After Kendrick Lamar brought back flare jeans, it was only a matter of time before their successor—the infamous skinny jean—reared its controversial hem. As of last night, the time has finally come and, as much as it pains me to write this, even I have to admit, the new styles aren't half bad.
Selena Gomez is one of the leading forces in the war against baggy jeans (alongside warriors like Alix Earle and Meghan Markle). A dedicated skinny jean wearer in her day, the pop star is now using her latest album's press tour to revive the biggest denim trend of her Wizards of Waverly Place era. But this time around, she's doing it right.
While promoting her new collab album with fiancé Benny Blanco, I Said I Love You First, Gomez stopped by SiriusXM Radio for a quick studio interview, before signing autographs at NYC's Hard Rock Cafe (another relic of the early 2000s).
She looked every bit the rockstar in a snakeskin embossed blazer coated with a glossy, patent sheen. Layered over a simple black top, she styled the pairing with medium-wash tapered jeans and pointed-toe pumps.
Though skinny jean styles were hugely popular for more than a decade, their aggressively form-fitting cut inevitably became their downfall. Pants clung like a second skin, looking more like blue-washed leggings than actual jeans. (Hence the term "jeggings.") Soon enough, the denim industry grew tired of restrictions and moved on to bigger, baggier things. Gomez, however, has learned from these mistakes.
Though narrower than anything we've seen in years, her denim of choice had a much looser fit than your typical painted-on jeans. They featured a cigarette-style straight leg that tapered ever so slightly at the ankle. The result is a loose-fit skinny jean hybrid that's perfect for today's fashion climate (which, apparently, really favors '00s denim trends). She made the nostalgic staple feel even more timely, styling it with one of 2025's most popular designer accessories: Khaite's Benny Belt.
Most recognizable for its rounded, bubble-like studs, the $680 style is the fashion insider secret for leveling-up a basic 'fit. Gomez has been using it for this exact purpose for months—the fact that it was inadvertently named after her fiancé is just the cherry on top.
