Gen Z has officially canceled Skinny Jeans (2024)

TikTok's ongoing efforts to hold skinny jeans accountable for the damage they've done to our closets and leg circulation have resulted in a verdict I think we can all agree on: straight-leg jeans reign supreme.

According to data recently released by market research firm NPD Group, straight-leg denim – now the best-selling fit among women in the US – has finally usurped skinny jeans.

Maria Rugolo, apparel industry analyst at NPD Group, attributed the preference for looser denim to our collective shift toward comfortable clothing, a trend accelerated by the pandemic.

Interestingly, younger consumers are more likely to avoid skinny jeans than baby boomers, for example. In fact, the NPD Group found that people born between 1946 and 1964 increased their spending on skinny jeans between 2019 and 2021.

On the other hand, Gen Zers prefer straight-leg jeans, followed by relaxed, baggy and boyfriend fits.

While the NPD Group hasn't directly linked the demise of skinny jeans to TikTok, the platform — beloved by people born between 1997 and 2012 — is home to a series of videos that show stacking tight denim, in which the fit is "canceled," 'shrink' is declared. "" and "cheugy."

DatumThe influence of Gen Zabout retail and spending habits, I wouldn't be surprised if their skinny jeans slander had something to do with the demise of skinny denim.

Even Millennials, at some pointsturdy pro-skinny jeans, seems to have conceded. According to the NPD Group, millennial-focused retailers reported the highest number of mom jeans sold out.

Like it or not, you probably have Gen Z to thank for your new favorite pair of jeans.