So while we are at it, what about men's jeans?

A few months ago DH went shopping and came home with some jeans so baggy that he could have worn geriatric diapers in them. So NOT HOT!

I rarely complain about what he wears, but those were a libido KILLER for me and I had to say something. Luckily he found some nicer Lucky jeans at costco. He wears a suit and tie every day to work, so I get that he just wants to be comfortable evenings and weekends. I finally was able to convince him that, ahem, it was in his best interest to find something else.

This post was edited by juliekcmo on Tue, Apr 1, 14 at 21:50

Removed for possible offense to bedazzled jeans wearers and/or cat sweatshirt wearers ;-)

This post was edited by kswl on Tue, Apr 1, 14 at 23:42

Kswl,

Jeans were originally made in 1873 by Levi Strauss for gold miners, not farm work.

That's the lure, but the truth is:

"They were first designed as workwear for labourers on the farms AND mines of America's Western states in the late 19th Century."

And some say Genoa, Italy sailors predated this.

Here is a link that might be useful: BBC on jeans

While hauling trash off yesterday, the young woman ahead of me was wearing sloppy, torn gray yoga pants. Not pulled up all the way to reveal her tan hip. She was pretty, a college student most likely. Not poor looking or down and out, just incredibly sloppy by the choices. Expensive, beautiful hair, car, etc.
Fuzzy, terrycloth, (sloppy again), thong shoes which looked like slippers, and a tee shirt.

Nice blue jeans would be so much better!

Am I correct in my understanding that you were taking your trash to the dump - I am assuming that's what "hauling trash off" means? And you didn't feel the young lady in front of you was dressed up enough?? for the dump??? I wasn't aware that the dump had a dress code, LOL! I'm sorry, but if I were hauling trash to the dump, it would probably be in the middle of a big housecleaning-type day and I'd be wearing my grungiest nastiest clothes too.

This forum is a rough crowd, LOL!

I forgot to say. For those of you over 40 or over whatever who chimed in to post that you are still 6'1 and have a size 4 derriere, kudos to you. You know you can wear jeans or anything you want without my blessing! Carry on. (oh and i hate you, at least a little bit)

My broad generalization is for your brethren, most of whom cannot boast the same discipline or genetic good fortune, and who therefore benefit from some good tailoring and not spandex and not the Last Supper rendered in silver thread across their derriere.

KSWL, cat sweatshirts? Sorry I missed that. Can I add sweatshirts of any kinds, except collegial, to my list of no-no's?

Ha! lol, well, I know it was hauling off trash, but, we don't have trash pick up here so most everyone takes the garbage off continually. She had two bags, really, it wasn't about the appropriateness of the outfit in regards to the activity, that was all fine, it was the overall look.
I really think it was the bedroom slippers that set me off.
I see this same look all the time at the grocery stores.

Anyway, seriously, she had shoes on, we have several people who go to our church who never wear shoes to church or anywhere else. Now that makes me cringe, but if it makes them happy...

Lol, kitschy!! I erased the whole thing! Not content to be the jeans hater of record, I was about to expose my position as cat sweatshirt naysayer and thought better of it. Not that I equate the two...

Some of these responses are hilarious!
I've enjoyed reading them dramatically to my husband in the manner they were intended.
Dress code for the dump! More like a homeless person than hot! LOL!

That said, in reading this thread I've learned that I'm too old (according to some) and my butt is too big (according to others).
Almost everyday though, I wear jeans that I like and will continue to do just that - probably until I die.

What others think of me or how I look is none of my business.

And so --- speaking of jeans in general -------
What brands do you purchase that you like???
I am in the over 60 crowd - and having lost some weight, what I have are too big. My husband noticed that they are too big in the backside ----- so off to shop I go! But I know I will try on 20+ pairs to find one to fit.

Contrary to the video about GAP, I do wear them. Some are better than others. I also like Loft. Not always lucky there, but have a few skinny jeans, and straight ones that look current.

Shopping for jeans can be continuous!
We are heading back from a road trip and the majority at the rest stop were in jeans, young and old.

Kswl, I am thinking you just haven't found YOUR jeans yet:) I am curious too, what are your go to pants for comfort, being casual and running around town?

Men's jeans can be a whole other thread. My DH hates shopping and when it comes to jeans I give my input. When he finds what works he get a few pairs. We were lucky on this trip and found him great jeans that look good and are comfy.

I am so enjoying this thread, and it's a lot your fault kswl, for being truthful and stating your opinion. I disagree with you but I get where you are coming from. I wear jeans well and for me it's more than the look, it's a feel.

