Is it just me, or does it seem that most women these
days wear incredibly tight jeans? This
is coming from someone who grew up in the 80s and remembers Brooke Shields, who
famously asked, “You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”
And it’s not just jeans. It’s all pants. (Don’t even get me started on yoga
pants. Or leggings. Neither of which are pants.)
When skinny jeans became more popular a few years ago
I swore I wouldn’t wear them. I do now,
but it was gradual. I first bought them
to wear with riding boots.
Being a very tall and thin woman, finding jeans has
always been a struggle. As a teenager, I
wore men’s Levi’s because they were the only jeans I could find with a 36”
inseam. Try finding jeans with a 28”
waist and 36” inseam. That’s one skinny
dude! And even though they were long
enough, the waist never fit right, so I had to take in the back waistband to
get rid of the gap.
Later I was able to find extra-long jeans online from Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy. Still a 36” inseam, and a better
fit, but I still had issues with the butt getting baggy. They fit in the store, but after wearing a
few times, bagginess. Part of it was
that jeans used to be 100 percent cotton.
Most all jeans now have spandex in them, so that helps them spring back
into shape.
A magazine article revolutionized jeans for me – it
suggested buying jeans one size smaller.
Why didn’t I think of that myself?
It worked! That, combined with
some spandex, and no more baggy behind.
But back to the tightness. I notice it a lot at work. Some of the younger women wear only skin-tight
pants/jeans. (We can wear jeans on
Fridays.) They are so tight you can see
every ripple. They look incredibly
uncomfortable. I am all for pants that
fit well, but I don’t need to see all your business. What happened to trouser jeans? Or a good straight-leg or boot-cut jean?
A couple funny jean stories. The first from my niece, Megan. One of her college friends was in town
earlier this year and they were getting ready to go out. Anna told Megan, “You need to get a new pair
of jeans. Yours are getting saggy.” I have never known Megan to wear saggy jeans.
And hers aren’t ultra-tight either. Anyway, I went home and looked at my jeans
and decided that Anna would probably tell me it’s time for new jeans. Which prompted me to buy a newer pair of Old
Navy skinny jeans.
The second story is work-related. I was at a work retreat and wanted to be
comfortable, so I wore my thrift store Buckle jeans, which are somewhat flared
at the bottom. I always thought they fit
me well. During a break, a younger
female co-worker came up to me and said, “I’m glad someone else wore baggy
jeans today. I just wanted to be
comfortable.” I smiled and nodded,
stunned. I wish I could’ve seen my face
as I thought, “These are baggy
jeans?!”
I wear different jeans for different occasions. I rarely wear skinny jeans to work because
the knee area is so tight they are uncomfortable to wear all day with my knees
bent at my desk. I also avoid them at
sporting events for the same reason. I
usually wear them when my top is a little longer or looser fitting, to which
the skinny jeans balance the outfit. And
I wear them with riding boots or my rain boots.
In contrast, I like to wear a tighter-fitting top with a “looser”
fitting or flared-leg pant.
For both skinny and straight, I have my “good butt”
jeans that I save for wearing out on weekends.
I don’t want to stretch them out too much.
Like Stacy and Clinton used to say on “What Not to
Wear” – just because a store sells a certain piece of clothing doesn’t mean you
have to buy it. And just because
seemingly everyone is wearing skinny jeans, doesn’t mean you have to. Wear jeans that are most flattering for you
and that you feel most comfortable in.
We don’t have to see all of your business.
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