Truths: The skinny on jeans

Ugh… what could be worse than going jeans shopping? Well, yes, bathing suit shopping. But, other than that, what?

You know how it is. You need new jeans – the ones you have are well – more suitable for yard work or painting than they are going out in. But, they are comfortable and they fit and you “think” they look good on you.

Or maybe, like me, you finally lost some weight and the jeans you have, yes, do look like you should yard work in, but they are baggy and no longer very attractive.

So, my friend, Nancy, recommended that I go to the Buckle and check out their jeans.

She didn’t really recommend this… we were out drinking one night and she said, “You should try my jeans on.” And so, we went to the bathroom and switched pants. (you know you are close with someone when this seems like a good idea – that, and you have had too much to drink to think otherwise.)

So, we switched pants and we went out to our husbands, and right or wrongm my husband and Nancy’s husband both said that the jeans looked good on me.

Enough said – sign me up.

So, Friday Nancy and I headed off to the Buckle. Now, mind you I hadn’t been to this mall, let alone this store, in a good 8 years. The last time I was at the Buckle it was about the size of a closet and I bought a belt and some boots. They didn’t have much else.

We walked into the mall and I couldn’t believe how it had been updated. It sure beat 8 years ago and then we came to the Buckle and apparently, it had a facelift as well – along with a few huge additions – it was a lot different than I remembered.

And, it looked like jeans were strewn across the whole place. There were jeans everywhere.

This is something that Nancy warned me about. She said that we would be there for hours and that they would just keep bringing me more jeans.

That was, unmistakably, the truth.

Now, the last time I bought jeans was a year ago at Old Navy. I happened to see a pair that I liked – tried them on and bought them. The time before that I was at Kohl’s or maybe even Kmart and saw a pair I liked and they fit so I bought them.

I was nowhere near ready for what was about to happen.

I started looking through the tables of jeans. And within minutes a cheery salesgirl approached me and asked what brought me in today.

“Jeans, I need new jeans.”

“Well, then let’s start looking,” she said.

I had a few pairs that I thought looked nice and she took them and said, “Why don’t you look for some cute tops, I will take care of the jeans.”

I ignored her advice – because I didn’t need tops – I needed jeans and in a few more minutes I walked to my dressing room to see a STACK of jeans. I mean, like, 15 pairs!

Luckily, Nancy had the room right next to mine and off we went. It was like a horse race. Ready at the gate, go!

The first pair I tried on felt – well, tight. And if it weren’t for the fact that the dressing room didn’t have a mirror (I hate that) I would have never went outside for anyone to see. But I did, and to my shock, they both said maybe I should try on the next size smaller!

Huh?

Now, it probably does matter that the jeans I walked in with were about two sizes too big – not to mention that they were a baggy style to begin with. I guess anything I tried on was going to feel “tight.”

So, they agreed again and I went back into the room to try on another pair.

This went on for 2 hours – yes, 2 hours. This pair and that pair and every fricking pair in the store. It was exhausting. It finally came down to about 5 pair and I was so confused and overwhelmed that I didn’t know what to do.

So, being that the way your butt looks plays a very critical role in if you should get the jeans – Nancy and I did what any good girlfriends would do. She took pictures of my butt in all 5 of the jeans and then we flipped through them on her phone!

It really was an amazing and effective tactic. Within minutes – I had it narrowed down to three. My goal was two pairs.

Now these jeans don’t come cheap. And some will gawk when I say this, “But they really are better.” They fit better, the denim is better… There is a reason celebrities don’t wear jeans from Kohl’s or Kmart.

I am short – well, pretty short. I say 5’5” but in reality I am probably 5’4” and for the most part I have never put on a pair of jeans that fit. Too long, to big at the waist, too tight at the hips… you get the picture.

But these jeans – they fit. They fit everywhere. That’s kind of what made the choices so hard. There really wasn’t a pair that I could complain about. It came down to what the pockets looked like.

I guess at 40 – the way your jeans fit does become a priority. And as Nancy and I rationalized – we don’t have to buy work clothes and we wear these jeans all of the time.

So, I bought three pair. Three pair that I love. Not many people can say that after a day of jeans shopping.

Although not many girls can feel comfortable that a friend of their’s has 5 pictures of her butt on their phone!