Today's topic: blue jeans
My "children" have been doing their own laundry since, I don't know when, maybe their early teens? It's a skill all kids need. When my daughter was a Don as university, one of the biggest (besides vaping in the residences and setting off smoke alarms) problems was university students leaving home and not knowing how to work a washing machine. It boggles the mind.
But I digress... as I was saying, my son always does his own laundry, but this morning as he was sleeping in (because he landed a construction job for now, while he waits on being able to go back to his college programme full time - yay!!, and gets up very early), I took his laundry out of the dryer because I wanted to put a load in, and I thought I'd be a nice mom and fold his clothes for him. I don't usually. He will thank me when he notices.
So, here's a pair of his jeans:
The faded wrinkles and the multiple rips are on purpose. He bought them like this, but the knee has ripped out considerably more.
He is 21. This is what 21-year olds wear. It is normal. They likely cost about $80 or more. I don't know for sure.
I am more impressed by this pair of his pants:
These pants got like this through hard work and they'll never come clean.
Getting back to blue jeans, I owned many "styles" over the years, acid wash (ahh, the eighties, sigh), painter pants, Levis, skin tight, "mom" jeans, low rise, straight leg, stretch... but I've never been one to spend a big chunk of money on the desired name brand. I can't conceive of spending more than $100 on a pair of jeans, but I guess if you wear them frequently, it might be worth it.
I still wear jeans and like how they feel. I've "grown" out of some, lost enough weight to fit back into them, and was sad when I had to throw some out. One of my favourite pairs of jeans was a very old pair of Levis that were originally husband's back in the days when he was "svelt". I loved them. They were worn out in just the right places, they were trendy at the time, they looked great with a belt, and I was in a rather "svelt" phase myself at the time. Alas, the rear end eventually rippped right out, so they ended up getting tossed.
Here are the topics of discussion:
1. Do you still wear jeans?
2. If you do, do you have a favourite pair? Why are they your favourite?
3. Have you ever spent "a lot" of money on a pair of jeans?
4. Any other blue jean memory or opinion you want to add?
Thanks for taking part in Mundane Monday!
Yes, I still wear jeans but these days they are "Mom" jeans with a stretchy elasticized waist. I have never, ever, spent Big Money on jeans. And I'm an old enough fuddy-duddy that I would never, ever buy ripped, ratty-looking jeans as a fashion statement. I was taught that when jeans look like that, they go in the garbage, LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou should have hung on to them - they'd be worth some money now! Haha
DeleteI'm always wearing jeans! It is my preferred way to dress. I've never spent a lot of money on any pair and don't think I ever would. I once found a pair of jeans for only five dollars. It had a tiny bit of damage on it that you couldn't even see and it was being liquidated. I snatched it up and it turned out to be the best jeans I'd ever owned! Perfect fit, comfortable, gorgeous. I wore it until it literally started to disintegrate! LOL
ReplyDeleteDon't you love a good liquidation sale?
DeleteI am 87 years old and I wear jeans regularly. Love them.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I love jeans, too!
DeleteNot sure why, but I haven't owned a pair of jeans since my early 30s. Part of it was financial--was single parent for a long time and had enough trouble clothing four kids in their own jeans (and not the expensive ones)--not to mention shoes, etc.. Then my job required business suits, so my clothing allowance was spent on work clothes. Now retired, I wear pants that fit like jeans but aren't made of denim. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteWork clothes can cost a bundle!
DeleteStill wearing jeans (when I bother with trou at all) - levi 712 that I bought about 15 years ago when the price was sensible. I wouldn't buy them again because the brand price is silly. These days I prefer my combination overalls (boiler suit to some) - long sleeves, long legs, baggy in the middle, pockets everywhere, zip up front, cotton drill - cool (temperature wise) in summer, protect me from sunburn, cover multiple layers of clothes when the weather is cold. OH hates them but he'll never shame me out of my overalls. F
ReplyDeleteOveralls were always a work item on the farm.
DeleteAlways loved jeans but I've never paid a huge amount for designer stuff. I still wear an ancient pair (over 15 years old!)for walking the dog. My favourite ones these days are jeggings for comfort. Years ago I had some skin tight canary yellow jeans that Paul hated and he actually threw them away!
ReplyDeleteYellow jeans. He must have really hated them to throw them out. I think I owned a yellow pair, bought them on an impulse. I don't think I wore them much.
DeleteJeans and sweats have been my basic wardrobe for the past twenty years during cold weather months. I buy basic Levi’s and Lee’s, on sale. I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than about $40. My favorites are the old ones that my wife hasn’t thrown out yet. There are always some of those. I remember when my mother bought me Sears plain pocket jeans for about $12 for the beginning of school. I was so embarrassed about not having Levi’s.
