I won't be taking fashion advice from Alix Earle.

The Cheek 004: skinny jeans are back like they never left.

Welcome to “The Cheek.” My weekly, sometimes snarky, brain dump, typically fueled by TikTok brain rot. Enjoy.

Am I selfish or just numb?

January 2025 felt like the longest month in the history of time. Fires, plane crashes, a political shitstorm, and more—obviously. But I don’t feel anything. I’ve realized that when bad things happen, I just kinda shrug. I can’t tell if I genuinely have a hard time conceptualizing things that don’t affect me personally, or if I’ve just become so numb to everything that my first reaction to tragedy is Yeah, duh.

But now that I’m writing about it, I think the reason I struggle to process global tragedy is because it’s immediately overshadowed by arguments and opinions. Every single thing that happens becomes political. And everything political is driven by ego. No one actually seems to want change or peace—because, at the core of it all, it’s not about fixing things. It’s about being right. Winning a prize that doesn’t exist.

Skinny jeans are so back.

I was in high school when skinny jeans first became popular. Up until then, bell bottoms and baggy denim reigned supreme. At first, I refused to jump on board, convinced my entire life that my thighs were too thick for anything—shorts, bathing suits, you name it—so I couldn’t imagine squeezing into jeans that were practically painted on. But, like everyone else, I eventually gave in, and skinny jeans became a staple in my wardrobe.

That is, until the Gen Zs of TikTok decided that skinny jeans—along with side parts and crying-laughing emojis—were “cheugy.” When I was in my twenties, I don’t remember obsessing over what Gen X was doing. Hell, I think Gen X is probably the coolest generation, responsible for most of what made the ’80s and ’90s great. Sure, millennials have always criticized Boomers, but that had more to do with social and political issues than their outfits.

I’ve never been one for trends, always more focused on developing my personal style than fitting in. So I didn’t toss my skinnies. I bought a few pairs of straight-legs and one pair of slightly baggy denim but kept wearing whatever flattered me most.

Good thing I didn’t make a Goodwill drop-off, because skinny jeans are soooo back—according to TikTok Queen Alix Earle, anyway. If there’s one thing Gen Z does best, it’s cycling through trends faster than they change their vape cartridges. The mega-influencer has partnered with FRAME to bring back skinny jeans, and the internet is going wild.

Like this article about Alix Earle’s “controversial” move to collab on skinny jeans. Jeans… are… controversial? Are we okay, guys? The only thing remotely controversial here is that they are, in fact, just jeans. There is nothing exciting about them.

Don’t get me wrong, I kinda love Alix Earle. She’s cute, and there’s something about her that reminds me of my friends and me in our twenties. It’s probably the North East party girl of it all. She’s hot and rich, but I won’t be taking fashion advice from someone who wore jorts to Coachella.

Keeping things short this week, since I spent most of my time offline with family. My new baby nephew was born on Tuesday so there have been lots of snuggles and doing village-y things for my sister.

His toes make me giggle.

If you’re not stalking me yet, what are you even doing? Find me on Instagram @kristina_nasti and Tiktok @kristina_nasti

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