The “Skinny Jean”

Styles and fads come and go. That’s how the clothing, makeup, interior decorating, auto and many other industries make their bread and butter. You don’t want to be caught dead wearing yesterday’s style!

There’s that and there is also preying on people’s health concerns and germ phobias. Daytime talk shows on network TV tell you how often you need to throw away makeup as if it goes “bad” like spoiled milk.

So now the “in” jean is the “skinny” jean which, based on several walks through suburban New Jersey malls and people watching — men and women — is NOT a flattering look most for most people. Despite the fact that they are made in Plus Sizes, the name of the attire tells you everything you need to know: they are designed for the skinniest among us and only look good on Twiggies (the painfully, nearly emaciated British teen super model of the 60’s) and on Late Night’s musician and band leader Jon Batiste.

I got myself in trouble with a very poorly worded Facebook post about this phenom. It came out — totally unintentionally — sounding like I was fat-shaming. What I was — albeit ineptly — trying to do was fad-shaming! That’s FAD with a “D.” It’s an AWFUL style, in my opinion, that makes anyone — male or female — look and feel overly curvaceous and out of proportion. It emphasis any hip or buttocks one has by creating an inverted V-shape pointed at one’s ankles.

Conversely, I have noted that women’s dresses cut very low in the bodice, often worn by stars and starlets on award show runways and late-night talk shows, look equally well on very well-endowed, buxom women as well on their slimmer, less busty counterparts. One can wear a dress open to the waist with minimal or no cleavage whatsoever and look attractive.

Not so skinny jeans. These skintight pants show every pimple on your ass! They are basically like wearing leggings — which are made to wear under a dress or tunic — with a regular shirt. NOT a great look, unless you are built like a mannequin.

I get it that styles come and go to keep us shopping and spending. I get it that is the job of the fashion industry to make our wardrobes obsolete a week after we buy them to keep the economy flowing . . . but I do not get styles that make the majority of people look and feel bad about themselves because they are not catered to the average body size, which for women is a size 14.

So, I hope this style sees a quick exit into oblivion and we see something stylish and comfortable for average folk.