These Skinny Jeans Will Feel Outdated in 2022, So Try These 4 Styles Instead

Whether you personally love or loathe skinny jeans, I think we can all agree that the style could easily be considered a classic at this point. After all, skinnies have basically remained a constant in many a fashion person’s wardrobes for years and years now. But while the overall silhouette is more or less timeless, there are specific skinny jean trends that cruise in and out of the trend cycle. And yep, I believe those super-light-wash skinny jeans with excess whiskering are one style we may be seeing less and less of over the next year.
Now, don’t get me wrong, a light wash is actually quite forward in the form of a straight-leg or flare silhouette, but with skinnies, that wash just feels a tad outdated to me. But don’t worry if you live in skinnies (or want to re-introduce into your wardrobe), there’s a host of modern skinny jeans that will feel cool and fashionable in 2022. To highlight these trends further, I rounded up a range of street style imagery as inspiration. Naturally, I also shopped out all of my favorite pairs to keep your denim drawer as fresh as possible.
While it may seem minimal, the addition of a visible button fly brings an elegant spin to dark-wash skinny jeans. My suggestion is to follow suit of this style setter and wear a cropped sweater or tuck in a turtleneck to really show off the buttons.
On the other end of the spectrum of those super light-wash styles lives the tried-and-true black skinny jeans. I’ve written about my adoration of the style in the past because I think they’re inherently chic and feel dressier than average blue jeans paired with patterned blouses or cool knits.
A pair of classic skinny jeans in that signature indigo is about as classic as it gets. So if you’re looking for a no-fail pair that will always be in style, go for these. Done and done.
Interested in trying a skinny jean style that’s a bit out of the ordinary? Consider a pair like this with more bells and whistles than something traditional with the tie waist and extra pocket details.
This piece has been updated and was published at an earlier date.
Next, check out the items you must own if you only wear skinny jeans.
Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent 10 years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises.
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