In the early 2000s, we loved our jean skirts. We wore them bedazzled, pleated, ruffled or destroyed — sometimes all of the above at once. Now, a decade and a half later, the trend is coming full circle. Denim skirts are back and better than ever.

The most popular style for this season seems to be the short A-line denim skirt with buttons going all the way down the front. This skirt can be found in nearly any store, from Nordstrom to Forever 21, and you’re sure to see a few of these denim minis just walking around campus.

While the words “denim mini” might sound like something from your middle school nightmares, the latest skirts are much simpler and chicer. Trust me.

The spring 2015 runways were also full of denim midi and maxi skirts from Stella McCartney, Kenzo, Chloé and several others. Although these styles appear less popular on the street, they are decidedly bolder and perfect for fall. If the mini is the silhouette of the moment, consider these longer and more flowy skirts the next big thing.

Aside from the A-line minis and the loose midis and maxis, jean skirts are having their moment in other styles still. Amy Odell, editor of Cosmopolitan.com, was recently photographed for Jean Stories in a form-fitting Citizens of Humanity pencil skirt. Worn with a simple crop top, the skirt is cool and current.

The 2015 denim skirt revival has me wondering: are the 2000s back in fashion? Typically, there is a 20-year trend cycle in fashion. While it isn’t always perfect, the rule is generally that every 20 years, trends reoccur. For example, the ‘90s would come back in the 2010s. We have seen this happen — think about flannel, platforms, crop tops, matching skirt and shirt sets, high-waisted jeans, chokers and scrunchies. We have definitely lived out the ‘90s revival these past few years. Now that it is almost 2016, are we ready for something new?

According to the trend cycle theory, the next few years will bring the start of the 2000s styles back. Honestly, that is sort of scary. For most of us college students, the early 2000s were when we started becoming interested in shopping and picking out our own clothes. We were young, but we saw our older siblings and cousins and celebrity idols wearing some crazy things. We looked up to Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne and wanted what Lizzie McGuire wore head-to-toe.

The mid-to-late part of the decade had most of us in middle school, adorned with super-low-rise jeans, gaucho pants, Aeropostale henley shirts and camisoles in every color. We wore jean skirts.

While it’s hard to accurately predict trends of the future, nostalgia often plays a key role in fashion. After 20 years, it’s been too long, and people miss the clothes they remember loving. Some decades are frightening — I’d say the 2000s is one of them. Still, trends often come back better. If we can relive the jean skirt, who’s to say what is next? Besides, remember how comfortable gauchos were?

Published on September 7, 2015 at 8:06 pm