After years of selling skinny jeans, I’ve seen many women who don’t feel comfortable in wider leg styles because once they are hemmed the look is gone. I don’t think we can bring ourselves to a tailor these days anymore than we can put on a non-pull on pant!
I came down here to write something about the denim industry, and I see the that the conversation has already started! It seems that denim manufacturers have finally gotten their way and most of us have put away our skinny jeans, but it feels like they are throwing just about every style under the sun against the wall to see what sticks. It's nice from a freedom-of-personal-expression perspective, but I think many folks like a little sartorial direction, and there are just so many choices that it's overwhelming. Plus, different denim shapes require different shoes, tops, etc.. That may be keeping people in the warm embrace of athleisurewear.
Do we think that there will be cohesion around any particular style of denim any time soon? Is there any industry data that can tell us what is going on?
This makes sense as a straight leg is a pretty natural evolution from skinnies whereas bootcut or wide leg probably feel kind of out-there to a lot of people.
That makes sense. Straight leg jeans are different, but not too different (like they don't require a total wardrobe overhaul). It will be interesting to see if the straight leg is the gateway to wider legs, or if things stay here for a while. I predict the rise lengths will go down to a nice, comfortable mid-rise though.
I totally agree with you on your general premise that people aren't dressing up to go about their daily lives, and that the bump retailers are seeing is event-specific. Well articulated!
I have been wearing straight-leg jeans for the last few months, too. Not wide, not skinny, but enough volume to play with the trend. It's been enough to turn my eye against the skinnies that are so tight around the calf. Just wear a legging already!
Maybe dressing up for daily life is in some very specific markets? Not seeing it yet in Raleigh!
Teenagers here are into the straightish flare and I like it because it gives no indication of their body. I think many girls like that. I’ve seen things going a bit more Britney Y2K with a small group of girls. Mum jeans have changed my life and my girls wear those too. I like a tailored flare and have them taken up to the lowest level possible with a small heel, to keep my legs long. I am a teacher so have invested in suits because, you know, the patriarchy. It’s so much easier and they’re so durable. I’ve been going for a David Byrne cut so hopefully it doesn’t go out of style for a while. Teachers will usually go as casually as you let them, so I’m flying the flag for post-grad educated professionalism. Dress how you want time be paid! Although my partner is in tech, wears jeans every day and earns easily double I do as a senior exec.
I love the look of wider leg styles, but only with heels - however, can rarely be bothered to subject my feet to those anymore, particularly post-pandemic.
I have 100% embraced flares/wide legs again, but I'm 5'11" and never have to hem them. I have actually been secretly waiting for flares to return since I finally gave them up past their prime about 10 years ago. I love that high waisted fares are back. It's the leg shape I loved as a 22 year old with a waist that that works on my 42 year old body.
“I have a black leather one that’s so dusty I could probably write RIP on it with my fingertip.”
🤣 lol You’ve prompted me to check on a burgundy, coated cotton Lanvin shift dress (FW10) I can’t let go of because Alber.
My name is Anjli and I’m a lawyer in Toronto. For the past decade I’ve helped independent designers navigate legal issues. I subscribed at the end of last year and this is my first comment! 😁
I also work from home and as a writer, I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk and I find jeans are so uncomfortable to sit in after a couple of hours - especially rigid denim. But I also don’t like wearing track pants every day - I need to feel a bit like I’m dressed for work to flip my mind into working mode. So I’m a big fan of brands like Tibi that have figured out how to make comfortable but stylish trousers which, pre-pandemic, was like looking for a unicorn! I think these styles are here to stay and we can at last be pragmatic, comfortable and have a little bit of flair too as we work.
Other than athleisure, I see American workwear and sportswear being embraced, particularly by Gen Z (high-waisted straight or wide leg pants and copious amounts of plaid). It looks to me like people are armoring up in what they best know and recognize. I do not see people trying to stand out. I honestly think under the desire for comfort people might be unknowingly and unnervingly dressing for the feeling of safety and protection by not standing out and sticking to the knowns.
I am so inspired to get dressed up more but the reality is I have deepened my day-to-day connection with athleisure and I am perfectly content with that truth. If I’m going out to dinner I do get a little extra, but I work full time and am a mom of two young girls so I love an excuse to do that.
P.S. I would love to hear your thoughts on the E in P fits
I personally am actually dressing up more but that’s because I am back at the office full time and want to “wear my CLOTHES”. That being said, I don’t think the things I’m wearing qualify as Carrie post pandemic dressing which I don’t think people are doing. I think what I’m really doing is actually putting more thought into the outfits that I put together and planning my outfits in advance. And I am definitely the meme of the wife that gets dressed up for dinner out while her husband is wearing his third cleanest tee. So, yes, I guess I’m the lone person out here not in leggings-lol.
