by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
A fashion war has broken out between Generation Z and Millennials on social media.
The division that has given rise to the flame wars is over jeans.
Generation Z, which are those people born between 1997 and 2015, are telling Millennials (born between 1981–1996) that it is time to hang up the trusty skinny jeans. Those are passé.
Generation Z says it’s time to pull up your “mom jeans.”
TikTok is home to most of this mom vs. skinny jeans rancor.
“Skinny jeans are so uncool no one should wear them,” posted @Mairiqueenofscots.
@julia3lle posted that she would rather be homeless than wear skinny jeans.
“I support people whether they wear skinny jeans or are normal,” posted @Rodricksfuturewife.
And @Momohkd offered her tips for how to style skinny jeans. “Throw them Out (sic),” “Burn them,” and “Cut them up and make smtg (sic) else.”
Millennials are saying there is no way they will give up their skinny jeans. And Millennials, just as they did with the Baby Boomers, are fighting dirty. TikTok users from that generation say they refuse to take fashion advice from a generation that can’t read cursive and once ate Tide pods on social media dare.
Jozie Alter, a member of Generation Z living in West Hartford, said mom jeans are more flattering for her body shape. The 15-year-old said some of her peers still keep skinny jeans in their wardrobe. But Alter said she has moved on.
But not all members of Generation Z are willing to get on the mom jeans trend just yet.
Allie Maisto, a 16-year-old Wolcott High School student, said, “I am a huge fan of skinny jeans. They’re always a part of my wardrobe. I make sure to have a pair in my closet because they are easy to pair with a cute top.
“Plus, they’re comfortable, which always is a positive,” said Maisto. “I think a simple pair of skinny jeans can never go wrong in an outfit.”
Avaryana Rose, a 15-year-old model from Florida, also loves her skinny jeans and leggings. She said likes that they are form-fitting, which is perfect for a skinny girl like herself. Also, she said she likes that they “bend and stretch with you while also looking fabulous.”
Irelynn Janell, a student at Danbury High School, said, that even if skinny jeans aren’t in style, she loves to wear them. “I feel so confident and comfortable in them. It’s so easy to pick out a cute outfit when wearing skinny jeans. I always try to wear what I’m most confident in even if the outfit isn’t trendy at the moment,” said the 16-year-old.
Montana-based model Bella Lyn, 13, also still sits squarely on the skinny jean side of the sartorial battle. She said skinny jeans are more flattering for her figure. Mom jeans can make her look bulky. She also feels skinny jeans are more versatile when choosing her footwear. A pair of skinny jeans “looks good with all kinds of shoes. Boots over them – sneakers- heels-sandals etc., whereas other jeans only look good with certain shoes.”
Trinity University college student Samantha Sarelli, however, is willing to let mom jeans into her life even though she still loves her skinny jeans.
“It’s fun to change up my style and sometimes (mom jeans) can be even more comfortable than skinny jeans. But they still have some style too,” said the 19-year-old.