I admit to spending a lot on my jeans, having found the JBrand maria style to be perfect for me. I wear long tops and cardigans so the skinny leg is good for me. And they are not too thick.

Can anyone send a memo out to the multitude of young women who think lycra tights/pantyhose are pants, they are NOTâ¦. specially with a short jacket.
cover your bum please.
or put on some jeans, lolâ¦.

Over 60 here and the best fitting jeans I can find that are comfortable and don't created the dreaded "muffin top" are DKNY Soho jeans. One tip-they do stretch out (like all jeans) after wearing for a bit so to avoid the dreaded saggy butt I find if I buy one size down they are great. They come in straight let and boot cut.

I have heard, but haven't tried, Chico's sells a good fitting jean.

I used to love Gloria Vanderbilt jeans as they fit my hips and waist nicely...I have trouble finding them though. The black pair I have on now are Lee Perfect Fit. GF swears by NYDJ...not your daughter's jeans.

I crack up at leggings/jeggings are not pants....there are lots of images on the internet that prove that case.

And neither are jeggings...

And for all the yoga pant fans, there was that lululemon recall as the pants became transparent....

I too find the skinny jeans to be flattering on me, even at my very advanced age of 66. I am not tall...only 5'4" and wear a size 2 or 4 depending upon the brand.

Mitch, I remember when you posted about JBrand Maria. I immediately ordered two pairs, being overly optimistic that I too would have found the perfect fit. Alas, it was not meant to be for me...but I have found Vince and Eileen Fisher to fit very well on me...knock wood...so far. I must admit to being a Mitchdesj groupie in that I think your taste is impeccable.

This was a very funny conversation - until fourkids said she was 45 and middle aged! That would be me and somehow I don't think that way. HA!
Seriously though, I love jeans. And i will be so bold to say my most favorite new pair will cause many of you to recoil in horror - they are pull-on jeans! But do yourself a favor and try them on. Not only are they comfortable, they run large so you get to go down a size or even two. Jeans never look good on me, but I receive actual compliments when I wear these. They really are flattering. They are a slimmer leg that look great with a ballet flat, but not so skinny they look bad. The after midnight is a nice dark color that really does go with anything:)
Zappos sells them too - easy to order and return.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jag Pull on jeans

I actually tried on NYDJ and they really do fit wonderfully. I have seen them at Marshall's deeply discounted to 49.99.
I am seriously thinking about getting a pair.

Those are great pics, Annie, especially the second one where she is wearing two different kinds of shoes. Now that would be a cool trend! Or is it already? Did I miss something? lol!

I like Eddie Bauer jeans, Tommy Hilfiger and occasionally Calvin Klein ( gone downhill) but I must try them on first.

I resisted jeans for the longest time but they are practically all I own now. I find them to be comfortable, enjoy the fact that they can be dressed up or down, and I feel I wear them well.

My go-to's are NYDJ's and Chico's. I purchase the NYDJ's at our local outlet store and find the salespeople to be especially helpful. Without their guidance I would have purchased them too large. They know how they should fit, how much stretching you can expect, etc. Chico's sales associates are also very helpful.

Marlene, too bad the Marias did not fit ! thanks for the compliment :)

Oh! I'm glad someone mentioned men and their jeans. My DH discovered Banana Republic jeans years ago and now that's all he wears. However, either the fit changed or his butt shrunk, but they are soooo baggy in the butt and I've been trying to think of a diplomatic way to broach the subject with him. He almost looks like a hip hop dude with low slung jeans. You know, I really don't think he ever looks in a full length mirror so he has no idea.

I wear only Lucky brand jeans. They are the only ones that fit me properly, and I say that even though I have to get the waist taken in and the length shortened on every pair. (But I have to do that with 90% of all pants -- my hip/thigh area is at least a size bigger than my waist.) I like the easy rider jeans, but also recently was coerced by a salesperson to get the Sienna tomboy, which fits more snugly and has a straighter leg, but they are more flattering, I have to admit (but have no stretch, so a bit less comfortable than my easy riders). I probably have 6 pairs of the exact same jeans so I'm sure the world thinks I wear the same pair of pants every day. (As if the world is really paying attention to my jeans.)

I think jeans, and pants in general, are designed with the apple shaped women in mind, and not the pears! I can't be the only pear shaped woman in the world, but it seems that every pair of pants I try on is tight in the hip/thigh area and enormous in the waist.

Alas, jeans --- and everything else save moomoos -- are made with the stringbean in mind, intentionally alienating the fruitier of us. Because, face it , clothes look good on hangers and the hanger-like. I think fruits have it all over string beans naked, but string beans flatter the clothes .

Spandex can help with the pear problem, but they also can hug curves too much.