After reading this, I made a note of what the affluent Brooklyn moms were wearing at a trendy coffee/lunch spot where I had some tea the other day: one had baggy jeans (though I wouldn't call them wide-legged), the others had sweats or long johns (those waffled baggy sort of leggings). Most had lace-up boots worker-type boots and one had sneakers. All had snuggly sweaters. I did not see any heels in my sojourns through the neighborhood (or skirts/dresses). I feel, however, that fewer people are wearing leggings/workoutwear 24/7 — feel like I see less of that than I even did before the pandemic. I am going to Manhattan a couple times this week, so I'll pay attention to what people are wearing there and report back!
I think this past year there have been a lot of postponed weddings and people had holiday parties for the first time and so were excited about getting dressed up for those things and excited about the prospect of indulging in something festive/beautiful to wear. I think it's an aberration. I do think maybe people are tired of wearing sweats all the time and relish in wearing, I don't know, some swaggering trousers and maybe a nice sweater or a blouse or jeans and boots if they're going to, say, a museum or show — but that doesn't mean they're gonna wear dresses and heels. (Especially not heels.)
Incidentally, I actually don't like wearing sweats or leggings out (unless it's like a quick run to the drugstore or bodega for an emergency) because it makes me feel depressed. I like high-waisted mom jeans and, actually, dresses which I find more comfortable!
I wonder what it is about leisurewear or “comfy” clothes that makes us feel depressed (right there with you...) though? I can’t help but feel as though the patriarchy and anti fatness combine to make it so...
Hmm... interesting! Do you think it's a common sentiment? I feel like most people *prefer* leggings/sweats - I think some women think they look sexiest in leggings. (I honestly don't find them comfortable at all... I even do yoga in jogger type pants.) But maybe my mind isn't as free from patriarchy-enforced views as I would like to think (it's not because I never leave the house without a little makeup). I've ALWAYS preferred dresses to pants however, and I've always dressed more traditionally feminine than my peers or the people around me, to the point where I was very self-conscious about it and tried to change it because it felt deeply uncool (during a period in middle and high school). I've just learned to accept that this is who I am and how I feel most comfortable!
around me, the non-WFHers (the majority) have returned to 2019 levels of formality - no heels, but I do see a lot of ballet flats and loafers instead of the trainers that used to dominate during the pandemic. People are back in jackets/blazers but they're the softer/less structured kind and not oversized in the shoulder, there isn't quite the preoccupation with putting camisoles under things that happen to be sheer, instead of sweatshirts it's cardigans or denim jackets, and where someone might have worn a button-down earlier now they just settle for a short-sleeved cotton button-up. There's nuance to the way things are changing, admittedly I don't live in the US though.
Where do you live ? I’m French and I don’t think French companies were ever as strict about dress code as US or UK companies might have been. Jeans in the office were fine years and years before the pandemic. I do think people tend to be more casual and mono-chromatic though and that’s a real bummer. I love bright colors so I try to incorporate them in my outfits when I go out, regardless of the level of casualness or formality. I also don’t think French people have really bought in the leggings as pants aesthetic yet, and I’m immensely grateful for it!
I work almost entirely from my home studio and spend my life in voluminous dresses that are comfy and don't press in on my waist. The denim I have is mostly of the high-waisted vintage variety (1940's and 50's) although I still wear skinnies with big stompy boots and always will. Working solo all the time I will get dressed up just to go into the city on errands and any time I see friends, because I love my gorgeous clothes and they make me feel the absolute NUTS! But even my fanciest togs are always comfy because that's paramount to me. Also, I'm almost 6ft tall so heels can jog right on. Most importantly, I made the effort to get curatedly dressed up when narrating the Anna: The Biography audiobook, out of respect for the work you put in and also because my curvy, unmodified, naturally curly, tattooed visage is everything anti-Anna and I enjoyed that. 😉
I live in Atlanta and work remotely for a government tech company based in DC. I went up to DC for a conference in November for the first time since before the pandemic, and I was surprised at how weird it was to see people in suits again. Atlanta and everyone else I've been in the last 18 months is all athleisure all the time. I was back in DC last month for a "black tie recommended" holiday party, and people were ALL over the place for that. Everything from jeans to formal ball gowns. Some people were clearly excited for occasion dressing, but others very clearly weren't. And no one seemed to care how anyone else was dressed. It was kind of great. The ball gown people had their fun and and the jeans people were happy to be comfy.
