Difference Between Skinny Jeans & Boot-Cut Jeans

Jeans come in all shapes and sizes. The differences between skinny jeans and boot-cut jeans lie in the style and cut. Skinny jeans are designed for slim hips and legs, and hug the body snugly from waist to ankle. Boot-cut jeans flare out slightly below the knee in order to fit over boots, bulky shoes or sneakers.

Basic Differences Between the Two Styles

Skinny jeans have a slim fit over their entire length and taper tightly at the ankle. Boot-cut jeans have a looser fit overall. The legs widen below the knees to obscure the shape of the calf and cover the upper part of the shoe or boot all the way down to the instep. Unlike other jeans, the cut is angled at the bottom to be lower at the back of the shoe and rise at the instep.

Other Distinguishing Features

Getting into a pair of skinny jeans is no easy task, even for someone with a waif-like figure. Some styles of skinny jeans incorporate a zipper at the bottom of the leg -- not needed in boot cuts -- that can be opened to widen the opening at the bottom of the jean to make it easier to pull over the foot. In contrast to the standard denim used to manufacture boot-cut jeans, skinny jeans are often made with stretch denim, which contains between 2% and 4% spandex. This stretch makes them easier to put on. As of 2011, a current fashion in the design of skinny jeans is to produce them in non-blue denim colors such as red, electric blue and green.

The Look

Skinny jeans flatter a tall, slim figure, especially when paired with flat sandals or shoes. Boot-cut jeans are more forgiving and can provide a slimming effect on a more-generous figure. They also work well with boots and bulky shoes, making them ideal for year-round wear. Skinny jeans, on the other hand, tend not to fit over bulky shoes. They can, however, be worn with snug-fitting boots or a pair of dainty heels to provide extra height.

Still In Fashion

Both boot-cut and skinny jeans have been popular since the 1970s and both styles retain their popularity. British royal Kate Middleton sported a pair of boot-cut jeans on a trip to Canada, while skinny jeans have been modeled by celebrities such as Ashlee Simpson, Khloe Kardashian and British singer Cheryl Cole.

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