The pocket discussion is interesting . I notice the Nydj jeans have tiny besom pockets, or pockets with zero contrast stitching. They seem to think less is more, whereas the blogger seems to think you need detailing to breaK up the expanse.

This post was edited by mtnrdredux on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 11:37

I have a pair of levi's that I really like. I can no longer find them. I can't remember what they are called, but something like "curvy fit". I am very much an hourglass shape. These jeans fit my hips and my waist well. I have trouble with jeans fitting well through the thighs. I do not like baggy thighs or seat. I like lucky and seven also.

I have a pair of levi's that I really like. I can no longer find them. I can't remember what they are called, but something like "curvy fit". I am very much an hourglass shape. These jeans fit my hips and my waist well. I have trouble with jeans fitting well through the thighs. I do not like baggy thighs or seat. I like lucky and seven also.

mtn, I am cracking up over your post. "...intentionally alienating the fruitier of us." LOL.

Tina, I used to only wear Levis. There was a particular style, probably the curvy ones, that fit me perfectly when I was, um, a size smaller than I am now. I did buy a new pair not long ago but something about the fit just isn't quite right, so they sit unworn in the closet, under the pile of Lucky jeans.

Legomom, I honestly hesitated before I typed "middle aged" - I think that is the first time I've EVER referred to myself that way and boy, was it hard to say that! I guess growing up "middle aged" always seemed so old to me and I don't feel old! I think b/c I had my kids much later than my mother, I feel "younger" than she was at my age. Heck, she was a grandmother at 49 and my brother was 26 when he had that first grandchild so it wasn't like he was young when he had a baby. The thought of being a grandmother now at my ageâ¦.my youngest just turned 9. For me to be a grandmother at 49, that would mean one of my older two kids would have to have a baby while still in high school!

Sigh, yes, I'm middle aged. I told someone recently that when I have my birthday next month, I will be closer to 50 than 40. That is weird to me for some reason!

The two photos at the top are taken at different distances and angles, which makes comparing that way a little silly. The photo that looks better is taken at a lower angle and from further away, so of course her butt looks smaller.

My biggest pet peeve about jeans is that you can pick up two pairs off the rack from the same manufacturer, same cut, same color, same size, and have them fit drastically differently.

Even in the expensive jeans, the quality control is terrible. It's amazing to me that we can get a $.09 screw to be accurate to 1/1000 of an inch, but $50 pairs of jeans will have the waistband vary by as much as 2" pair-to-pair.

Sue - my hubby used to wear only levis and loved them. They fit him like a glove. Then they moved their manufacturing to Mexico and the same style jeans no longer fit the same. He hated how they felt. It's been hard finding jeans he will wear. He can't stand them baggy. He's had a few pairs (can't remember the brand now) that actually split in the stride/seat. He misses the old levis - still has a few pair.

For those of you looking for new jeans, my new favorite jeans are Level 99 because they are so comfortable and the pockets are non-embellished. They have Tencel in them so are soft and stretchy yet keep their shape. Almost (but not quite as) comfortable as the yoga pants I also enjoy wearing! I'd say they are pricey, but more mid-range as they aren't quite as much as some of my others.

My husband is in the no-butt club. My favorite jeans on him are Hudson's with the flap on the pockets just because it adds some bulk to his marathon runner's butt.

ETA - FYI I am in the too much butt club

Here is a link that might be useful: Level 99 Jeans

This post was edited by kellienoelle on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 12:33

Some of you may recall my DH jeans tale...I was determined to get him a good fitting pair of jeans no matter what it cost, so I dragged his little bottom all across the outlets...calvin klein, ralph lauren, the gap, VF outlet, you name it. He tried on so many pairs. He was such a good sport, but kept saying, we really ought to just go to walmart....

Well, all the jeans looked terrible on him, so on our way home we stopped at walmart....faded glory. Best pair he tried on and they gave him such a cute little bottom. $10 a pair. Go figure.

Annie, those last pics were difficult to look at! What are people thinking!

One thing I noticed in some of the pics posted is that the back pockets seem quite large. I looked at my Simon Changs and the pockets are not huge and some don't even have back pockets. I've never used a back pocket ever on jeans.

I've often wondered why women's jeans that often fit in the hips are so huge in the waist. I have hips and a waist (hourglass shape) and often had such a difficult time to find jeans that fit. When we had a hobby farm I wore jeans daily and often wore Gloria Vanderbilt jeans which fit my shape and were quite inexpensive. I used to buy them at Zellers in Canada but they seem to be available in many stores in the US. In those days the maximum I would pay for jeans was $30. LOL I'll pay more than double that now but think some jeans are really overpriced. $200 for jeans, not for me!

