Back in junior high I became obsessed with designer jeans. My mother probably thought I was crazy for lusting after the most expensive denim out there, but we still drove to the outlet malls and tried to score some high end jeans for a decent price. My three faves back then?
1. Guess Jeans. Duh! The little red triangle on the back totally showed your popularity. But if the triangle was on the wrong side it signified your phoniness. I believe I had a pair of bright white jean shorts from Guess and I thought I was the bomb. I also had a pair of green jeans, too, which is sort of embarrassing.
2. Z.Cavaricci jeans. They had the horizontal rectangle on the back pocket and I'm pretty sure they were ridiculously overpriced, too. They came in second place to my Guess jeans.
3. Girbaud jeans. This French brand was known for a vertical rectangular tag on the fly of the jean. Kind of weird, to highlight the fly, but they were awesome. I don't think I actually owned any of them because I already hit my limit for designer jeans at the tender age of 12.
Fast forward to college. I always got by on simple jeans like The Gap and Express. But one day my inner designer snob came out to play. And I tried on my first pair of Sevens. I remember sweating as I swiped my card for these beauties. And I prepared to get chewed out by Nate for spending too much money on a pair of jeans. Just for reference, I remember them costing exactly $126 which was about $75 more than I had ever spent on one pair of pants. He eventually forgave me, considering we weren't married and he really didn't have a say in my finances back then:)
From that point on, it's just gotten worse. I am spoiled when it comes to my denim and I blame it on my inseam. The designer jeans all come in longer styles with a 34 inch inseam but most of the 'normal' brands do not. Or maybe they do but I'm just using that as an excuse:)
As I'm packing up my closet I feel very happy when I look at my collection of jeans. I haven't bought a new pair since before our wedding and I really can't justify buying any more for a long time. So let's do some inventory, shall we?
1. First pair of designer jeans: Seven For All Mankind. Unfortunately they shrunk over time and now I have to wear them as capris.
2. Then came Citizens for Humanity. These are a little short, too, but still fab.
3. I have two pairs of Joe's Jeans. One is a regular style and one is a trouser. I love this brand.
4. Then came my 1921's, which aren't well known but fit amazingly well. I like the flap pockets the best.
5. During my endlessly-watching-The Newlyweds-on-MTV-phase, I noticed that Jessica Simpson wore True Religions all the time. So I bought a pair in the light wash and like the twisted inseam down the leg.
6. My Tag jeans. My newest 'skinny leg' jeans. So long that I have to wear high heels with them or they'll trip me, but they are my favorite of all times.
There are only two more brands that I dream of adding to my collection. I've tried them on multiple times but never took the plunge. The are:
1. Hudson Jeans. I love this triangle flap pocket!
2. Rock and Republic. Oh, Posh Spice. Why do you make gorgeous jeans at an obscene price? I mean OBSCENE, even for me. But look at these cool "R" signs on the pockets!
And crowns! She has crowns, too!
Does anyone else have a love affair with denim? And did you have the fabulous 80's jeans back in the day?
I haven't quite acquired the same number of designer jeans as you, but I am on my way! I bought my first pair only two years ago. I have three pair and ironically enough, the fourth pair is in the mail. Just wait until you have to deal with maternity jeans!!! Basically, your ONLY option will be to go designer! Oh such the luck :) I loved your recap! I had a fascination with Guess jeans too and I specifically remember having a pair that my mom paid $74 for! I should have known it was the beginning of a future addiction!
ReplyDeleteLol, I guess you and I are the only ones blogging tonight! My husband is sick with the flu, so I am keeping myself occupied, while staying far, far away.
ReplyDeleteI too had all 3 jeans you mentioned during the fab 80's. I had several pairs of guess jeans including white and pink. Some had ankle zippers, some did not. Did you also pin the cuffs with safety pins, making them what would today be considered 'pencil jeans'? Maybe that was just a mid-western thing. I can only imagine how attractive that looked with my size 11 foot.
These days, I really don't favor one brand. I have a few pairs from the Gap, one or two from American Eagle (though the rise is like 3 inches, so I can never sit or squat), a couple of Lilly's, and a couple of designers, which are Hudson (love, love, love) and Chip & Pepper. The most I ever spent on a single pair were one of my Lilly's at $225. Yikes! Hindsight is 20/20 and all that...... :)
prep~I tight rolled my jeans back in my day, for sure. But I never cheated with safety pins...I just acquired the skill without tools:) So sick! And being from mid-MO I'm sure we did it about 2 years after it was 'cool.'
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, Chip and Pepper. That's another one I lust after but don't own just yet. And those low rise jeans are killer sometimes! The plumber in the summer look is never attractive:)
oh and christie~ they have designer maternity jeans?!?! I'm totally going to go nuts whenever I have that excuse. I bet they are super cute.
ReplyDeleteJulia~ I love your blog and just had to comment on your jean posting. I can relate to your need for some good jeans based on your height. I have the opposite problem - I'm a shortie, 5'0! The only jeans that actually fit usually cost an arm and a leg. Yikes! Oh well, cheers to some rockin' designer jeans :-D
ReplyDeleteMmm...yeah...I totally had green jeans. And purple. Ugh! I think red too. Wow, was I awesome.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, jeans are my weakness. I have trouble justifying spending lots of money on other clothes, but when it comes to jeans, I feel totally justified in spending so much money. I am pretty sure I should seek professional help for it, but it's good to see I'm not alone.
YES! I have the same expensive-denim disease that you have! I also have the same issue being tall and finding pants that are long enough. Try the Hudsons in the "Super Model" length - they're perfect! I'm also a fan of J Brand, Goldsign, and Earnest Sewn.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! My most expensive pair of jeans are Lucky and wouldn't you guess they're the most holey jeans I've ever bought. I might have to check out some of these sites out and find me a pair of designer jeans. I went down a size so I should reward myself, right?
ReplyDeletei suddenly have a flash back to one evening at Big Daddy's in which us girls. . I believe the fab 5 plus a couple others telling each other what we would 'suggest' for the others. . .kind of sure, huh? anyways, mine was "lindsey, it'd be nice if you'd wear jeans that you didn't buy at the GAP or Express". . . .i believe it was you and maggie that helped me on this mission!!
ReplyDelete