Baggy jeans stage a trendy comeback

PHOTO: Students display their baggy denim

By Zachary Schroeder

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Jennifer Lopez rocks high-rise baggy blue jeans paired with a cropped cream sweater. Lil Yachty dons loose blue jeans combined with beige Timberland boots. Kim Kardashian sports massive double-knee faded work jeans matched with a sleek black top. 

Popular in the ‘90s and early 2000s, baggy jeans started making a significant comeback in the fashion world around 2020. Jack Halet, owner of Yesterday Vintage, reasons that baggy jeans came back into style as a “natural reaction to skinny jeans being popular for the time they were popular.” 

According to Halet, in the 90s, when baggy denim first began to be worn by skaters, graffiti artists and ravers, society looked down upon that style. Now that skaters are mainstream, everyone wants to have that baggy look. “As soon as influencers, celebrities, and average people began wearing baggy denim, it became accepted by society,” Halet said. 

Additionally, Halet believes that baggy jeans are widely worn because people now prioritize comfort over fit. This style’s popularity also lies in the fact that, according to Halet, “anybody can wear baggy jeans.”

Of the people walking into his store looking for baggy jeans, Halet observes the majority of them are high school students. 

“(Baggy jeans are) a big part of the social scene around here,” sophomore Ben Little said, while wearing his favorite outfit: light blue baggy jeans paired with a cozy orange North Face puffer and his beloved Adidas superstars.

Students style their baggy jeans in a variety of ways.

Junior Thomas Goodwin puts on large shirts to go along with his big jeans which he usually sags. “They’re comfortable and I can find (baggy jeans) for pretty cheap,” Goodwin said.

When it’s cold outside, students throw on cardigans, sweaters, puffers, hoodies and jackets to accompany their massive jeans.

As the weather gets warmer, students have to change up their outfits to stay comfortable. During the summer, senior Alana Stiles styles her baggy denim with a “tank top or tighter shirt.” 

A few students have gone into the business of reselling their jeans to vintage stores, their friends or on Depop and eBay. 

Little recalls one time he was looking through his grandfather’s closet and found a pair of Levi jeans from the 1980s. “I instantly knew they were a grail,” Little said. After acquiring the jeans from his grandpa, Little struck up a deal at a vintage store, profiting $120. 

Although a large number of students prefer vintage jeans, many students buy their baggy jeans from retail stores. “My favorite (stores) are H&M and Abercrombie,” sophomore David Greaves said. Goodwin gets some of his pants off Zumiez and Depop. Other popular online stores that sell baggy jeans are Urban Outfitters, PacSun, Tillys and ASOS.

Although, generally, the prices at retail stores are higher than thrift stores, sometimes students can snatch up a great deal.

Greaves remembers one time he was browsing on the Urban Outfitters website and came across a nice pair of Guess jeans for $30 that normally cost $150. “As soon as I saw them, I knew that I was getting a steal,” Greaves said. Those sorts of deals can be found at a variety of stores.

Although many fashion shops sell baggy denim, a great deal of students prefer thrifting their jeans. “You get tons of different types and styles of clothes all in one place and it allows you to develop and diversify your style,” Stiles said. 

Some students’ favorite thrift/vintage stores are Freestyle Clothing Exchange, Goodwill, Savers, and Yesterday Vintage.

Halet believes that many people choose thrifting over retail stores because they won’t be able to find those unique items that thrift stores offer while shopping at big clothing brands. Their thrifted jeans are unique, a treasure to the owner.