I can’t believe it’s not denim: how fashion fell in love with fake jeans
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Jeans are a classic, but aren’t always the most comfortable thing to wear. Is that why designers have started ‘faking’ them?. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.
![[Chloe Mac Donnell]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/11/07/Chloe_Mac_Donnell_Next_Gen.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Those of us who wear jeans tend to do so for the following reasons: they’re durable, versatile, and timeless. But when it comes to comfort, well, that is usually more of a rare quality. Who doesn’t own a pair of jeans that are difficult to sit down in? But now, a new jean is challenging this tradition – meet the jean-printed sweatpant.
![[Kate Moss walking the runway for Bottega Veneta SS23 in Milan.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/0f03922246efa018fd9b7f2c292d8ec3b6127537/0_303_4133_5666/master/4133.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Gap’s £60 “jean joggers” look like a pair of loose-fitting jeans complete with five pockets, but are in fact cotton joggers with a hidden elasticated waist and faux fly. Gap describes them as “jean adjacent.” Similar to fake news, they’ve quickly gone viral.
On social media, these are being described as “gen Z jeggings”. However, unlike their predecessors, which clung from ankle to thigh giving the illusion of a skinny jean, these pairs hang loose. The American brand Rag & Bone, known for its traditional rigid fits and worn by celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Aniston, now has an entire range dedicated to fake, easy-fitting denim. Its Miramar collection first launched with denim sweatpants in 2013 but has since expanded to include straight-legged styles, jean jackets and cropped shorts. “This is not denim. It only looks like denim” reads the tagline. The brand claims its printing techniques can make any material look like denim. Most recently it released a pair of denim-printed fleece joggers with a matching hoodie.
