Skinny Jeans Craze Puts the Squeeze on Guys

The market for skinny jeans is expanding, as more and more men looking to show off their assets are pouring themselves into tight fitting styles, the Wall Street Journal reports. But as they target a crowd beyond the usual hipsters, skaters, and hip-hoppers, manufacturers are giving customers a bit of a break: Levi’s has added space in their jeans’ seat and thigh; Gap has loosened the thigh and knee.

“Guys don't want leggings,” notes Gap’s head designer. Despite the recession, sales of men’s jeans selling for $50 or more rose 8% in the year ending April 30. And more and more men are willing to make sacrifices in the name of fashion. “Discomfort comes with the territory," says a wearer who has found running and crossing his legs impossible.
(More skinny jeans stories.)