Summer 2025 forecast points to bodycon silhouettes and skin-tight bottoms. With low rises and subversive trends gaining momentum with Gen Z, the fit could bite back with vengeance.
