“They are obscene,” says Jennifer Hinrichs, age 40. “I wouldn’t even want to see my daughter wearing pants that tight.”
However, the boys that take part in this fad continue to defend their style.
“Maybe the older ladies aren’t into them, but all the younger ladies don’t seem to mind. My girlfriend likes them,” says Tyler Cook, a junior.
Whether you like them or not, they’re back!
The original skinny jean emerged in the ‘50s when cowboys such as Roy Rogers, the Cisco Kid and the Lone Ranger started the trend. It’s had many names, such as carrot leg pants, cigarette pants, drainpipes, ice cream cones, pencil pants, tapered pants, slim jims and peg leg pants.
Over the years the look has traveled through all aspects of “bad boy” culture, from outlaw cowboys to rock artists like Elvis and the Beatles to the punk rock movement with the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. Then metal bands joined with Anthrax, Slayer and Guns N’ Roses. The jeans seemed to loose popularity in the ‘90s, however, when grunge rock and hip hop started to take over the music scene.
They are now extremely popular again, worn in many groups such as those in the punk rock and metal movement. They were also adopted into the extreme sports world for their function as well as fashion. Skinny jeans are made with 2 to 4 percent spandex for flexibility, which makes it easier for skaters to crouch and kick. They also stick close to a person’s ankle, which protects BMX riders from getting their pant legs caught in the rotating parts of the bicycle.
There’s a hefty downside to them, however. These jeans are not very socially accepted and do not usually appeal to superiors. They also cause boys to be the victims of unfair stereotyping as the pants still represent the “bad boy” image, especially to older generations. They won’t do you any favors with, for example, your girlfriend’s parents.
There are some accepting adults and liberal bosses out there, but they are the exception. The trend setters of tight pants left a lawless legacy.
In an objective light, there’s nothing more wrong with tight pants than with any other kind of pant, but the prejudgment of a man in peg leg pants is not good. Regardless of the associations, tight pants will not die out; they’ll merely fade in and out like they have been for nearly 60 years.