Here's the skinny on jeans for both men and women

Trendsetters will squeeze into ultra-tight jeans this season.
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Boot cut and flare jeans are on the brink of extinction. Blame fashion designers.
Bringing new meaning to "hip-huggers," today's hottest jeans are ultra-tight and ankle-embracing.
"Every season brings a fun item to the racks, and this is one of them," said Michelle Maddux, assistant manager at Coverings in San Luis Obispo, Calif. "Many people refer to them as 'skinny jeans,' but here we use the terminology -- 'straight leg' or 'peg leg,' and pretty much every brand is making them."
But no matter what you call them, as San Luis Obispo's Urban Outfitters store merchandiser Tony Romero proclaimed: "The flare is over.
"If you look at the shirts designers are making, the shoes, the accessories -- it's a blast from the past, and the jeans came along," Romero said.
The pants made famous by the likes of James Dean returned last year on the punk-rocker fashion wave when studded belts and high-top Converses were on the "it" list, but Romero said the pants have now transcended the punk scene. With Hollywood celebrities like Jessica Alba and Nicole Richie photographed in the style, local stores are seeing more fashion-loving trendsters squeeze into a pair -- including men. "Skinny jeans are just as big for men as they are for women," Romero said.
And because designers have caught wind that men like it snug as well, Romero said they no longer have to peruse the girls' aisle for a tight pair. Levi's, Lucky Brand and 7 for All Mankind, for instance, are just three of the brands that make tight-fitting jeans for men as well as women.
Of course, these jeans aren't the most forgiving pants, and therefore can be a little difficult to wear for those with voluptuous curves.
Hard to pull off
"Skinny jeans look best on tall, long-legged, skinny girls," Romero said. "Every once in awhile you find a shorter girl pulling them off with the jean all scrunched at the bottom. But again, she has to be of a certain body type because this look is hard to pull off."
If you're doubtful about whether you can or should wear skinny jeans, Jason Martin of Uptown Jean Co. suggests taking baby steps.
"Lucky Brand is doing a more ease-in straight-leg jean that still has a slight boot cut for those who aren't totally convinced the skinny jean is for them," Martin said. "So people have options. You can still pull off the look without committing to a pair of super-skinny pants."