Tacky? No, Uber-girly - Yes!
People who find them childrish/tacky are probably in their 40's, old gramps, very boylish or prefer the sexy/trashy styles (red mini skirt with 5" stiletto or somthing.. lol). People call sometimes call things tacky because theyy probably dont have the personal style for it. I dont like high heels (prefer wedge, tall boots and lether flats) so I might find some of the heel styles "tacky" (I dont like stilettos that are over 3-4", the 5-8" ones are "tacky" to ME) while hoodies and sporty shoes might be too casual for my taste.
The question is more like - Do you like bright pink, flashy/noticeable and very girly colors? If yes, then they are fine. if you prefer to not draw attention to yourself or prefer more conserative, perhaps donating them would be a better idea.
As for outfits.
- If you bring out the hotpink in them, pair them with neutrals like black, grey, brown, beige, white, denim, nude, taupe etc. Dull neutral like beige, taupe and brown tone the jeans down, black and pure white make the jeans pop and make them bright.
- If you like to go bold, pair them with dark, muted, doll or same intensity color like royal blue, plum, burgundy, olive etc. I love pairing hotpink with plum, burgundy or navy rather than royal blue and bright yellow. Its a toned down version of the color blocking trend. It tone down the color of the jeans but still look bold.
- Don't pair them with anything too trendy and girly/sexy (sheer, lots of lace/ruffle, animal print, low cut, stilettos, killer shoes, crop shirts, childrish graphic logos etc) as it can easily goes overkill.
Instead, try pair them with edgy, classic, sporty men inspired wear depending on what you like.
I personally love wearing bright colored jeans with a denim shirt and ballet flats or ankle booties with dainty jewelry for a tomboy gone girly/relaxed look.
Bomber jacket, simple heels and a graphic/dark top will make them more edgy. Great look if you like the barbie-goth/bright-goth/punk-princess type of looks.
Cardigan, T-shirts, fashion sneakers like keds/converse and minimal jewelery for a more casual look
Blazer, dress shirt and simple pumps or ballet flats for a classic, business-gal inspired look.
Hope this helped!
and hey! Im 24 and I wear pastel bright pink skinny jeans! Nobody complains that I look "childrish". :P