Made That Way

Alright, this may appear to be more of a rant rather than any useful information. My rant today is in regard to denim jeans. Growing up, I was always very conscientious regarding my jeans. My parents did not have a lot of money so jeans were usually purchased once a year, at the start of school. Three pairs of jeans was usually the quota for the year, and they had to last me until summer. In summer, these jeans would be cut off and I would have shorts to wear for the summer. Mom always got the same brand of jeans from Sears, and they were the darkest blue when purchased but a very faded blue by the time of transition into shorts. I took very good care of my jeans because replacements were not an option unless I had grown out of the current size. So I am partial to dark blue jeans even today.

However, I have discovered over the last thirty years that dark blue jeans are not the only style available and for many individuals younger than me, they are seldom worn. Instead, today’s jeans are faded at various levels. I walk into a store, and they are actually sold in that condition. I am amazed that people wish to buy jeans that appear to have already faded. I painstakingly try my best to slow the fading of my jeans as much as I possibly can. I have purchased some of these “already faded” jeans but I feel like I am throwing away my money every time I do so. I purchase them more out of style pressure and try to appear cooler than I am. (Truth is that I have never been considered cool, so I am not sure why I am still trying when I am in my 50’s.)

I could probably grudgingly manage through a world where faded jeans were in style instead of my trusted dark blue jeans, but adding insult to injury, they have now also decided that jeans should have rips and tears in various locations throughout them. I have seen some where the whole knee was exposed and it appeared that they were ready to be transitioned into denim shorts rather than be worn as jeans. Whenever I would have rips and tears in my jeans, Mom would apply one of those denim patches. I was always embarrassed by those patches because it seemed to advertise that I had not taken good care of my jeans. Today, the rips and tears are not patched but instead worn that way as badges of high style. Stores actually sell jeans with rips and tears. I have never purchased this style of denim jeans because I would truly feel like I was throwing my money away buying a substandard product.

Am I the only one who cannot understand these styles of jeans? Surely there are others out there who ask the same question over and over, “Are they really made that way?” Or maybe the other question, “Did he/she actually spend their money on something like that?”

My final observation that I will share with you during this rant is cost. As I look at the cost of jeans, which seems to be phenomenally high, I notice that the plain dark denim jeans cost less than those torn and faded in most cases. So my confusion climbs regarding the financial choices some might make. Why would you pay more for a worn out pair of jeans than you do for what appears to be a brand-new pair of jeans? I am totally confused. Help me understand this if you can.