'Mom' jeans replace skinny jeans craze

Step aside skinny jeans, and make way for the "mom" jean.
High waisted, roomy around the bottom and reminiscent of the 90s, the mom jean has emerged as one of the most unlikely global fashion trends.
Once reserved for the cast of Friends and Beverly Hills 90210 and well, moms, the mom jean is having a major moment.
The comfy, retro bottoms have morphed into a fully-fledged street style phenomenon worn by the world's most stylish women everywhere from New York and Paris to Sydney and Melbourne.
"We are seeing major traction with the mom jean coming through the business," said General Pants design director Pip Edwards.
The resurgence of mom jeans is being driven by the trend for anonymous clothing over the latest "It" shoe or handbag, but ironically people at the pointiest end of fashion are now embracing the jeans.
"It's not about being flattering or showing how skinny you are, it's about showing how confident you are," said Edwards. "It's not the greatest silhouette, it's the coolest silhouette."
Beyoncé, Paris Vogue editor Emmanuelle Alt and Taylor Swift are among the high profile women who have embraced the mom jean, with a surge in demand for the style prompting denim giant Levi's to revamp its classic 501 jeans.
"We noticed the 501 as a big street trend a while back…being worn by fashion bloggers and younger progressive tribes," said Levi's head of design Jonathan Cheung.
Cheung noticed many people were wearing vintage 501s from the 90s, but customising and tapering them on a sewing machine to give them a better fit.
"It was a simple conclusion to say 'why don't we do this for you'?" he said.
The result is a new style of jean called the 501 CT that offers an updated version of the iconic denims with a slightly roomier waist, less fabric in the seat and a tapered leg.
The range already is being been embraced by fashion leaders including actress Amber Heard, model Erin Wasson and Sydney model and fashion blogger Tanja Gacic, who said the new 501 CTs offered a welcome alternative to the skinny jeans that have been ubiquitous for years.
"Skinny jeans can be so much work – not just in the fitness department but in the wedgie department too," said Gacic.
Rollas, Neuw Denim and Nobody Denim are among the local brands that have recently introduced their own versions of the mom jean.
"The mom jean is a natural progression, a hybrid of the familiar high-waisted skinny and the (baggy) boyfriend jeans," said Nobody Denim designer Rebecca Mcquaid. "For many style icons it is a staple in their wardrobes."
But arguably the best thing about mom jeans is you don't have to be a style icon to wear them.