Do you honestly believe this looks good, and if so, when is the last time you had your eyes examined?
I know that, ideally, I try to offer only things that I love on this blog and not the opposite, but I'm going to make the first exception. I've copied this from my note on facebook this week. The more that can become aware of this problem, the better. No, it's not an earth shattering situation like the economy, the depletion of the rain forests, or anything like that, but it's something that is affecting me negatively. Not much affects me negatively these days. I'm, generally, at peace with myself and little, on the whole, disturbs me in a bad way. But this is one of the niggling little things that does. So, with that in mind, read on. (laughing)
Women nearing the half century mark... especially those of us who have given childbirth several times and are, like I am, overweight, still need to be able to dress casually at times and know when we leave the house to go to the grocery store that we're not going to cause some unsuspecting soul to lose their eyesight due to seeing us with our junk being squeezed into what are, laughably, called "blue jeans" these days. When the manufacturers starting putting spandex (lycra) into denim a decade or so ago I thought it was a fluke...that surely, during these days of the supposed enlightened, whole-grained, all organic and all natural mind set, blending an extremely unnatural prepolymer with 100% cotton was something that would be a passing trend, at most. Oh, but how mistaken I was! It is now impossible to find denim blue jeans made of 100% cotton for women. I've been checking around. There's some online sellers from China that still have them to sell at, understandably, exorbitant prices, but other than that, nada. Here's the facts, folks...the only middle-aged and older women who look good in today's low slung, stretch "blue jeans" are those that can afford a gifted plastic surgeon or those very, VERY rare mutant svelte individuals that were blessed with super-model genetics. However, the average woman, even those that are not overweight, do not. Spandex and lycra are for the gym, water, and the bike. That's it. That's all. Period. I don't care what the salesperson tells you. Stretch blue jeans are neither flattering or slimming to an aging and/or overweight body. Don't even get me started on the "low-slung" variety. (shudder) Take one day, while out shopping, and really, really look at the women dressed in jeans. Thanks to the lycra, if there's any extra weight or cellulite on them at all, it clings to it like a second skin. It's, for lack of any better word, simply gross. I'm not saying that the manufacturers of women's jeans should take "skinny jeans" (rolling eyes at the absurdity) off the market, but just make the 100% cotton ones available for those of us who don't want to resemble a fifteen pound bag of potatoes that's been shoved into a five pound sack. I, honestly, don't believe that's asking too much. Hey, you manufacturers could make a great marketing campaign designed around it! Something like, "Levi's Original. Kickin' it Old School." Think of the money to be made! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
So, how to remedy this situation? Well...last week I purchased a pair of Levi's at Target...in the men's department. No, they don't fit exactly right, but at least I'm not embarrassed to put my foot outside the door while dressed in them. Older and/or overweight women need to start complaining to the companies. They dress us this way because we allow them to. If every one of us in that category all stopped wearing the jeans meant for our gender the companies' profits would drop in that department, and, as a result, we'd see a change. Am I really going to complain to the companies? Yes. Yes, I am. I hope you will, too.
