British women have finally said "enough" to one of the cruelest fashion trends to hit the runways - the skinny jean - according to the UK's Daily Mail.

Having enjoyed the limelight for almost two years now, many women in the UK have at last come to their senses, says the Daily Mail’s Liz Jones, in her article of 25 March 2008 “Skinny Jeans – the least flattering trend is finally over.”

According to Jones, “Women across Britain have finally woken from their stupor of slavishly following any fashion trend that comes along.” “If we are told a look is "cool" and "edgy" about a million times by women who work at Grazia and Vogue, we will eventually start to believe …..”

In fairness to skinny jeans, if you are tall and slim they can look fabulous on you. The problem, however, is that, whilst they look stunning on size-zero runway models and celebrity waifs like Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham, give a pair to a curvy size 12+ and she is likely to resemble a duck, especially if she wears them with ballet flats.

Any trend which makes a woman look like an overstuffed sausage surely cannot last long. In our struggle to be fashion-forward, women of all ages have squeezed themselves into this narrow-legged fashion fad, at the expense of comfort and common sense.

The Rise of the Skinny Jean

The skinny jean enjoyed a brief revival in the 1980s, only to resurface again in 2006. Today's popularity of the skinny jean has been credited to that most British of fashion icon’s Kate Moss. She was first spotted leaving her London house in a scruffy, very skinny pair of Superfine's, throwing the fashion world into a frenzy. UK high street chain, Top Shop, made famous by Moss on both sides of the Atlantic, currently sells around 17 variations of skinny jeans.

In its defense, the skinny jean is a show-stopper if worn on the right figure. Any slender woman with skyscraper legs can do justice to a pair, but then in truth, these women can look good in anything, even a bin bag.

The Fall of the Skinny Jean

There are a number of reasons for their decline in popularity, according to Jones:

“The skinny cut has a tendency to make a woman's bottom look about two feet lower than it actually is”

For more shapely women, , after pouring their body into a pair of skinny jeans, the excess fat has to go somewhere, namely spilling out over the top of the waistband. That fact that smock tops and empire lines have been a fashion favorite for the last year, could partly explain why skinny jeans have lasted this long.

Jones also credits Kate Moss for causing a stir at the Top Shop 2007 runway show, in a pair of sexy, slouchy, wide-legged jeans, rendering the narrow-legged drainpipe somewhat passé. Later that year, runways were full of big and baggy Audrey Hepburn style “man trousers”, hence enter the more masculine dressing trend.

How to Wear Skinny Jeans

Jean Styles

• Although “skinny” means just what it says, these jeans do come in a variation of widths from a straight leg to the super-skinny. The narrower the leg, the stretchier and more spray-on they become. This means you need to try on several pairs before finding one that is the perfect fit. One that actually flatters your silhouette rather than sabotages it! If you don’t want to accentuate your flaws, stick with darker denim shades rather than the lighter washes.
• Go to ilovejeans.com for advice on the perfect fit. You can consult the stylist page or give them your body type in the "jeansfinder" section and they will suggest the best brands for you.

Tops and Blouses

• Long and lanky boyish figures look great in lean, body skimming tops, according to Holt Renfew’s Erica Yeu in Ellecanada’s article “Find the perfect pair of skinny jeans for your body.”
• This year’s trend in the empire line is one of the most flattering in year’s, especially for big-busted or big-hipped women. A longer length empire line blouse worn over skinny jeans can look “edgy” and cover a multitude of sins. This style can flatter all ages, if you take into again necklines (plunging, square or otherwise) and sleeve-lengths. As skinny jeans have a tendency to make your bottom look bigger than it really is, this is another good reason to wear billowing tops like these.

Footwear With Skinny Jeans

• The wrong choice of shoe can kill your look. Avoid wearing ballet flats unless you have the figure of Kate Moss, and leave your trainers at home. An alternative is to roll up the legs a few inches, and wear them atop of some of this season's embellished heels or ankle boots.
• Skinny jeans worn with stilettos ooze sex appeal or wear them with peep-toe courts for a more chic look. Jeans tucked into long-boots has a really “edgy” feel, elongating the leg even further. This is where skinny jeans really score over all other styles; unlike a boot cut or wide-leg, which is almost impossible to wear inside a boot without unsightly bunching.

Jeans – the Other Alternatives

For those who are not supporters of the skinny jean, the current trend in wider-legged denim, baggy jeans should provide a welcome respite. We are seeing a '50s revival of “Audrey Hepburn” dressing, with mannish pants and great white shirts – stylish and comfortable, so many women can wear this look.

There is of course the elegant boot-cut which lengthens the leg and flatters the bottom. Then there’s the flare which has its place in the '70s revival, retro trend but can look very sexy.

Fashion savvy women have learnt that the secret to a great jeans wardrobe is to have a few pairs in different styles, which will suit every occasion.

In Support of Skinny Jeans

In contrast to Jones’ view of the Daily Mail, Yeu argues that, finding the right fit is the key. “I would say that 80 percent of all women will find a skinny that works for them. It is not an easy silhouette for most women to get used to but with the right top and shoes, it can work for pretty much any woman.”