JEANS… My Love/Hate Relationship
I love jeans because they’re made from denim and denim goes with everything and always looks hip. I hate jeans because – unlike almost any other wardrobe staple – they are not forgiving in any way. If you’re rear end is big, jeans show it. If your tummy is jiggly, jeans don’t hide it. And if you’re hippy or have curvaceous, delicious womanly thighs, jeans can really be public enemy numero uno.
However, put together a pair of jeans with a great top, jacket, tunic or even a short dress and a terrific pair of heels and you’re ready to rock ‘n roll.
Here’s the thing though: if you are a dress girl and feel great in what I call my absolute favorite thing to wear – the LBD—jeans are rarely, if ever, going to give you that same sweet thrill. Which doesn’t mean that jeans can’t feel great on you. It’s just not going to be the same, SIMPLE, girly feel that putting on that dress and some sandals, boots or even flip-flops can do for you.
One of my shopping clients stopped over yesterday because she needed help packing for an upcoming weekend getaway. She insisted that she had no jeans to just throw on and feel wonderful in. She came with bags of tops and three really terrific pairs of jeans to try on for me. One pair was a dressier jean that one might wear for dinner out or even for a casual Friday at work. The second pair was a wide-legged high-waisted, fashion forward pair that she could wear with tunics, blouses, tucked in tops or simple t’s and the third pair was a traditional, well worn-in pair that looked comfy and fit her just right.
This client – who has become in the past two years a real dress lover – felt that none of these jeans gave her that same great, “I’m ready for anything” feeling that her throw-on dresses could any day of the week.
I told her that a pair of jeans may NEVER give her that feeling, especially now that she found the secret of the dress. But, that she had a great start at a truly well-stocked jeans wardrobe and that she needed to realize that jeans may never flatter her the way a dress can but she looked great in them and needed to realize that no pair of jeans – even the $200- $300 pairs – are going to make those of us with hips, thighs and waists look like a 14 year old boy (which is the way I think most women really want to look in their jeans) with a tight tush, slim hips and thighs with the circumference of a typical upper arm.
That’s okay. Wear your jeans, enjoy your figure and feel free to show it off. But, please, don’t let your tummy roll over the waistband…