Out of every denim fashion trend, skinny jeans have always been my least favorite for the injustices they do to many.

The shape of these pants, in most cases, is unflattering—they don’t help to highlight women’s beautiful bodies. Today’s beauty standards dictate that women should be curvy and full in just the right areas but skinny and fit in others—while I don’t condone following society’s standards for approval, a lot of people try their best to fit the mold. While skinny jeans are known to perfectly silhouette people’s bodies, I think they’re the most boring option to do so.

Not only do they lack originality, but they’ve also been around for far too long. Skinny jeans were first introduced to the mass market around 2005 and have drifted in and out of style ever since; why can’t this awful trend die already? In the early 2000s, skinny jeans were usually low-rise, too tight, and displeasing, washed-out shades of blue—we should have known since then that these torture devices should have been put to rest.

Even still, in 2021, I see skinny jeans everywhere. Only recently have I gotten into wearing colorful pants, flared bottoms, and cuffed jeans, but ever since, I’ve hated how basic the regular skinny jean is.

The distressed model of these staples of casual wear is slightly better, but honestly, is still unsympathetic for anyone’s individuality in the art of fashion. There are no ways to make these pants unique; they’re bland and utterly tasteless. I’ve never seen them on a mannequin at the mall and felt like I was going to die without them.

When I was in middle school, these jeans might have been in my closet, but now, as a high schooler, they’re too elementary for people who want to indulge in trends worth anyone’s time.

While I love the look of denim in general, there are better alternatives to these tight jeans; currently, my favorite has to be corduroy.

This comfortable material came into style in the 80s and 90s, which is a time period when a lot of today’s fashion is inspired by. It isn’t extremely common, but it should be. Jeans have represented casual clothing and have become too basic to be called extremely stylish—corduroy is fresh and something we haven’t seen a lot of.

While denim is an easier fabric to style and can fit any aesthetic, corduroy takes more of a craft to dress appropriately. While slightly more challenging, if you can wear them correctly, they look so unique because they aren’t as popular.

Another alternative would be cargo pants. The store where I spend the majority of my money—Urban Outfitters—is full of these street-style, loose-fitting pairs. While they’re even more focused on one style, they’re completely different from each pair you could possibly buy.

Not only are they interesting to look at, but they’re also useful; they have multiple pockets going down the legs. Most jeans, for women, are made with fake pockets that can’t even hold an iPhone, so, these pants are a nice change of pace from the practically painted on patches.

There’s a fine line between being too basic with your everyday pair of skinny jeans and being able to style them in a way that is distinctive to you; how you want to express yourself shouldn’t be stunted by a pair of thirty-dollar slacks. While there is a world of opportunity when you’re handed a challenge, these pants aren’t worth it. In most instances, skinny jeans are what you might call “a swing and a miss.”

Other materials such as loose corduroy or even tight leather create so many more chances for you to show off who you are as an individual. Incorporating interesting pieces that you wouldn’t normally see in the hallways of a high school instantly makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd. While it’s easy to sink into the shadows of society, teenagers shouldn’t be afraid to be the center of attention while expressing themselves.

I understand the fad around denim in general but, skinny jeans are overworn and don’t give anyone, regardless of their social status, style points. For 2021, I would like to see less basic clothing combinations and the first step would be letting these cliché pants die.