Totally agree with you - if anything, at least here in Ireland, I feel as though everything becomes more casual by the day. One thing that I can't stop thinking about is the literal ubiquity of Fear of God sweats?! I have seen them in the eastern USA, Ireland, Italy, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. I now think of FoG daily and last year didn't know FoG existed. What is going on?!
I agree that office attire is more casual and now that Pandora's box has been opened, I don't see employers being able to force people into more formal office wear. The exceptions tend to be law, finance and banking. I recently asked friends and looked into places around the world (Hong Kong, Europe, Australia, South Africa) who concurred. (Although business attire in South Africa is still more formal than elsewhere). Comfortable, stylish clothes are more readily available, so stuffing ourselves into stiff suits and heels seems a little silly. Looking polished is the key.
Not only are we wearing more jeans now... We are dressing up in all denim! What used to be extra casual now is my dressing up go-to. And.. sometimes.. even with sneakers ;)
I’m still throwing my Escada, Armani and RL Blazers over everything.. if I skip the sneakers it’s because I gave great flats or boots.. not heels.. I like a straight keg but not too skinny. I like to feel somewhat put together. I don’t see wearing a bra and pantries with a sheer dress over it for me
Speaking as a chronically ill woman. In her mid-70s who's going out to lunch, I have on black pull on jeans printed with bumble bee yellow repeating filigree. a yellow v-neck Philosophy knit top and a yellow kantha. Jacket from Etsy, comfy stable clogs and gray Frye Cashmere socks. And the pricey boutique in
My comparatively hip neighborhood is going out of business. The resale shop next door is moving into the much larger digs of boutique and all is well in small Southern college city!
After years of selling skinny jeans, I’ve seen many women who don’t feel comfortable in wider leg styles because once they are hemmed the look is gone. I don’t think we can bring ourselves to a tailor these days anymore than we can put on a non-pull on pant!
This is so true. I actually am wearing wider leg jeans (this pair specifically I am in LOVE with: https://www.revolve.com/citizens-of-humanity-annina-trouser-in-pinnacle/dp/CITI-WJ1687/?d=F¤cy=USD&countrycode=US&gclsrc=ds) and loving them because they're more comfortable than skinnys! Only problem is they're not as warm as skinnys.
Amy, those jeans are RAVISHING! The legs. Have a very slight bell shape and the pants a re beautifully proportioned! You. Look. MAHVELOUS.
I came down here to write something about the denim industry, and I see the that the conversation has already started! It seems that denim manufacturers have finally gotten their way and most of us have put away our skinny jeans, but it feels like they are throwing just about every style under the sun against the wall to see what sticks. It's nice from a freedom-of-personal-expression perspective, but I think many folks like a little sartorial direction, and there are just so many choices that it's overwhelming. Plus, different denim shapes require different shoes, tops, etc.. That may be keeping people in the warm embrace of athleisurewear.
Do we think that there will be cohesion around any particular style of denim any time soon? Is there any industry data that can tell us what is going on?
I looked this up recently actually! The best selling styles now are straight leg -- finally usurping skinnies: https://www.npd.com/news/press-releases/2022/straight-jeans-surpass-skinny-as-the-best-selling-style-for-us-women-says-npd/
This makes sense as a straight leg is a pretty natural evolution from skinnies whereas bootcut or wide leg probably feel kind of out-there to a lot of people.
That makes sense. Straight leg jeans are different, but not too different (like they don't require a total wardrobe overhaul). It will be interesting to see if the straight leg is the gateway to wider legs, or if things stay here for a while. I predict the rise lengths will go down to a nice, comfortable mid-rise though.
I totally agree with you on your general premise that people aren't dressing up to go about their daily lives, and that the bump retailers are seeing is event-specific. Well articulated!
I have been wearing straight-leg jeans for the last few months, too. Not wide, not skinny, but enough volume to play with the trend. It's been enough to turn my eye against the skinnies that are so tight around the calf. Just wear a legging already!
Maybe dressing up for daily life is in some very specific markets? Not seeing it yet in Raleigh!
Teenagers here are into the straightish flare and I like it because it gives no indication of their body. I think many girls like that. I’ve seen things going a bit more Britney Y2K with a small group of girls. Mum jeans have changed my life and my girls wear those too. I like a tailored flare and have them taken up to the lowest level possible with a small heel, to keep my legs long. I am a teacher so have invested in suits because, you know, the patriarchy. It’s so much easier and they’re so durable. I’ve been going for a David Byrne cut so hopefully it doesn’t go out of style for a while. Teachers will usually go as casually as you let them, so I’m flying the flag for post-grad educated professionalism. Dress how you want time be paid! Although my partner is in tech, wears jeans every day and earns easily double I do as a senior exec.
