It's All In The Genes - I Mean JEANS...

I usually don't go into the fashion realm, as there are plenty of nonsensical shows on cable to watch that takes care of that nicely (ask my wife, a regular viewer of such shows as "What Not To Wear" and "How Do I Look?"). And that's all well and good, "IF" you've got someone ELSE'S credit card to utilize (part of the show's premise).

However, if you're like ME (that would be practical when necessary yet tasteful when needed), you just don't have time for that stuff...not when there's projects around the house that requires attention to some degree (and that's where someone else's credit card WOULD come in handy!).

Today's paper had an article about one of the most basic parts of anyone's wardrobe...the venerable BLUE JEAN. I'll wager that Levi Strauss could NEVER have envisioned the monster he would spawn by sewing together some cotton denim fabric with double stitches and some industrial strength buttons (or zipper), all for the sake of providing men with utilitarian clothing (that wore like iron) whether they were plowing the "back 40", or shoveling manure, or working in the coal mines of America.

Today's world is FULL of jeans of EVERY conceivable style, shape and fit (to match the wearer in MOST cases). This has become part of a growing problem (along with America's waistline...lol). Market watchers have noticed a downturn in the sale of jeans.
And we're surprised at this...why?
Well, it seems that the market has reached a "saturation point" as far as jeans go.
Consider the fact that they still pretty much wear like iron, and wind up going out of "style" before they actually wear out. Yet we keep selling them like there's no tomorrow. You've got your boot cut, straight leg, flared leg, high-rise, low-rise, mid-rise, tapered fit, loose fit, skinny fit (along the feminine problems associated with "too-tight" jeans), and of course, those "saggy-baggys" for those with absolutely NO idea what the hell it means to look GOOD in any type of clothing.

And while some people DO look good in jeans, how many farmers with denim bib overalls do we have on the "designer" listings? Look around you, and you've got SOMEBODY'S name and design either on your ass, or someone else's ass (men, be especially careful when attempting this while in the company of your significant other). Designer names, as well as the "standards" like Lee, Wrangler and Levi permeate the store shelves and shop displays.

You see jeans EVERYWHERE..all the time. And too much of ANYTHING isn't necessarily a "good" thing...is it?

Now I'll be the first to tell you that I bought into the craze during the late 70s and early 80s. I had my Jordaches with the lightning bolt design on the hip pockets...and I wore them proudly, but I still had THOSE jeans for working on the car...the basic ones from K-mart (Rustler). And those were every damn bit as good as those $25 jobs. I still buy a par of Rustlers when I need them, but as for the "designer" jeans...sorry, the price is WAY too high for the same thing we bought nearly 30 years ago, and the quality has not risen with the price.
It's all about THE NAME now.
And since nobody wears clothes with MY name on them, I'm not going to wear "someone else's" clothing (sorry Sean John)...LMAO!
MY casual wear is nothing short of military (surplus) fatigues. Anyone that has served will tell you these are the next best thing to jeans...and they were "free" (except for that "hitch" you spent a few years toiling at). They even have summer as well as winter weight fatigues, and you can use them for hunting, fishing, car repair, house repair...you name it. You just gotta LOVE all those damn pockets, too. Haven't seen a "summer weight" denim with enough pockets...yet.

What we're seeing with the slowing trend of jean purchasing is exactly what happens when something that was once reserved for "dedicated" tasks becomes MAINSTREAM. We get "bored" with it. It gets old. It goes out of vogue. We tire of it. Our societal ADHD kicks in, and our attention turns elsewhere. What was once a piece of clothing reserved for AFTER school, or work or whatever, has become THE piece of clothing to wear AT work, or school, or whatever. It ain't just for fishing anymore, Beatrice!
Now I'm all for utilitarian clothing WHEN the need arises (right tools for the job thing), but unless you live in Communist CHINA (where they wear those padded PJs and "party" attire), it doesn't say much about our evolution as a nation. And we won't even get into how most ALL jeans are made everywhere else BUT in America...or the sweatshops that produce them. That's another post for another time

I'm all from dress codes in schools (and we had them once....), which means NO jeans at school. Reserve them for AFTER the kids are home. Same goes for SNEAKERS (excuse me..."athletic shoes"). Sneakers belong in GYM class or on the fields of competitive "combat". Nothing says "wrong" to me faster than seeing a person with $200 shoes, a designer sport coat, shirt and tie and BLUE JEANS. They almost got it right, but dropped the ball near the other team's goal line.

So if blue jeans are "taking a hit" on the fashion market with slowing sales...good. Maybe if we all step back a few paces, take time to catch or breath, and revisit the wonderful world of denim at a later date, we'll all look a bit better whenever we venture out.
And maybe, if we start looking a bit more like the venue we find ourselves in, we could turn away from our nation's penchant for slovenly dress.

Now...where's my "gardening" camos?