Alix Earle On Bringing Back Skinny Jeans: “I Was People's Hero Or Biggest Nightmare"

It’s been a roller coaster of a week for TikTok lovers and haters alike. After the threat of a shutdown culminated in the app spending 14 hours offline before being rebooted the next day, scrolling enthusiasts across the country have run the gamut of emotions. Just imagine how Alix Earle feels.

“I'm feeling good,” she says now, 48 hours post-temporary shutdown and a tearful goodbye video(s) to her 7.2 million followers. “Quite embarrassed. It was a big moment. I was saying goodbye. And then came back 10 hours later, and I was like, ‘OK, so I just embarrassed myself.’ But you know what? It happens.” Earle, hardly the only person to feel her feels this weekend, needn’t be embarrassed. If anything, minor blip aside (for now, at least), 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the TikTok starlet. First, there was Addison Rae on the cover of Rolling Stone (“Addison is killing it. I love her,” Earle says.), and now comes Earle’s first big project — of many, she teases — of the year: a collaboration with FRAME, creating her very own skinny jeans.

Out now, The Alix is a mid-rise skinny jean available in two washes: classic blue and black coated, and comes with a Bridgette Bardot-inspired shoot lensed by Inez & Vindoodh. Here, Earle talks the controversial trends, how to style them, and her message to all the haters.

How did FRAME first come to you with this idea for an Alix skinny jean?

So I actually brought this idea to Erik [Torstenssen, co-founder]. I was meeting with him about a potential FRAME campaign featuring me in December 2023, having lunch in Miami. I brought up the idea of, "OK, this might be insane, but what would you think about a campaign about bringing back the skinny jean?" And he was like, "Oh my God, I love it." He's always just so enthusiastic and inspiring. So he was on board right away, and then we ended up doing a little bit of both of our ideas — we did the FRAME campaign that they had envisioned for Fall/Winter, and then at the end of it, we would come out with the Alix Jean, which is the skinny jean.

Were you afraid he might balk at the idea of a skinny jean?

I was definitely afraid that it was going to get shut down, but I posted a video and so many people in the comments were freaking out. It dawned on me that not everyone still has a pair of skinny jeans in their closet. So I thought it was a good opportunity to present the idea, and I was definitely 50/50 with this might get shot down and I might just embarrass myself, but I thought at least I should try.

Were you surprised that it got such a huge reaction online?

It just didn't really dawn on me. I'm always very pro “wear what you want to wear, be comfortable.” So I didn't think putting on my skinny jeans was going to be any bit controversial or cause an uproar on the internet. And it was either I was people's hero or I was people's biggest nightmare. Like, “Oh God, Alix is wearing them. Now everyone's going to wear them.” But some people were like, "OK, I have the confidence now to bring these out of my closet or go get a pair."

What makes the perfect skinny jean?

I think the thing that people don't love about skinny jeans is that they tend to be uncomfortable, and I think everyone kind of leaned towards the baggy because they were like, "OK, this is much better, much more comfortable.” So comfort is a really, really big thing when it comes to the skinny jean. And then, quality. I have always had one or two pairs of skinny jeans in my closet, and they have upheld throughout the years. That's what FRAME does best, is provide lifelong good quality pieces.

What is your go-to styling for them?

I love skinny jeans with a tall boot or with a high heel when I'm going out on the town. So I would say always in a dressier sense.

I know your sister Ashtin is your biggest fashion critic — is she on board with this revival?

Ashtin is my biggest fashion critic. There was a moment where I was calling her my stylist this year; I was like, "Ashtin, what do I wear?" I was getting ready to go to a Dolphins game and she picked the skinny jeans out of my closet and was like, "I think you should wear these." People were up in arms about it on the internet, but if Ashtin's on board, that's the ultimate stamp of approval.

Who would you love to see in a pair of the Alix jeans?

Maybe Kendall Jenner. Or Bella Hadid.

What is a trend that you have tried recently that just did not work?

When ballet flats became a big thing, there were the ones that are mesh and kind of see-through. I'm not a huge fan of my feet, so I had the mesh flats on and was like, "I don't think these are for me.”

What’s one trend you just flat-out refuse to ever wear again?

In high school, I would wear lacy bralettes as tops. I don't know if I'll ever be wearing that again.

Finally, what is your message to all the skinny jean haters out there?

Try it with a good pair of heels.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.