I love the look of wider leg styles, but only with heels - however, can rarely be bothered to subject my feet to those anymore, particularly post-pandemic.
I have 100% embraced flares/wide legs again, but I'm 5'11" and never have to hem them. I have actually been secretly waiting for flares to return since I finally gave them up past their prime about 10 years ago. I love that high waisted fares are back. It's the leg shape I loved as a 22 year old with a waist that that works on my 42 year old body.
My 19 y/o finally switched from “soft pants” to jeans when he went to University in Montreal, which is decidedly a more fashionable city than Toronto!
Wow! So you're saying to get my son in jeans I may need to wait til he leaves the house...
I’m from Toronto and I agree re: Montreal!
“I have a black leather one that’s so dusty I could probably write RIP on it with my fingertip.”
🤣 lol You’ve prompted me to check on a burgundy, coated cotton Lanvin shift dress (FW10) I can’t let go of because Alber.
My name is Anjli and I’m a lawyer in Toronto. For the past decade I’ve helped independent designers navigate legal issues. I subscribed at the end of last year and this is my first comment! 😁
I also work from home and as a writer, I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk and I find jeans are so uncomfortable to sit in after a couple of hours - especially rigid denim. But I also don’t like wearing track pants every day - I need to feel a bit like I’m dressed for work to flip my mind into working mode. So I’m a big fan of brands like Tibi that have figured out how to make comfortable but stylish trousers which, pre-pandemic, was like looking for a unicorn! I think these styles are here to stay and we can at last be pragmatic, comfortable and have a little bit of flair too as we work.
Other than athleisure, I see American workwear and sportswear being embraced, particularly by Gen Z (high-waisted straight or wide leg pants and copious amounts of plaid). It looks to me like people are armoring up in what they best know and recognize. I do not see people trying to stand out. I honestly think under the desire for comfort people might be unknowingly and unnervingly dressing for the feeling of safety and protection by not standing out and sticking to the knowns.
I am so inspired to get dressed up more but the reality is I have deepened my day-to-day connection with athleisure and I am perfectly content with that truth. If I’m going out to dinner I do get a little extra, but I work full time and am a mom of two young girls so I love an excuse to do that.
P.S. I would love to hear your thoughts on the E in P fits
I personally am actually dressing up more but that’s because I am back at the office full time and want to “wear my CLOTHES”. That being said, I don’t think the things I’m wearing qualify as Carrie post pandemic dressing which I don’t think people are doing. I think what I’m really doing is actually putting more thought into the outfits that I put together and planning my outfits in advance. And I am definitely the meme of the wife that gets dressed up for dinner out while her husband is wearing his third cleanest tee. So, yes, I guess I’m the lone person out here not in leggings-lol.
After reading this, I made a note of what the affluent Brooklyn moms were wearing at a trendy coffee/lunch spot where I had some tea the other day: one had baggy jeans (though I wouldn't call them wide-legged), the others had sweats or long johns (those waffled baggy sort of leggings). Most had lace-up boots worker-type boots and one had sneakers. All had snuggly sweaters. I did not see any heels in my sojourns through the neighborhood (or skirts/dresses). I feel, however, that fewer people are wearing leggings/workoutwear 24/7 — feel like I see less of that than I even did before the pandemic. I am going to Manhattan a couple times this week, so I'll pay attention to what people are wearing there and report back!
I think this past year there have been a lot of postponed weddings and people had holiday parties for the first time and so were excited about getting dressed up for those things and excited about the prospect of indulging in something festive/beautiful to wear. I think it's an aberration. I do think maybe people are tired of wearing sweats all the time and relish in wearing, I don't know, some swaggering trousers and maybe a nice sweater or a blouse or jeans and boots if they're going to, say, a museum or show — but that doesn't mean they're gonna wear dresses and heels. (Especially not heels.)
Incidentally, I actually don't like wearing sweats or leggings out (unless it's like a quick run to the drugstore or bodega for an emergency) because it makes me feel depressed. I like high-waisted mom jeans and, actually, dresses which I find more comfortable!
I wonder what it is about leisurewear or “comfy” clothes that makes us feel depressed (right there with you...) though? I can’t help but feel as though the patriarchy and anti fatness combine to make it so...
