A friend in Atlanta sent me a photo from a dressing room. She's trying on wide leg jeans. She looks uncertain, but curious. She and I met as New Yorkers in the aughts. And when we brunched or cocktailed or dinner partied, we mostly wore skinny jeans. Her uncertainty about a wide legged pant after two decades of skinny jeans is common.
It can take years to just find the perfect skinny jean for your unique body. And when you do, the jean feels like it becomes a part of you. They're reliable, always there for you, a canvas for cute blouses and edgy jackets.
My friend's text prompted a really interesting debate with my husband about the wide leg craze that's sweeping through TikTok and Instagram feeds worldwide. “Do we really have to follow everything the Zoomers do?”, he exclaimed.
“No, of course not”, I fired back, relegating the question to one of style alone. But Yes, actually, YES!, we should follow what Zoomers are doing to some degree. They're the new vanguard of social change against the evils of racism, gender bias, and even capitalism itself. Their ideas of democracy are based in a social contract, as opposed to the dog-eat-dog consumerism, waste and disregard for humanity of generations before.
And since the beginning of time, a change in fashion silhouette has always signaled a change in the social zeitgeist. Change is here. It's happening. We're part of it!
So what are the wide leg pants and bulky boots of our time trying to tell us? First and foremost, they let us know that our value is not in being tall and skinny - a harmful trope perpetuated by the skinny-jeans-stilettos combo. They tell us that our gender and sexuality is no one’s business but our own. They tell us that our own comfort is more important than other people’s pleasure.
And all of these messages are relayed to style setters and designers, who signal to society. This is exciting news and tells me that positive change in how we value and demonstrate self worth is afoot.
As the debate with my husband expanded, I found myself falling deeply in love with the idea of making some lifer wide legs to take me to the grave. Until. He challenged me with one word. Aesthetic.
Truthfully, I don’t like the aesthetic of most wideleg pants. I love the symbolism and the message. But many of them really just don’t look very good. Do clothes have to look good. No. But clothes are more than just protections from the elements. They communicate our personal self expression to everyone we meet. They convey our sense of self and style in a single sound bite of color, texture and shape. They are tools. And in all pursuits, I like to have good tools.
Within this new landscape of wide vs skinny, our Lovetone pants, ethically made of 100% OEKO-Tex certified Linen, are an absolute happy medium. Not too wide in the leg. Definitely not skinny. Elastic in the back. Polished flat waistband in the front. And POCKETS! Because clothes should have pockets.
Are wide leg pants signaling a social revolution? You bet your wide leg ass they are! We're here for every inch of it!
Please let us know what you think in the comments. Your input means so much!