ReplyDeleteI can understand what you are saying about the embarrassment. I think kids can still be like that.
DeleteI have no idea what my style of jeans are called but they are certainly well worn & comfortable now. New jeans are always so stiff & yielding in movement. There was a time I only wore jeans at the barn & then I bought a jean skirt, (does that count?) which became a staple in my wardrobe. I remember a big work debate when writing a dress code; jeans are not allowed, but the debate of whether "jean like or jean style" pants are allowable. ... Mary-Lou =^[..]^=
ReplyDeleteDress codes! We had discussions about that, too.
DeleteI wear blue jeans almost every day and have since I retired. In warmer weather I switch to capris and have two or three pairs of jean capris. My absolute favorite pair is branded Not Your Daughter's Jeans, that I picked up several years ago at Ross Dress for Less in Fort Lauderdale. I paid $20USD, so about $30CDN. The second favorite pair are from the States as well, and I picked them up at Ross as well in Las Vegas for $15USD. The brand is Always Friday. Both pairs fit better than any other pairs I have currently. AND no I will never pay $100 or more for a pair of jeans.
ReplyDeleteJeans related but not pants, I had a jean jacket in high school in the 70's that I loved to wear. I decorated it with studs so it was unique - there were stars on the shoulders but there were more that I can't recall. Another story, was a friend of mine (again in the 70's) who had a pair of bell bottom blue jeans that had an insert so that the bell bottom was 18 inches wide! We were all so envious.
Take care, stay well!
I never had bell bottoms. That was more my siblings' time frames.
DeleteLoved the photos of your son's jeans. I will never understand buying ripped-up jeans but I'm showing my age there. I too like the stained ones better. My husband's work jeans are all very like that, nd I have to admit, my own are too. So yes, we both still wear jeans. I dislike leggings and think they look silly on women of my age and size. I am not a fan of the spandex in jeans these days but there seem to be none without it. And it does make them more comfortable for bending, but when the hot sun shines on them, they can practically scorch your legs.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a favorite pair now, but several pairs of the same brand and style that I really like. I once had a pair of white jeans, bought new in the mid-90's, that I wore and wore until they finally gave out last year.
I've never spent a lot on jeans, about choke is I have to spend over 20.00 on them, which means of course that I'm buying used jeans because there are few new ones at that price. But I'm fine with used--they're already broken in.
A jeans memory--for a couple years I did a lot of our wash by hand, before we got electricity. Sometimes I had an electric washing machine that I ran with the generator, but there was something about doing that that burned up washer motors. So in between I washed by hand. I had an old wringer I used, but I learned quickly that those things were not designed for zippers. They'd totally crush and ruin them. I learned to fold the jeans a particular way, and to loosen up the wringer, to get the jeans squeeze out.
Oh, I can imagine that would do some damage!
DeleteI dont wear jeans and i never have not even as a teenager. Just never liked them.
ReplyDeleteThere you go! Not everyone loves jeans. :)
DeleteAs a daily thing, I don't wear anything but jeans. Have a couple pair of black "dress" slacks that I wear if I have to dress up. Have never spent more than $30 (tops) for a pair. I never buy any that aren't on sale. The ripped and worn and ready for the rag bag jeans that cost an arm and a leg are the most ridiculous thing (well, one of the most) I've ever heard of. Just a way of putting a fashion trend out there and taking money unnecessarily from people. Stupid. (Sorry, kids.) Don't have one favorite pair, but there are ones I pull out of the closet more than others. I have some for everyday wear and some for when I go out. When a pair gets too worn, I designate them "garden jeans." I love the ones with lycra or some stretch in them both for the comfort and the legs seem to be narrower. I'm short so a wide leg makes me look like a munchkin. I do remember wearing the bell bottoms when that was the fad. I must have looked about two feet tall.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post and questions for us to answer!
Yes, I have weekend / work outside in the garden jeans, and then better ones for being seen in public.
DeleteLove jeans in the cold weather, too hot in Australia in Summer. Started wearing jeans at 32 when we had farm and horses. Started with Levis but wear any that fit well and look good.
ReplyDeleteIn Paris 10 years ago, tried on a designer pair worth $250 Australian $400 US? They were decorated with hand embroidery, avant-garde applique etc. ....very tempting ....found a pair very similar in a charity shop a year later 😁
Did you buy the ones from the charity shop?
DeleteYes 😁 I really like them and get compliments when I wear them, I wore them to a simple living group and that sparked a workshop on decorative mending and creative upcycling of charity shop jeans. Much fun !
