Denim Done Wrong
I generally don’t go to the mall unless I have to. This evening, I had to. Serendipity put me in the path of a women’s 2-piece denim suit at Macy’s. For $280.
Um?
Denim, perhaps a little softer than normal—more like jeans from an “everything $10!!!” store. With large stitching as decorative trim. Maybe you’re thinking what I’m thinking regarding those dress slacks: Aren’t they just technically jeans?
Perfect for when you want to dress up on Casual Friday.
My friend Liz introduced me to the term “Canadian Tuxedo,” which is basically the pairing of jeans with a jean jacket. That was cool in the 80s, right? (I’m pretty fashion-impaired…. what are you supposed to wear a jean jacket with, if not jeans? Ohhhhhh, maybe you’re not supposed to wear jean jackets at all.)
Then Liz linked to a horrid example of a Canadian Tuxedo as an actual tuxedo (or at least suit) on Justin Timberlake. With Britney Spears in a denim evening gown.
And then I started searching for more examples of denim suits. Like, for real. And people out there are buying them. I just don’t understand. Fashion is so confusing. I try to stick to jeans (as denim was intended) and a geeky t-shirt with maybe a sweater if I’m cold.
Because if I depended on retailers’ selections to guide me, I would only end up hurting myself. See below.
Available from overstock.com for only $52.99! That’s a way better deal than the Macy’s 2-piece denim suit! I nicknamed it the “Sergeant Pepper Sleeps With Levi Strauss.”
I don’t wear jeans anymore after I realized that, no matter the size or cut, they didn’t really feel comfortable, even my favorite pairs. Silks, wools, and mostly good ol’ soft knit cottons fill my wardrobe now.
Some neat websites talk about how jeans were first made for the labor-class workers who needed cheap yet durable daily clothes that could withstand tears and getting caked in dirt and grime, and how American-style “middle-to-low-class work clothes” transitioned, in some circles, to American “haute fashion”… or not.
Now, that last one looks like a Utah County classic. I’m just sayin’.
I honestly can’t tell if that last getup is modeled by a real woman or a mannequin OR a pod person.
Michelle, it’s the durability about jeans that I love. And the fact that they go great with my jean jacket! Oh wait, shit shit shit…
LOL @ foundinidaho and Eliza.
@Yvette
Haha. Yes, jeans do have their uses, no denying that.
Ah the denimn suit is hideous (all of them!). You should never wear a jean jacket with jeans. Ever. Not like I’m this huge fashionista, but I don’t let my husband leave the house wearing his jean jacket with his jeans (I don’t want him to hurt himself, either!).
That picture of JT reminds me of Napolean Dynamite for some reason…..
What a funny post, I love it!