Hmm... interesting! Do you think it's a common sentiment? I feel like most people *prefer* leggings/sweats - I think some women think they look sexiest in leggings. (I honestly don't find them comfortable at all... I even do yoga in jogger type pants.) But maybe my mind isn't as free from patriarchy-enforced views as I would like to think (it's not because I never leave the house without a little makeup). I've ALWAYS preferred dresses to pants however, and I've always dressed more traditionally feminine than my peers or the people around me, to the point where I was very self-conscious about it and tried to change it because it felt deeply uncool (during a period in middle and high school). I've just learned to accept that this is who I am and how I feel most comfortable!
around me, the non-WFHers (the majority) have returned to 2019 levels of formality - no heels, but I do see a lot of ballet flats and loafers instead of the trainers that used to dominate during the pandemic. People are back in jackets/blazers but they're the softer/less structured kind and not oversized in the shoulder, there isn't quite the preoccupation with putting camisoles under things that happen to be sheer, instead of sweatshirts it's cardigans or denim jackets, and where someone might have worn a button-down earlier now they just settle for a short-sleeved cotton button-up. There's nuance to the way things are changing, admittedly I don't live in the US though.
Where do you live ? I’m French and I don’t think French companies were ever as strict about dress code as US or UK companies might have been. Jeans in the office were fine years and years before the pandemic. I do think people tend to be more casual and mono-chromatic though and that’s a real bummer. I love bright colors so I try to incorporate them in my outfits when I go out, regardless of the level of casualness or formality. I also don’t think French people have really bought in the leggings as pants aesthetic yet, and I’m immensely grateful for it!
I work almost entirely from my home studio and spend my life in voluminous dresses that are comfy and don't press in on my waist. The denim I have is mostly of the high-waisted vintage variety (1940's and 50's) although I still wear skinnies with big stompy boots and always will. Working solo all the time I will get dressed up just to go into the city on errands and any time I see friends, because I love my gorgeous clothes and they make me feel the absolute NUTS! But even my fanciest togs are always comfy because that's paramount to me. Also, I'm almost 6ft tall so heels can jog right on. Most importantly, I made the effort to get curatedly dressed up when narrating the Anna: The Biography audiobook, out of respect for the work you put in and also because my curvy, unmodified, naturally curly, tattooed visage is everything anti-Anna and I enjoyed that. 😉
I live in Atlanta and work remotely for a government tech company based in DC. I went up to DC for a conference in November for the first time since before the pandemic, and I was surprised at how weird it was to see people in suits again. Atlanta and everyone else I've been in the last 18 months is all athleisure all the time. I was back in DC last month for a "black tie recommended" holiday party, and people were ALL over the place for that. Everything from jeans to formal ball gowns. Some people were clearly excited for occasion dressing, but others very clearly weren't. And no one seemed to care how anyone else was dressed. It was kind of great. The ball gown people had their fun and and the jeans people were happy to be comfy.
Totally agree with you - if anything, at least here in Ireland, I feel as though everything becomes more casual by the day. One thing that I can't stop thinking about is the literal ubiquity of Fear of God sweats?! I have seen them in the eastern USA, Ireland, Italy, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. I now think of FoG daily and last year didn't know FoG existed. What is going on?!
Thankfully I have never heard of FoG but that could be cos I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, possibly the last place to hear of any and all trends.
I agree that office attire is more casual and now that Pandora's box has been opened, I don't see employers being able to force people into more formal office wear. The exceptions tend to be law, finance and banking. I recently asked friends and looked into places around the world (Hong Kong, Europe, Australia, South Africa) who concurred. (Although business attire in South Africa is still more formal than elsewhere). Comfortable, stylish clothes are more readily available, so stuffing ourselves into stiff suits and heels seems a little silly. Looking polished is the key.
Not only are we wearing more jeans now... We are dressing up in all denim! What used to be extra casual now is my dressing up go-to. And.. sometimes.. even with sneakers ;)
I’m still throwing my Escada, Armani and RL Blazers over everything.. if I skip the sneakers it’s because I gave great flats or boots.. not heels.. I like a straight keg but not too skinny. I like to feel somewhat put together. I don’t see wearing a bra and pantries with a sheer dress over it for me
Speaking as a chronically ill woman. In her mid-70s who's going out to lunch, I have on black pull on jeans printed with bumble bee yellow repeating filigree. a yellow v-neck Philosophy knit top and a yellow kantha. Jacket from Etsy, comfy stable clogs and gray Frye Cashmere socks. And the pricey boutique in
My comparatively hip neighborhood is going out of business. The resale shop next door is moving into the much larger digs of boutique and all is well in small Southern college city!