Ukrainian stylist and designer Andrei Tan broke down, in a video for his Instagram channel, which jeans cuts risk turning even a basic outfit into a dated one today. According to him, the key criteria remain the cut, the fit, and the number of decorative details — especially when it comes to 2000s trends that have made a comeback. The breakdown was published by Styler, a project of RBC-Ukraine (styler.rbc.ua), which referred to the designer's recording.
Skinny: When a Tight Cut Becomes a Problem
The first "anti-cut" on Tan's list was overly tight skinny jeans — models that hug the legs along their entire length and leave almost no room for movement. The designer advises against holding on to such pieces out of mere nostalgia and jokingly noted that if you can study anatomy from the outline of your legs in jeans, it's time to let them go. That said, skinny jeans haven't completely disappeared from fashion: it's specifically their extremely tight version that looks outdated, while looser silhouettes remain in trend.
Low Rise: The Aesthetics of the Mid-2000s
The second model Tan advises giving up is jeans with an extremely low rise, especially variants that echo the popular models of the mid-2000s. A low rise was once one of the main trends, but today overly low jeans can look dated if their design copies the aesthetics of 2007. The designer acknowledges that fashion constantly brings back trends from past decades, but emphasizes: not every item that has become popular again automatically deserves a place in your wardrobe. He calls jeans with a mid or high rise a stylistically safer choice.
Ripped Jeans: Where the Line Is Drawn
The third anti-trend is jeans with an excessive number of large rips and a very strong distressed effect. If there is barely any fabric left on the garment and large holes cover most of the material, such clothing, in Tan's words, looks not stylish but simply worn out — he compared such jeans to a "memory of clothing." This does not mean a complete rejection of ripped detailing: neat distressing and a few small openings are acceptable in a casual outfit; the main thing is not to overdo the number of details.
What the Designer Suggests Instead of Anti-Trends
Instead of overly tight skinny jeans, an extremely low rise, and jeans with huge holes, Tan advises paying attention to more modern silhouettes: straight jeans, loose-fit models, and wide-leg cuts remain versatile. Their advantage is easy integration into a casual wardrobe: they pair well with both basic T-shirts and chunky sweaters, jackets, and trendy footwear.
Fashion as Self-Expression, Not a Strict Ban
It's important to view the list of anti-trends not as a prohibition but as a guideline: fashion is, above all, a form of self-expression, and pieces from past seasons can remain favorites. However, if the goal is specifically a modern look, it's worth critically assessing the fit, the cut, and the number of decorative details on your jeans. Earlier, Styler also examined whether light-wash jeans really distort the figure visually.
