Forget About Skinny Jeans & Try This Throwback Denim Style Instead

Skinny jeans have had their moment for a long time — to the point where it feels like the trend is never ending. Millennials embraced the tight fit of skinny jeans and have yet to fully let them go — even when the rest of the internet moved on to baggier jeans in 2024 — but it looks like it's finally time to ditch your skinny jeans in favor of a more versatile style: classic cigarette jeans.

For those unfamiliar with this type of pants, cigarette jeans are a type of denim that's slim above the knee and straight and streamlined the rest of the way down the legs. They're a vintage style that rose to popularity in the '80s to contrast overbearing wide-leg pants, but now they're having the reverse effect to replace jeans that are too tight with a more breathable solution.

Unlike unforgiving skinny jeans, cigarette jeans are less restrictive. They highlight your shape without limiting your range of motion. This makes them easy to walk in, comfortable, and more functional. Cigarette jeans are versatile since they pair well with any article of clothing, and they're the perfect choice for those who love wearing tall boots with jeans. The best boot styles to pair with straight-leg jeans look and feel great with cigarette jeans!

Chic and stylish, cigarette jeans are reminiscent of popular fashions in France. They add dimension to show off the fullness of the waist while hugging the legs to look slender. This silhouette is typically found in traditional blue denim, but it's a fresh way to style classic black jeans, too. 

Cigarette jeans look good on every body type, including curvy shapes and those who want to draw attention to their long legs rather than their upper half. Still, the best thing about cigarette jeans is the number of different ways they can be worn. They're relaxed and comfortable without being too informal. Plus, these jeans look suitable with many different aesthetics. For example, skinny jeans can come off as too casual, but cigarette jeans can be the focal point of an outfit or take a back seat to bolder fashion elements and accessories. Essentially, anything from a band T to a colorful sweater and a coquette blazer would look cute with this cut of denim. Cigarette jeans would even be a better choice than skinny jeans for the Y2K trend of dresses over jeans! Ultimately, cigarette jeans are a perfect fit for retro and modern wardrobes alike, and we'll be styling them in myriad ways for the rest of the year.