My DH often bought jeans at Costco which seemed to be good quality, were inexpensive, and fit well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gloria Vanderbilt store locator

Annie, my brother wears those. He rides a motorcycle and wears those on his long road trips.
The jeans that DH bought were Polo Skinny fit. Not tight at all. The fabric is thin and soft, which is now how he likes his jeans. We also kept trying on every jean. I couldn't believe the prices for the distressed jeans that were way too baggy.

My favorite pair currently is a pair of Seven jeans. Mainly because I could buy them in an appropriate length, not just whatever it happened to be. For skinny jeans (meaning a thin leg I can wear with boots) I have some black jeans I bought at WH/BM I love and also a pair from Ann Taylor. Both are comfy and fit great thru the hips adn thighs. I always have to wear a belt because I have more hips than waist apparently. I guess that is called curvy these days. And when I am doing a lot of jogging, guess where I lose the inches first? Yep, you guessed it, my waist goes first. I've tried NYDJ and they are ok if I can squeeze into a 6, otherwise they are a little baggy after I've worn them for 5 minutes. Have some Lucky capris and really like them except they are a shade lower rise so I have to be in really fine form and watch what I put on top.

Sheesh, I can't believe this...I'm old. I can't even say I'm middle aged anymore.

Annie, that's a funny story about your DH and his $10 jeans. I swear he and my DH may be related. Mine used to wear nothing but Levis too and has the same problem with them now. He has a hard time finding what he likes.

Thanks for the link, luckygal...that's helpful.

Annie, do you belong to Costco? I often see Gloria Vanderbilt jeans there.

I've never in my life found a pair of jeans that were actually what most people seemingly enjoy effortlessly, that as-comfy-as-a-pair-of-jammies fit and feel. Never, never, never. Not when I was a high school kid, not in college, and not over the, ahem, many years since then!

For me it's two factors. One is that although I'm small framed and thin I have a very long waist and tend to have a tummy bulge. Add to that the stiffness of denim (and I don't care how much you wash it, denim is a heavy fabric) add a pinch of the modern low rise styling which means jeans are REALLY not cut to work with my extra long torso and tummy...and jeans are a misery, always have been.

I will admit that after a year of working on my core with regular Pilates sessions I was shocked to find a pair of stretch skinny jeans that actually weren't unbearable on a recent shopping excursion. I bought them, but actually although they aren't the horror most jeans are, they're still not all that comfortable.

As for other folks wearing jeans, meh. I don't think it's particularly jeans that look bad, it's that the majority of Americans are now either overweight or clinically obese. Stuffing oneself into too tight pants or wearing what looks like a slipcover over a huge rear end...not an attractive look either way.

And last but not least my husband also wears his jeans so baggy that his cute little rear end is completely obscured. Oh well, I get to see it unveiled so I suppose that's my little treat in life :).

Ann

No, sorry terriks, I don't.

Tina - I love yoga pants too! I believe there's a nicer way to look comfy/sloppy. That look is different than my painting sweats! - Though I did wear those to the paint store once and didn't care.

Mitch - I very much dislike the look of leggings as pants and the shirt not covering the butt. I think it's begging for someone to notice your behind.

I like the destroyed denim and own one pair. They don't work with everything and I'm selective about where I wear them. I took some clothes to my seamstress the other week and she was telling me how she once was to hem some jeans for someone once and she "fixed" all the holes too. Hahaa.... the guy was shocked when he picked them up!

I said I'd never do it, but I do own one pair of skinny jeans now. I like them, but they're not my favorite and I feel they work with less than my other jeans. They are, hands down, the most comfortable jeans I own though.

My current favorite jeans are the kick boot jeans (dark) from American Eagle. They do have some whiskers going on, but for some reason they flatter my legs. I think it relates to the front pockets.

I used to love the long and lean jeans from GAP, but they changed the way they're made. They stretch like crazy slop and wear thin fast. I feel they're very much over priced for what they are.

I found it to be much harder to find clothes that were flattering when I weighed more. I don't love to shop really in general, but extremely disliked it when I had to put even more effort to find clothes that worked.

I think it's best to change your clothing style with age, but some people can get away with things others can't. While at the grocery store the other week there was a lady in front of me that was probably in her later 50s. She wasn't thin and she was sporting skinny jeans and it worked. (I think skinny jeans work best if you're not too curvy or have extra weight) Her whole outfit looked very pulled together from her jacket, makeup, tortoise glasses, purse, bracelet, to her shoes and she looked very polished and chic. I do wish I would've opened my mouth to say something, but everything I thought of sounded weird in my head. I was also hoping she'd glance over to make it a little more natural, but she didn't. (I'm trying to work on being more outgoing and friendly to strangers. No, I haven't arrived yet.)

