There was a time, not even a year ago, when the majority of the fashion community swore against the revival of skinny jeans. However, in recent months, many of the fashion weeks have featured a multitude of looks that put skin-tight denim in the spotlight. For example, 7 for All Mankind’sFall/Winter 2026 show highlighted a wild Y2K fever dream, bringing back everything Jenny Humphrey has to offer. Other brands like Isabel Marant, Diesel, and Celine have also put skinny jeans in the spotlight. This has the millennials and 2010 fashion enthusiasts giddy for a day when skinny jeans would be socially acceptable to wear again. In the grander scheme of things, most would relate this to the emergence of the 2010 indie sleaze grunge resurgence. Nevertheless, it’s suspected that his trend has underlying political motives that the fashion community is turning a blind eye to.
Regarding the political state of the United States, it is visibly at its lowest point in decades. The country has been regressing in multiple ways, including economic inequality, declining civil rights, and political divisions, after there has been an overwhelming amount of positive political growth in the past 20 years. With a rise in conservatism, morals are low, and the population is reaching for something familiar, and resorting to comfort in a time of discomfort is an instinct most people choose. So now, when people dress themselves, they are turning to a staple of fashion, skinny jeans…yes, they are officially being labeled as a recession indicator.
There is an obvious relationship between trends in fashion and the last four presidential elections. Looking back to 2020, when being “woke” and having a politically correct stance were at their height, it seemed every person was glued to their phone, rallying for the election of Former President Biden. Alongside that, there was a huge revival of the body positivity movement, assuring everyone felt the most comfortable and confident. The baggy jean silhouette and street style became the norm. As runway models become thinner and thinner, it’s obvious that humanity no longer wants to accept organic styles and bodies. With the rise in the use of the rapid weight-loss drug Ozempic, people appear to be getting skinnier, and so is their denim. It’s true that almost every style will make its way out of the depths of closets eventually, but the timing is simply uncanny.
Words by Audrey Baker
Graphics by Rose Davis