A New ‘Denim Cycle’? After a Decade, Jeans Move From Skinny to Loose

American shoppers are flocking to high-waisted, loosefitting jeans in droves and companies believe they may become a hallmark of the post-pandemic world.

The obituary for skinny jeans has been written time and time again since their ascent more than a decade ago, but the narrow-legged garment has persisted despite it all. It has emerged in new colors and cuts and varying levels of stretch to remain in style and on shelves from Bloomingdale’s to Old Navy, relentlessly hugging a nation of ankles and shins. But these days, the whispers of its decline may carry real weight as American shoppers flock to high-waisted, loosefitting jeans in droves. On a recent earnings call, executives for Levi Strauss & Co. said sales trends showed that loose, even baggy, jeans for women and men were booming and poised to become a hallmark of our post-pandemic world. “The last denim cycle has been longer than 10 years, and it was the skinny jean cycle,” Chip Bergh, chief executive of Levi’s, one of the top sellers of denim worldwide, said in an interview. While it’s too early to call an end to that, he said, “we’re definitely seeing a lot of uptake on these looser fits, and our competitors have all followed it and they’re all seeing the same thing.