I'm not really a fan of blue jeans.
I know it's almost a sin, saying that I don't care for blue jeans, and being an American. It's just the way I feel. In my 32 years of life, or at least what I can remember of it, I've only owned a few pairs that were actually comfortable. None of them even came close to giving me the level of happiness that most people express about their favorite pair of jeans.
At first I tried to blame this on my size. I remember being bigger than many other girls going back to 3rd grade, around about age 7. Jeans have always been too tight on my calf, my thigh, or wouldn't even come close to buttoning at the waist. I'd usually rather wear an ankle length skirt. If it fit at the waist and was straight, full, or a-line, you don't have to worry about it fitting anywhere else.
Things got better, comfort wise if not fashion wise, when the elastic waist became available on blue jeans. At least then I could get the jeans on, even if they did make my butt look saggy and my thighs look baggy. When they came out with STRETCH blue jeans I figured I'd give it another shot. The jeans had more give and I was finally able to find 1 brand (Lane Bryant "stovepipe style") that fit and was actually comfortable. I got 3 pairs in 1993(?) at $50 a pop and I wore them until they fell a part. I gave up for a year or two, and after that I'd find a pair or two here and there (Zana Di!!!), but I've always been on the hunt.
You'd think that after losing over 100lbs (in case you didn't know, I had Gastric Bypass Surgery in 7/07) it would be easier to find comfortable fashionable jeans. It's not. And it's not just because my body isn't like a "normal" persons body but it's also because there are so many styles and cuts out there that it's almost overwhelming.
One brand of jeans I don't ever remember being able to wear is Levi's. Levi's are a staple of America, and they should be. They've only been making "copper-riveted waist overalls" (the old name for jeans) since 1873 and producing them under the Levi's brand since 1928. In my mind, and probably any other person who's been exposed to advertising, when I think if blue jeans - I think of Levi's.
Today I went to 2 stores (Sears and JC Penny) and tried on 10 different Levi's styles 6 in Womens and 4 in Mens. Because I am a woman, and not a 12 year old boy, any Womens jean with "Skiny" in the description is OUT. Ok, that's not quite fair. I know there are plenty of adult women who can pull off the skinny jean. My short legs, thick thighs and wide calves don't allow for that. I also don't think it's appropriate for me to wear low rise jeans. They do not fit my tummy area correctly and do not look flattering. Cutting out Skinny and Low Rise in Womens drastically reduces the available pool of Levi's for me to try. That's why I tried Mens styles, but those seem to be too boxy in the waist/rise/butt for my curves.
In Womens, I tried on 505, 512, 515, 525, 529, and 545. They were all pretty bad. They were either too loose in the butt and too tight in the legs, or they were too small in the waist in a size that fit well in the legs/butt.
In Mens, I tried on 501, 505, 515 and 527. 527's where the only ones that were OK.
http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3635792&cp=3146842.3146844.3146854.3691996
I guess the point of this whole story is that I begin to wonder what's going on. Is my body really that strange and different? I own other jeans that fit pretty well, but none that are "perfect". I do wonder if I'm just not built for jeans. Will I ever find that pair that feels like the "second skin" other people describe?
What about you? Do you have that "perfect" pair of jeans? How did you find them? Have you had them for years, or was it a recent find? Was it easy, were they the first pair you tried on, or did you have to try on hundreds until you found them?
At first I tried to blame this on my size. I remember being bigger than many other girls going back to 3rd grade, around about age 7. Jeans have always been too tight on my calf, my thigh, or wouldn't even come close to buttoning at the waist. I'd usually rather wear an ankle length skirt. If it fit at the waist and was straight, full, or a-line, you don't have to worry about it fitting anywhere else.
Things got better, comfort wise if not fashion wise, when the elastic waist became available on blue jeans. At least then I could get the jeans on, even if they did make my butt look saggy and my thighs look baggy. When they came out with STRETCH blue jeans I figured I'd give it another shot. The jeans had more give and I was finally able to find 1 brand (Lane Bryant "stovepipe style") that fit and was actually comfortable. I got 3 pairs in 1993(?) at $50 a pop and I wore them until they fell a part. I gave up for a year or two, and after that I'd find a pair or two here and there (Zana Di!!!), but I've always been on the hunt.
You'd think that after losing over 100lbs (in case you didn't know, I had Gastric Bypass Surgery in 7/07) it would be easier to find comfortable fashionable jeans. It's not. And it's not just because my body isn't like a "normal" persons body but it's also because there are so many styles and cuts out there that it's almost overwhelming.
One brand of jeans I don't ever remember being able to wear is Levi's. Levi's are a staple of America, and they should be. They've only been making "copper-riveted waist overalls" (the old name for jeans) since 1873 and producing them under the Levi's brand since 1928. In my mind, and probably any other person who's been exposed to advertising, when I think if blue jeans - I think of Levi's.
Today I went to 2 stores (Sears and JC Penny) and tried on 10 different Levi's styles 6 in Womens and 4 in Mens. Because I am a woman, and not a 12 year old boy, any Womens jean with "Skiny" in the description is OUT. Ok, that's not quite fair. I know there are plenty of adult women who can pull off the skinny jean. My short legs, thick thighs and wide calves don't allow for that. I also don't think it's appropriate for me to wear low rise jeans. They do not fit my tummy area correctly and do not look flattering. Cutting out Skinny and Low Rise in Womens drastically reduces the available pool of Levi's for me to try. That's why I tried Mens styles, but those seem to be too boxy in the waist/rise/butt for my curves.
In Womens, I tried on 505, 512, 515, 525, 529, and 545. They were all pretty bad. They were either too loose in the butt and too tight in the legs, or they were too small in the waist in a size that fit well in the legs/butt.
In Mens, I tried on 501, 505, 515 and 527. 527's where the only ones that were OK.
http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3635792&cp=3146842.3146844.3146854.3691996
I guess the point of this whole story is that I begin to wonder what's going on. Is my body really that strange and different? I own other jeans that fit pretty well, but none that are "perfect". I do wonder if I'm just not built for jeans. Will I ever find that pair that feels like the "second skin" other people describe?
What about you? Do you have that "perfect" pair of jeans? How did you find them? Have you had them for years, or was it a recent find? Was it easy, were they the first pair you tried on, or did you have to try on hundreds until you found them?