I’ve written about this subject before, about my various issues with jeans. That they seem to be ripping at the crotch for me this year (three pairs now? Four?), and how the style seems to be so low-rider that one can’t bend over without exposing the plumber’s butt. Which, I don’t care how skinny and young you girlies are, I just don’t wanna see. Maybe men do, but I wouldn’t know. Do men want to see plumber’s butt on women? What’s the reasoning behind this?
I’m guessing, from what I’ve seen, that fashion is moving forward and that waistlines on jeans are moving away from the primary sex organs and back towards the waist, with the added benefit that they might actually stay on if you’re planning on walking around at all. Rock on. Reason prevails.
What I still don’t get, though, is why jeans in my “size” all have a 34-36″ inseam, meaning that when I take a pair off the rack and hold them up to myself, a good amount of pant leg drags along the ground, obscuring my feet and making me feel like a little girl trying on her mommy’s clothes. So I sigh, give up, and put the jeans away, because there’s no damn way I could wear them unrolled unless I was in platform shoes and on tiptoe.
Now, this is a relatively new thing. It started a few years ago, but it just seems to be getting worse now; rather than having regular-length jeans an inch or two longer than I need (as it was a few years ago), it’s now 4-6 inches too much. I don’t think I’m necessarily biased in my view of all of this: I’m the same height and size as I was in high school (although my boobs are bigger, hurrah), and I’m still a fan of the boot-cut.
My theories on why jeans have gotten so ridiculously long are:
- It’s a conspiracy by the tailoring business to force all women into getting their clothes hemmed.
- It’s a failed attempt by the platform shoe suppliers to get people to buy them.
- The fashion and/or diet industry wants us to feel fat by making us think that someone of our width should be half a foot taller.
- It’s considered trendy to have so much extra fabric at the bottom of your jeans that you trip over yourself. Klutz is the new grace.
- A quantum singularity has caused everything in the universe, except for women’s jeans, to shrink.
I have to get new jeans sometime (since I had to throw away so many pairs earlier this year), but I’m not sure what to do anymore. It’s weird being of average female height (5′ 4.5″) and slightly below average weight (hurrah again) and having difficulty finding clothes that fit me. Shouldn’t I have the easiest time, out of everybody? Are we all screwed, no matter what?
Any advice, comments, or complaints would be greatly appreciated.
i never expect to get a pair of jeans that don’t need to be hemmed. they *always* need to be. i’m nearly 5’8″ so it’s definitely annoying because it’s just long enough for me to need them to be hemmed because i can’t get away with them dragging on the ground.
i s’pose women who are 5’10″ are in heaven.
The short, fat ones of us have no better luck. I find jeans that will fit my ginormous, child-bearing hips (that will *never* bear a child) and there is usually nearly a foot of left-over fabric at the ends. Apparently all women of my size are Amazon goddesses. Meh.
Yeah, tell me about it. I did discover (thank goodness) that Tommy Hilfinger Euroflares do seem to fit me properly! hurrah! and boyshorts underwear (I have no idea why they call them that) are ideal for the hillfingers (which aren’t slung low but cut straight across at belly button level). I’ve also found demin trousers to be a good alternative to jeans, because not only can I wear them in the office or with a suit but I can have an alteration taken in the back waistband that I can’t on regular jeans.
Speaking as a man, I’m always happy to get a peek at female plumber’s butt (muffin top, however, is generally gross).
Yesterday my friend was sitting on the living room floor, showing a good inch or two. She reached back to tug down her shirt and I said, “Damnit, I was just about to drop a quarter in the bank.”
You ladies have my sympathies.
This is why I buy jeans at places like Levi’s & Bluenotes: They’re organized by waist AND inseam. I can find my 30/30 jeans and wear ‘em right away. Awesome.
I’ve bought the EXACT same size and style of pants from Eddie Bauer for over 10 years. At xmas time, I scooped two more pairs knowing that I didn’t need to try them on….because they are the EXACT same size and style. Well, I got home and something has gone wrong with EB jeans. They fit all wrong (way too loose and there was something strange going on in the crotch region…and not strange in a good way…and the material was just “off”) and were basically unwearable. I emailed the company and they replied by asking me to email back with the part/style number (found on the tag inside the pants) from the new jeans and from an old pair. I did so and what did I get back as a reply? A generic history of Eddie Bauer…both the man and the company. WTF!?!? Long story short (ya, too late, eh?) those two pairs of jeans are sitting in a pile on the floor (hey, my dog likes to sleep on them so that’s not so bad I guess) and I’m 8 months into a search for new jeans that will fit like the old ones. I treat my old jeans in a careful manner…like plutonium or a premature baby….for fear that they will soon finally give up the ghost and just disolve in the washing machine. So far, both the Gap and American Eagle have failed to please me. Old Navy is next.
i work in fashion, so i am going to speak with authority. (snicker)
there are a lot of women with long legs, so it’s always better to have jeans that you can hem, rather than jeans that look like.. shorts. or urkel.
we all have difficulties fitting into the perfect pair of jeans. i don’t understand the generalized hatred for fashion (yes it’s you Col!!) – people who are skinny have their own problems too. so don’t hate on us. when my coworker is fuming because all her pants have dangly legs, i don’t hate her for being tall.
anyway Gill – if you want to find a pair of good jeans, i suggest you going into a nice store and try on different fits. a good choice is *gasp* holt. they have a wall of jeans with many different types of fit. try them on and leave. or, if you’re ever in the states, go to Nordstorm. they WILL fit you with a perfect pair of jeans. i don’t know what you’re budget is, but once you find that fit that works for you, shopping will be a lot easier.
don’t hate on fashion!
haha, i don’t hate fashion. i just hate people who give fashion a bad name!
[...] have problems buying jeans. I’ve blogged about this before: here, here, here, and here. Jeans that fit well are hard to find when you’re shaped [...]