Monday in Michigan

by Tracey G.

Monday in Michigan

What do you do when you can't think of a darn thing to write about? LOL That's totally where I am at right now, my brain has literally gone blank for anything. I've nothing informative and nothing even, well, boring, lol. Well, ok, maybe I've got boring - this thing isn't done yet so the jury is still out on whether I've accomplished boring or not ;-) But what did come to me was how the simple shopping for a pair of jeans or two is anything BUT simple. It can be downright therapy-session-needed inducing. I don't think I'm alone in that struggle either, at least I hope not...

I've come to the conclusion that clothes that don't fit correctly not only look terrible on you - but, make you look terrible. So, basically, what that means to me is: get the bigger jeans size if that's what it takes to make them look good on you and to make you look good in them, even if you don't want to admit you had to buy the bigger size. And another conclusion I've come to is to bite the bullet and take the time to try them on. It's something I hate to do, but it seems these days it's a necessary evil - even the same brand, in the same size, in the same "style number", can fit differently. It's nuts. My last quest for jeans was a nightmare. The brand I usually know I can count on to find at least an "acceptable" pair from, was a total fail. Big disappointment because that then meant, I had to branch out. Try different brands...this was becoming way more than I was willing to put into this. But, they were desperately needed. I hadn't bought myself a pair of jeans since Harry was about 2, lol. I now understand what my mom meant when I asked her why she never bought herself anything - because she wanted to get stuff for me instead, I feel the same way about buying things for Harry, and my jeans wardrobe reflected that.  

So, anyway, I had the daunting task of searching the hundreds of styles by all the brands carried in the store, in search of something I could at least tolerate. And speaking of daunting, for those familiar with the Divergent trilogy, the trying on of jeans in front of those horrible dressing room mirrors, wondering who's watching you covertly in the security office - and critiquing your choices and how they're fitting, should be a try-out task for joining the Dauntless Faction! I know that for me, one of my "fears" that they'd have me face in my fear landscape, with the help of the drug, aside from huge spiders, would be just that - trying on jeans....I shudder just thinking about it!  

Back to the shopping at hand.... I had no idea where to start - so I started with the brand I have a love/hate relationship with. Levis. I love them, they hate me. I was really losing patience by the time I relented and decided to try them, since by that point I had already been trying on a ton of my favorite brand, only to be striking out at every turn. Some had washes that made you look like you peed your pants - I kid you not! It was ridiculous! LOL Which, in my eyes, is NOT a flattering look, at all. LOL Doesn't matter if your butt looks fat in them or not, put on a pair in that kind of wash and no one is noticing if your butt looks fat or not... I guess it just depends on what you're going for, lol. Me personally, I don't think I mind my butt looking fat in a pair of jeans if it means I don't look like I peed my pants, lol. But if distraction away from your butt size is what you're after, as in tricking people to not notice, then that style wash may just do the trick! ;-)

After countless pairs I tried on, I finally found some that I actually kind of liked - this shopping experience was starting to look brighter! Yay! I found some I kind of liked! Time to celebrate! But wait, I spoke too soon...now I had the task of getting the size right. Then the task of getting the length right! NOOOOO!!! I was so close, but yet, still far away. More work to be done. More dressing and undressing in front of that horrible mirror that clearly adds on 25 lbs at the very least. Once I tried on a few different sizes, sizing up, sizing down - I got that part right. Now that left the length thing. This one is always tricky because for some reason a 12 medium and 12 long can fit completely different - I don't get it. They're both 12s but for some reason, this pair is smaller/larger than that pair, but yet they are the same brand, same style number and so forth. Now the trick is to find the pair that fits right and is the right length - in the same pair of jeans, lol. And after a few purchases of jeans that are "just the right length" in the store only to get them home and washed and discover that now they're too short, I've finally come to the conclusion to just err on the side of caution and go with the longer length no matter what. I'd rather be stepping on my hems than having to roll up too short jeans into a pair of capris, lol.

By the time I was done shopping for a simple pair of jeans, I felt like I had just gotten done with a serious workout, it was mentally challenging and sadly, physically challenging, lol. I think the only shopping trip that was worse, was the time I went shopping for some "jeggings" to wear with my boots lol. That was way worse with the physicality of it - trying on pair after pair....

Anyway, after this particularly daunting quest for a pair of jeans, I had not one, but TWO pairs of jeans to show for my efforts!! Yeah!  But, it was after this trip, that I discovered to err on the side of caution and buy long - because after one wash I was online ordering another pair in a longer length because one of the hard-earned pair were too short. Yes, I know, ordering online was playing Russian roulette in the hopes that they'd fit, even though they were the same size, brand and style number, I was changing the length, lol. It all worked out though, and I am happily stepping on my hems, and at least the too-short ones will make cute capris this summer. ;-)

Happy Monday! 

Tracey

xoxo