I'm surprised this is about jeans. Are people still wearing jeans? I keep seeing those skin tight black leggings. Seems everyone cool must wear them. Why not just run around in your bathing suit. Sheesh. Very inappropriate public wear imo. It's getting tiresome.

Regardless of age, skinny jeans can work on some body types...those who are more apple shaped and carry their weight in their middle, but have slender limbs and butt.

That's not me...I carry a lot of weight where I sit and in my thighs so skinny jeans act like a big arrow to my butt. Definitely ice cream cone shaped.

(Why is it we always describe bodies like food?!?)

My eyes, my eyes!! Those pictures! O.M.G.

Is it me, or does the second woman wearing leggings have a nipple on her left cheek?

"Regardless of age, skinny jeans can work on some body types...those who are more apple shaped and carry their weight in their middle, but have slender limbs and butt."

That's my shape exactly. As my daughter once commented about me and all my sisters, we're 'all gut no butt'. It's definitely not the more usual figure type of the pear shape (Annie, I'm doing the food comparison thing too!) and as I mentioned earlier in this topic, pants in general are the bane of my existence. For most of my life, getting something that was comfortable through the crotch, due to my long waist and tummy bump, meant going up to a size that literally billowed around my flat rear and skinny thighs.

I also have embraced yoga pants as a fantastic casual-slacks option. The stretch is so nice and at the risk of sounding obnoxious, it's nice as a 50+ year old to at least have one body part, my rear, that looks pretty darn good in something that's trendy :).

My personal cringe on yoga pants, or any pants really, is camel toe. I can't STAND to wear pants that cause this extremely unfortunate fashion don't. Below I've linked to a pretty vivid example.

Luckily my usual style is skinny pants with a drapey top, which camouflage the tummy and play up the legs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Camel Toe in Full Glory

I think this post proves how hard it is to find a good fitting pair of jeans and that one type doesn't fit all.

I need a boot cut type, with pockets that sit on my butt like the pictures show, with no buttons and little adornment, and I also need the front zipper to go down almost all the way to my crotch 1-1.5" off is still ok or it looks really funny on the front. I also need the ones that sit just above or on my hips or I end up having a huge gap around the waist or the belt bunches it up. I do like that standard sizes in the last several years have moved to selling with longer inseam as I have longer legs than the norm for my height.

I have shapely legs, but skinny jeans look funny on me because my shoulders are wider than my hips, I'm small chested, but end up looking top heavy without the boot cut balancing the upper part. That said I'm wearing fitted ones today with a tunic that at least helps balance things out. They are NYDJ, but I honestly don't like how they fit in general. The crotch and pockets are a bit too high so hiding it under a tunic.

My current favorites that fit me great are by Miss Me with only a zigzag on the back pocket (no other embellishment). Feels like I'm wearing yoga pants. Just wish they didn't come with the worn patches as I do dislike that part. They just fits so good though that I live with that part.

I'm getting closer to my mid 40's

OMG on the camel toe! Besides looking hideous, can't you get a rash or something?

Of course, I never understood thongs either...I spent my entire childhood yanking my undies down so they wouldn't do what thongs are designed to do...un-com-fort-able!

ROFLOL - didn't know there was a name for it - camel toe. that is why I want the zipper down low.

Skinny jeans are meant to be worn with a long longer top, regardless of body type. They are also the right kind of jean to be worn with boots if you want to tuck them in.

I had such a hard time buying jeans because I am not even 5'2" and have a long torso. Enter petite short. With an inseam of 26-27", they are perfect. Lee makes some pants and jeans that prevent the gap issue in the waist if you are curvy. The downside is the lowest size they make is a 4, which sometimes runs big.

Fun thread--you are all making me laugh!

This place is a font of information. I thought camel toe was when one toe crossed over the other.

I just know I like my jeans from the front, but haven't really focused on the back, so what do you think I did last night :)
I couldn't decide if my pockets were too wide or too big. I currently wear Inc jeans from Macys. They have a lot of spandex, which makes them very comfortable. I looked at the DKNY jeans since a couple of you mentioned them and they actually have a rear shot. What do you think....mom jean or flattering? I'm not clear enough on the rules yet to know the difference. Is that a bad sign :)

Shee - you are right about the yoga pants. I think they are flattering to a wide variety of body shapes, and oh-so-comfy - but not sloppy like sweats. My hubby thinks they flatter my "rear assets" also! LOL

tina

Msrose, a joke between my DH and I is, "I guess he/she didn't look in the mirror." And by this we mean from all angles.