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By ERIC CHRISTIAN

Some say the “skinny jean” was inspired by the rock-n-roll elite, such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, in the 1970′s. When the 1980′s came around, the trend had become popular among both men and women. Many ask, “Who is to credit the now-so-fashionable skinny jean trend?” Many argue women; many argue and blame men. The truth is, it was the fame and popularity of famous MALE rock bands that revolutionized

the trend. Can many of you recall Mick Jagger or Steven Tyler of Aerosmith gyrating across the stage of sold out shows? The original source of skinny jeans starts back in the 50′s, when jeans symbolized the passion of youth and rebels which progressed through the 80′s. Celebrities always had a huge effect on their fans, so the way they dressed was constantly causing their fans to mimic them. Marlon Brando, James Dean and lots of other idols are included as the ultimate examples of this trend.

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The “skinny jean” trend faded away in the 90′s when popular bands began to wear leather pants and form-fitted jeans. Skinny jeans seemed like a flash from the past when they appeared in stores a few years ago. They seemed more suited to women. Today, sales of men’s skinny jeans are going strong, and mass brands like Gap and Levi’s are getting in on the action. As soon as the 21st century approached, companies and brands, such as Seven For All Mankind, Stitch’s, Diesel, and Rock & Republic, jumped in on the bandwagon and began to mass produce, market and widely advertise. Rock & Republic says sales of its men’s skinny denim over the past several months rose 26% over last year’s figures.  In turn, this has caused the rebirth of the “skinny jean.” There are no signs of this so called “trend” slowing down, I must add. With actors and pop stars like Zac Efron, Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West (to name a few) wearing skinny jeans, they have not only become popular all over again, but this cult following has given permission for style-conscious young men to wear them. After all, and because of this, the “skinny jean” is not so much associated with the term “gay” as it was in the past.