I can’t believe it’s not denim: how fashion fell in love with fake jeans

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.

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.

On TikTok, users describe the jean lookalikes as a “favourite fashion hack”. The thrill seems to lie in their deception. “Would you believe me if I said I’m wearing sweatpants right now?” is the opening line in scores of videos.

This type of subterfuge has a long history in fashion. The French courtier Elsa Schiaparelli, who founded her namesake brand in 1927, regularly employed the use of a trompe l’oeil(“deceive the eye”). The term was coined in 1800 by the French artist Louis-Léopold Boilly to describe a painting he created that on first glance looked like a tabletop scattered with coins and letters.

Schiaparelli’s optical illusions included a knitted jumper that looked like it came with a bow collar and a ripped evening gown that was in fact cut out and exposed lining. During his first catwalk show in 1989, Martin Margiela debuted his trompe l’oeil “tattoo T-shirt”, which is now widely copied, much like Jean Paul Gaultier’s illusory 90s “naked” dresses.

But it was Matthieu Blazy’s debut show at Bottega Veneta that really put the art of visual fallacy back in the spotlight when he revealed backstage that a simple white tank top and straight cut jeans were made of leather. Speaking to Fantastic Man in 2022, he explained that he “wanted things to look very simple”. “Not simple … ” he paused to consider, “but fake-simple.” Fake jeans featured again in his second collection, this time paired with a fake flannel shirt and modelled by Kate Moss. The ensemble quickly went viral. Next came Balenciaga’s $27,000 linen pants, hand-painted to look like old worn jeans, and Valentino’s blue-wash jeans, which were actually composed of silk gazar that had been hand embroidered with glass beads. Even the inside selvedges of the jeans were embroidered with thread “to imitate the real frame of a pair of good jeans”.

Naturally, fast fashion retailers including Amazon and Asos have been quick to attempt to replicate these illusory styles, with pull-on denim dummies for £10. In a world where it’s becoming increasingly harder to decipher fake news and AI generated images from reality, many theorise that fashion venturing into the world of phantasmagoria was inevitable. It’s only in real life and upon touch that many of these denim dupes can be identified as actual dupes. Or perhaps, the real appeal can be linked to a much simpler hypothesis. As most TikTok advocates seem to agree, they are “just really, really comfy.”

What’s hot – and what’s most definitely not – this week

Going up

Skousers | First came side partings. Then ankle socks. Now, the return of skirts over trousers is gearing up to be the next big generational divide.

First base dressing | Your grandma was on to something. Bitter temperatures call for starting the day with long-sleeved vests.

Roasting Sunday roasts | Limp roast potatoes.Macaroni cheese as a side. Yorkshire puddings served with chicken. We see your Sunday roast picture and we silently judge you.

Going down

Sick | Gen Z are using “decent” as a way of describing something as cool. When do we give up trying to keep up?

The northern lights | Underwhelm is greeting some astrotourists fooled into thinking the aurora borealis is going to be more vivid than it is by digital photography

Stunt dressing | IsTimothée Chalamet trying to make a case for the stunt entrance. A stuntrance? The actor cycled down the red carpet on a Lime bike at the London premiere of A Complete Unknown. Cringe.

Chloe Mac Donnell, deputy fashion and lifestyle editor, solves your wardrobe dilemmas

Q: I cleaned out my wardrobe over the weekend and realised I’m missing some sensible, everyday pants. My current lineup makes me feel a bit dowdy. I’m not looking for lacy lingerie, just some decent pants I can wear under jeans and trousers without obvious VPL. What is good that is not a thong? – Stacey

A: Shopping for pants/knickers/undies can be a minefield. It sounds like you might like a classic cotton high leg or bikini style. M&S sells them in packs of three for £8 and they come in every colour you can imagine, from plain black to cherry tomato. Stripe & Stare’s “original” knickers should also nail the brief (no pun). They are super soft and made from a biodegradable fabric (Tencel Modal), and its founders set up the brand because they wanted simple but fun knickers without a built-in VPL. Some also come with a coordinating bra, which is always a bonus. A collaboration with Rixo London that just launched and features bold leopard prints is anything but granny.

Got your own style question? Send it to fashionstatement@theguardian.com.