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I personally have arranged my whole life and wardrobe around skinny jeans and put in too much time and money finding ones that work for me to start a new way of life. (I like Mother, because you are what you wear.) Much like my hair part, that is is not changing--I don't care what any Zoomer zygotes have to say about it. Also, I'm 5"4 on a very tall day and I'm not returning to boot-cut jeans. I do have one pair from Paige from many years ago but they require a heel to wear and I think my days of wearing "fancy jeans" PLUS heels are quite numbered. So if you are looking for support when it comes to sticking with unfashionable jeans, I am here 4 u

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I also just realized my favorite jeans store, where people would bring you 1-2 pairs to try on at a time once you told them your preferred cut/wash/price/function of jeans, has permanently closed, so I am never buying new jeans again I guess. I may just get jeans tattooed onto my legs.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Related query: how to wear any non-skinny jean with winter socks and boots? All the marketing photos have bare ankles.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I am beyond confused. I love my skinny jeans however I am dying for a pair of jeans to not feel like it hugs my entire body. I tried on approximately 50 pairs of jeans the other day at the mall looking for a loose fit pair and they all just looked horrific and/or like my mom from 1985 and I couldn't pull the trigger. Where are the perfect boyfriend loose fit ones that don't look bad on 40 year olds?

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I have so much to say about this. 1) Men's jeans are the future. Levi's 511 straight jeans are my new go to BUT their quality control is nonexistent so you need to try them on in a store or be prepared to make a return despite using a waist/inseam measurements system. There is so much pocket. You can put things in these pockets larger than coins. It's insane. 2) I'm a bit crafty but it is ridiculously easy to rip out the outside seams to the too-skinny skinny jeans and put an inch of fabric in so your knees don't feel pain from sitting overly compressed and it's all generally less aggressive to your crotch. I'm actually wearing a salvaged skinny pair right now!

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

You guys, I cannot. Do the mom jean. I find the whole label demeaning and obnoxious, not to mention utterly unflattering. Even matchstick models look dumpy, I mean, come on! That said, I am ok with higher and mid rises, and an occasional baggy boyfriend jean look. But how to wear my tall black combat ish boots if not for the skinnies?! Answer me that fashion.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Mid-rize skinny jeans for life, for me. I mean, I said that about bootleg jeans years into skinny jeans, too, but honestly, having jeans just fit my leg-shape and tuck into boots or socks when necessary, and be stretchy enough for whatever I want to do - I don't see myself coming back from this. Especially not if it means tolerating butt-crack exposure ever again. This is the moment where my personal style ossifies and you will be able to date me forever by my jeans. I've accepted it.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

In a sad attempt to keep up with the next generation I have said goodbye to my skinny jeans and pledged myself to the Gap 'Vintage Slim.' Always as high waisted as possible, somewhere between a hug and a corset for my post-two-c-sections mombod. I 100% still look like the out of style elder millennial mom I am.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

(Whimper)

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The last time I remember wearing a pair of jeans I didn't want to tear off my body and set on fire was...1998 maybe? And those were probably thrifted mens' jeans three sizes too big. All jeans can fuck right off. (Though now that I think about it, those elastic waistband ones Maya Rudolph is wearing might work...)

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I am just so completely paralyzed by the thought of having to dress for...anything. I have ONE pair of jeans that are merely passable for an occasion that won't tolerate activewear. I am 5' and curvy and I am terrified. To the point where I fantasize about a capsule wardrobe or a straight up same clothes every day uniform. The [skinny] jeans I have that work are Mavi Alexa jeans.

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Pretty sure I'm older, taller, and heavier than all y'all. High rise, because they actually cover my backside (if I wear a belt.) Preferably flare, but I'll settle for boot, because they'll fit over my calves. Last time I wore skinnies it was the '80s. Just, please...no pleats or yokes.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Never skinny. Found straight-leg jeans at Kmart years ago that finally fit me (Basic Editions!). Before Kmart went out of business, I bought three more pairs of those jeans, so I am set for life. (I am not young.)

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I'm a huge fan of AG "prima" jeans. They come in cropped and ankle length for us shorter gals and the style is described as "slim cigarette". neither skinny nor baggy, just right. the rise is just shy of 9", which is great for someone short but is probably not high enough for people who want a true high rise.

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I dress like a witch every day and ppl can just deal. I have struggled with jeans my whole life so after 48 years I think maybe they are just not for me. I have a pair I CAN wear and sometimes I’ll try a pair people rave about, just to see, but dresses/leggings/tights/giant warm cardigans is where it’s at. There’s a scene in the movie Private Life where the college-age niece makes a crack about middle aged women in drapey cardigans and Kathryn Hahn rips off the Eileen Fisher cardigan she’s wearing? I’m embracing that aesthetic. Cronecore 4-eva

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I bought some straight leg jeans from Dearborn Denim in andersonville shortly before the pandemic. My waist size (about ladies 14) fit into their unisex sizing and the pockets are real. Like my whole phone goes into them. All the way in. They are mid rise ish. Straight leg. And they hemmed them to where I want. Also made in chicago. Would reccomend! They also make skinny jeans that looks cute but do not fit me. I still wear a pair of skinnies but they are on their last life.