DeleteWell, I am sure happy about this subject today! I grew up wearing Wrangler jeans everyday, mostly because we rode horses to our one room school. Guess you could say it was survival clothing. We did have jeans that looked a lot like your sons, but it was mostly from hay bales sliding down the fabric during hay season. Haha! Still wear jeans everyday, but mostly what ever I find at thrift stores, or yard sales. Not a brand snob, just whatever I can score for a great savings! Super fun post!
ReplyDeleteImagine riding your horse to school! That would be an absolute dream of some kids I know.
DeleteDream, ok. Wyoming, where the wind never stops blowing, and there are only three seasons...July, August and Winter! Lol. We had to cut across three other ranches, which meant getting off and going through fence gates about 8 times one way. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great way to grow up, but we didn’t know any other way. It would have been a lot less work and warmer to sit on a school bus seat!
DeleteMy entire wardrobe is Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. I have dress jeans, corduroy jeans, every day jeans and spare jeans. I team them with suit jackets from the thrift store and am good to go anywhere. It helps that I'm a month shy of 78 and can't be messed with.
ReplyDeleteSounds good to me, Joanne!
DeleteI buy my jeans at Value Village. I can get high end for a pittance, but my favorites are Denver Hayes from Marks. I bought my first pair, with my own money from babysitting, in Grade 8. When my first husband and I were dating I would patch his scabby old holy jeans. He didn't appreciate decent clothes in those days, LOLOLOL.
DeleteI had to laugh -- Rick has jeans like those ripped up ones, only he's the one who ripped them and who knows how. Every now and then he wears them and there's a rather long rip by his bum which is sort of a bad place. Doesn't stop him. Well, I knew he wasn't GQ from long ago and that's OK with me. I'm not exactly a fashion plate myself.
ReplyDeleteMy whole wardrobe is largely fleece and denim. Of course I wear jeans and I have all sizes in the closet. I don't know that I have a favorite, though. I've never spent big bucks on jeans. They're just the standard version. Nothing fancy!
I wear Levi's and Carhartt jeans. I've never once bought a pair of ripped or acid wash jeans. I remember being in the ranch store looking for a pair of non-bling pants. An older ranch lady and I were laughing that always curious heifers would follow us all over looking at all that bling. Luckily I found some Levi's on Amazon. I won't spend more than $40 for jeans. The closest I ever got to acid wash was I wore a pair of Levi's completely white. I was so proud of them. Finally the knees gave out. What fun questions.
ReplyDelete1. Yes. Got them at a thrift store for maybe $10.
ReplyDelete2. they are comfy and fit just right. (getting a little thin though!)
3. No.
When they get too warn and weathered, I patch them and relegate them to only wearing at home. I detest shopping for clothes. I keep a halfway decent pair for shopping or visiting friends.
How funny that you should write this now - yesterday I was wondering where the name 'jeans' came from. I understand 'denim' as a French word to describe the cloth, but why 'jeans'? I have not worn blue denim jeans since I was 27 years old. I made a conscious decision to never wear them again. Sadly, most of my contemporaries never did.
ReplyDeleteI've just looked it up. The name of the cloth was 'Genoa Fustian', shortened by the workers who wore it by five syllables.
DeleteWell, there you go! Now we know.
DeleteI wear jeans still, but I would never pay lots of money for them. Nor do I like them to look torn and faded when I buy them. I guess I'm just old fashioned. I find them to be quite comfortable which is what I want from clothing. I hope your son thanks you for folding his laundry. Hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteI still wear jeans. I love that they have so much spandex in them these days. I love the ones from Talbots with no zippers or pockets. I call them pull-ups! Hope you have a wonderful week, Jen.
ReplyDeleteWe live on a farm. Dh works in a factory also and I work for a HVAC company. We are fancy people. When I work at the newspaper I had to dress "office casual." I'm glad those days are over. It was more expensive. I wear stretchy jeans in straight, bootcut (1 or 2 pairs) capris in the summer, mostly med blue but black, tan and brown also. I have 2 pairs of dress slacks for nicer occasions & a dress is too much. Mostly on Sundays, I wear a dress to church.
ReplyDeletedear me! These are the sort of trousers my grandmother would say make one look like a charity case.
ReplyDeleteThanks Edna, Katie, Kay, Ur-spo, Jeanie and Roselea for your comments as well. I continue to be surprised and happy at how many comments I get for my mundane, boring, every day old topics. But that's really what we are all about these days, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteJeans used to be my favorite pants, but in the last ten years I've transitioned to leggings. I still have three pairs, but they're not so often worn anymore. I'm too comfortable in my leggings, now.
ReplyDelete