Denim for days: Jeans hit the campus catwalk!

by Trisha Iyer, Reporter

Denim has come a long way from being the sturdy pant material of choice for gold miners in the mid-eighteenth century. The fabric is now so pervasive that not wearing denim is an identifying personality trait. Though traditionally made with stiff denim fabric, many jeans now incorporate cotton and other softer materials for maximal comfort for students to wear during the school day. Jean styles also evolve with fashion and fads, as seen by the rise of bell-bottoms during the 70s, skinny jeans during the late 2000s and currently, mom and straight-cut jeans.

From the low-rise flared pairs that run rampant throughout “Mean Girls” to the belted white-washed ones in this year’s Schiaparelli spring collection, jeans inspire a cult-like obsession in the average teenager and certainly among Harker students as well. Explore the variety of jean styles that students love and wear around campus as well as the great ripped versus unripped jeans controversy. 

Trisha Iyer

Claire Su (10) enjoys finding her perfect pair of jeans, preferably ripped, at Abercrombie & Fitch since the store provides a wide variety of styles and sizes.

“My go-to jean style is probably skinny jeans and cuffed at the ends,” said Claire, who wore black skinny jeans with a pair of black Converse.

Alan Jiang (11) sports a pair of relaxed-fit jeans with zippers on the side pockets. The navy wash and straight cut can be paired with a variety of outfits.

“Baggy jeans [are my go-to],” Alan said. “I don’t like things that are too tight, too skinny on me.”

Melody Yin (9) dons a pair of mom jeans in a light-gray wash. The loose fit and high waist of mom jeans have made them increasingly popular in recent years.

“I prefer looser jeans because they’re just easier to move around in,” Melody said.

Joelle Weng (10) poses in a pair of faded black jeans with a fit that falls straight from her knee to ankle. An avid thrifter, Joelle looks for jeans with unique details to upcycle and breathe life into.

“My favorite pair of jeans is a blue medium wash that I got from my father because he never wears them,” Joelle said. “I do visit Goodwill a lot because it’s just fun discovering how [an item] lived a life, even though you don’t know its history, and giving it a new life.”

Alexa Lowe (12) jazzes up a pair of sturdy faded blue skinny jeans with small touches of fashionably tattered hems and embroidered designs of cacti. 

Jackson Lara (10) sports baggy stone-washed jeans in a dark wash. His daily uniform involves a pair of these comfy jeans paired with an eye-catching T-shirt. 

Anjali Yamasani (12) walks the line between fashion and functionality in relaxed-fit cargo pants, with embroidery on the seams and signature side pockets.