Certain words should never appear in the same sentence. Like “Wall Street Journal reporter,” “hipster central,” and “skinny jeans.” But it’s too late for apologies now: The WSJ‘s Ray Smith went to the ‘burg. He pointed at some men in tight pants and used the phrase “skinny on skinny” copious times. And then he left. While this is no Hipster Grifter, rather dated, and kind of feels like a Daily Show segment gone flat, it did spark some interesting debate here at HQ.
After the jump find the video. We’ve also asked a few Flavorpill staffers for their sartorial take on the touchy topic; please add your own views on skinny man jeans in the comments.
“It’s disappointing when the skinny jeans reveal he’s got better legs than me. Bit of a turn off, really.” – Jane McCarthy
“My problem with skinny jeans is twofold: 1. They pose a serious health concern to our community. The tight fitting waistline clearly puts the sciatic nerve at risk by applying unnecessary pressure to that part of the body. Also, there’s that whole thing about the anaconda-like choke hold they put on the, err, family jewels that simply can’t be good for you. 2. The skinny jean also severely limits mobility, creating a generation of literal walking stiffs.” – Michael Rosen
“Best advice: wear clothes that fit.” – Eli Dvorkin
“So what was the takeaway here, for non-hipster WSJ readers that are like “Williamsburg, where?” A: Skinny jeans! They exist! Your grandson’s boyfriend (gasp) might wear them! [AKA, this was show-and-tell, point-and-laugh reporting. I’m not impressed.] Also, the commenters on Gothamist would rip every single one of these interviewees to shreds. Although in the case of the dude with the origin comments, that would be entirely justified.” – Leah Taylor
– “As a petite white boy, I like to emphasize my engendered legs rather than mask their true form with baggy denim. It’s all about confidence, gents.” – Stelios Phili