Is it worth to explain what is a slim
Everything is more or less very close to the skin exception made for the ankles for which the jeans can fall over the shoes being a little bit « wider » so to say -)
The waist can be high rise or low.

Levi’s
What’s the difference from a skinny?
Skinny … close to the skin, you might think that’s what we describe above, but remember the exception … what’s can be considered as being wide in a slim jeans, I mean there the ankles is tight on the the skinny jeans.
Some background

Kate Moss – Queen du slim
Adding to it, the amazing success of the « white stripes », the mythic Underground rock band from Sweden, boosted even more this fashion trend to go towards dark-fashion.
In only a few month, the slim out of Sweden overwhelmed the whole Europe.
Indeed, Sweden has been the slim Cot when Orjan Andersson and Adam Friberg have started to launch Cheap Monday brand with 5000 pairs sold in 2004. 2 years later, the Skull logo Brand achieved no more than 200 000 models.
April 77, the French brand created in Grenoble in 2002 by the well known forward- thinking Brice Partouche forged a partnership with Franz Ferdinand and Iggy Pop to promote his slims.
Fairly quickly after, big players like Levi’s and Diesel smell the success and bet on that slot to drag all juggernauts of the « fast-fashion » absolutely convinced of its potential.
H1M and Zara will be the very first to get the slim Jeans on the fashion fast track by selling them on a lower price : 20€ against 80 to 100€ on average prior to this trend.
The slim jeans become the must-have, it is so popular that it now comes in several variants both in terms of cut (skinny or jegging versions material : you can find them hight waist or low rise) and material : it even makes some infidelities to the Denim by using more stretchy material or even just leather.
In 2006, Gilles Richardière, CEO of the French brand « Le temps des Cerises », declares « not sure there s still a long way to go for Slim Jeans… »
13 years after, against all odds and even though the slim fit is running out of steam, due to the resurgence of Mom or Straight jeans, it can be claimed to have become a basic piece !
I bet it still has a bright future -)
How to choose the right Slim/Skinny
The Slim Fit
The waist can go from low to high.
The slim fit is adjusted at the hips.
It follows the shape of the body without being tight. It shapes the calves and lengthens the leg

Anine Bing
If you have a fuller figure, choose a model with stretch for greater comfort.
You can also choose a model with a staggered seam, meaning that the front part of the jeans will be less wide than the back part.
This will result in a slimmer leg due to the optical effect.
If you have an A-line silhouette, choose a plain, dark pant colour.
If you have a V-shaped figure, slim-fit trousers will show off your legs.
If they are slim, you can afford patterned, printed or eye-catching textures: sequins, glitter, metallic etc.
If you have a flat bottom, choose push-up trousers (Salsa Jean, Liu Jo Bottom-up) which, by the arrangement of the seams and the shape of the pockets, give the illusion of a more rounded bottom.
The danger at the end of the tunnel is to wish for a slim but in the back of our mind is the skinny way of looking which will lead you to buy a slim but with a smaller size then the one you would need. The result will be you feeling sulky because of the cut not suiting YOU.
Therefore always keep in mind your original goal that was buying a Slim which should, by definition, not be super tight!

Iro Paris
The Skinny Fit
In recent years, the skinny has taken over from the slim as a matter of fact that, they are much more present in the shops.
The skinny is closer to the body than the slim, it is downright tight with a “second skin” effect.
It emphasises the hips and thighs and is really tight around the thighs and ankles.
It is therefore particularly well suited to X, V, H, I shapes.
For an elegant result, others will definitely prefer a slim fit.
Skinnies can tend to flatten the buttocks, especially if they are high-waisted. So here again, prefer push-up models to create a nice volume.
Finally, with skinnies, play the game and opt for a really tight version (otherwise go for a slim fit).
Our favorites brands
Those which contain a bit of elastane, are definitively more comfy, but don’t expect them to last for eternity.
I highly recommend to check the fast-fashion ones , especially at Mango or Zara, their cut are more than fine at an affordable price (among others, the Isa, Kim Noah and Soho for Mango)
FURTHER UP TO THIS ARTICLE
- How to wear your slim & skinny in style: with which tops, which shoes, which jackets, which accessories to combine
- How to wear slim or skinny jeans to the office?
- How to wear them with casual clothes?
- How to wear them with rock outfits?
- How to wear them with dressy outfits?
- Mix & match: 22 outfit ideas and a downloadable PDF to help you out on those mornings when you run out of ideas!
- Pinterest inspirations: all the hot outfit ideas to wear your slims and skinnies with maximum style!
Find this complete article in the wardrobe encyclopaedia EBOOK “Everything you need to know about wardrobe items”.
*These are images for which the sources could not be identified on Pinterest.
Header picture credit:
Zara