Carole Middleton vs. Katie Holmes: should you break up with your skinny jeans?

Until not so long ago, it looked like the skinny jean reigned supreme as the nation’s best-loved jeans silhouette. Its shape could work effortlessly in your wardrobe, whether your vibe was more Kate Moss at Glastonbury or Kate, Duchess of Cambridge at a Scout meeting.

There have been many premature declarations over the years that a rival is snapping at the skinny’s clingy ankles, but nothing has quite beat the shape’s popularity.

But what happens when an entire generation turn en masse on a style? That’s what has happened in the past couple of months on TikTok, the social media platform loved by Gen Z. A trend has swept the accounts of teens and twenty-somethings who are declaring they would rather, in one extreme example, “die in 30 seconds” than be subjected to the skinny’s snug embrace. Others urge their followers to burn their jeans.

Why? It has a lot to do with rebelling against skinny-obsessed elders and reclaiming denim styles which work for all shapes and sizes (although arguably, many women are grateful for the stretchy ease of a skinny). This has all been bubbling for a while, with style leaders such as actress Katie Holmes – not a TikTokker but someone women of all ages look to for inspiration – going for baggier options.

But this week, Carole Middleton, who is fast emerging as a 60-something style influencer, appeared in Good Housekeeping wearing Zara skinny jeans and offered a reminder of their merits. Teaming her denim with Penelope Chilvers trainers and a cashmere knit by British label Jumper 1234, the Duchess of Cambridge’s mother looks relaxed and youthful. Her skinnies have distressed details and frayed hems, which add a bit of edge, moving the look on from the darker skin-tight jeans and jacket she wore 10 years ago, on the day her daughter and Prince William announced their engagement.

Denim sales are on the rise, and there’s something for everyone, whether you’re team Carole or team TikTok.

“We have seen our denim category grow 50 per cent over the past year,” says Suzanne Pendlebury, head of womenswear buying at MATCHESFASHION. “We find that many of our customers will find their perfect shape and continue to wear it season after season, whereas other customers may opt for a more relaxed silhouette one day, and then find a skinny style works better the next.”

She points to Totême’s slim jeans with a twisted seam as “a true classic” and Le Slouch by Frame (a high-rise tapered cut) and the high-rise straight leg jean from RE/DONE as hits. Net-a-Porter has noted that the balloon fit shapes from Totême and Agolde are doing a brisk trade, while the pairing of a stretch-feel straight leg with a vintage look à la Carole appeals to many.

Skinny, £100, Levi’s; Slim, £79, Mint Velvet; Straight, £79.20, Whistles; Flared, £80, French Connection; Tapered, £69, COS; Wide leg, £170, Weeknd Max Mara at Matches Fashion

At M&S, a something-for-everyone strategy is paying off, too. While jeggings still rule, there has been an increased demand for a variety of shapes, like the £39.50 Mom cut which saw a 111 per cent uptick in sales in February. Whether that was down to the disdain of teens or a hunt for something a little different for spring, we’ll never know.

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