Also, you can often get your dry cleaner to repair that inseam rip for like $20 and it will extend the life of those jeans for a year or two. You could also spend about $20 in sewing supplies and mend them yourself very easily with a simple running stitch while watching a movie and that will extend the life of a dozen pair of jeans. And the self mends do not have to be that pretty because no one looks that closely at your crotch almost ever (and usually not while jeans are on).

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Okay but really I don’t know. I want comfy but apparently I don’t have a human body because nothing fits

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Looser fitting vintage wranglers and Levis!

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Old Navy Ultra High Rise straights, but not the button fly because they cheaped out on buttons, and there aren’t enough, so they ALWAYS gape between. They’re the right amount of “mom” without being zoomer cartoon jeans, which is to say, I don’t feel like any part of my body is in a vice, and I don’t look idiotic (I don’t think). Also love a madewell and a jcrew skinny still when the mood strikes. And UNIVERSAL STANDARD! Basically I love jeans and didn’t realize how much I missed them after 18mo of Amazon branded stretchy pants.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I saw a youth in a long plaid blazer and super high waist jeans yesterday. The legs were straight but not skinny. She looked amazing and I would look like I was wearing a costume. Meanwhile, on Poshmark, I have purchased every variation of Madewell track pants which are supposed to be crop, I think, but I am 5'2". I even have them in red velvet. This will hold me until I figure out what comes next for me in jeans. It will not be low rise and it will not be pleated, but I would like someone to come over to my house with options so I don't have to shop ever again.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Now that the fashion industry has acknowledged that women come in all shapes and sizes, the world of jeans is our oyster!

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I need this thread.

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No jeans, never again. Skinny jeans don't and have never suited me, and now that I have a mom-tummy, flared/bootcut (my preferred style, and thank the lord they are back, that was a long 15 years) just don't work on me anymore. I'm all about the flared yoga pants now. Thank you, Amazon brand Iuga.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I had a pair of curvy demi-boot cut jeans in my Madewell cart for so long they went out of stock before I could pull the trigger. I have one pair of high-waist, button-fly, skinny-ish jeans that I mostly love, but I truly do not know where to go from here and I am also tired of trying on jeans.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I live in Europe and unfortunately skinny jeans make you look like a leper. Try Mango “mom comfort” cut. Now I live in them.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

I will not acknowledge a wide leg, and I say NEVER AGAIN to low-rise. Skinny jeans are here to stay for me. I HAVE been leaning into a high waist. It feels good having my whole uterus area supported, you know? I just bought these and I've been happy so far: https://www.target.com/p/women-s-high-rise-skinny-jeans-universal-thread/-/A-53164382

And I also bought these and love them BUT the black finish on the buttons is coming off after like three wears (sold out online but I found them in-store): https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=580145#pdp-page-content

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Ok so I have studied this and my final take is : MONKI Jeans all the way. I have two pairs of Taiki and two pairs of Kimomo and haven't worn dresses since 2019...

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Skinny jeans for life! It was a trend I was built for and I won't stop. That being said, I thought I'd rather die than wear high-waisted anything, and now I LOVE my high-waisted jeans (and underwear) best of all. I have also incorporated boyfriend jeans because I'm not going to say no to jeans that are designed to be loose-fitting and comfortable. No wonder guys wear jeans all- day-everyday without counting down the minutes until they can change into sweatpants.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Still wearing mid rise skinny jeans or straight jeans. You can pry my hot pink and bright blue skinny jeans from my cold dead hands

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I'm on the skinny/straight leg jeans that don't slip off my tush when I move bandwagon. I have this one pair from Ann Taylor factory (curvy fit) that I adore. Sadly, I know they are about one season away from me wearing through the inseam and I can't find a replacement I like.

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Nov 8, 2021Liked by Claire Zulkey

Straight. Mid. Blue. Trend-less. Easier to change everything around the jeans, not the jeans themselves.

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This thread means more to me than my high-rise skinny jeans. That’s a lot. If I have to put my skinny jeans out to pasture, I will revolt in corduroy culottes.

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First, this is a great thread! Second, what are jeans? I have worn exclusively leggings, joggers, and pajama pants since the start of The Plague. I pull a nice top on over my yoga tank for work Zooms. I'm hoping togas will come back into style so that I have something cool to wear on my big outings to Trader Joe's and the school carpool line. And, fwiw, my teen daughter recently declared high rise jeans to be OVER. She wears my old skinny low rises that I can't bear to put on.

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Like everyone else, I now think the SNL ladies look fabulous. I've also been trying to come to terms with the way my FUPA looks in Mom Jeans (which is basically the way it looked in skinny jeans, or boyfriend jeans, or whatever) and honestly these days I think it's fine. She's fine the way she is!! She put in the work and she's retired now and if I want to accentuate her in jeans for Young People then I will do so and everyone else can fuckin deal with it.

I'm gonna recommend the New Look Waist Enhance Mom Jeans from ASOS: https://tinyurl.com/wd5uewsz They're more of a tapered straight leg than they seem on that model, there's some stretch but not too much, the "waist enhance" feature is kinda nice lol, and as a 5'5" person they hit the top of my Docs/high tops just right. I definitely look cool in them and not like a sad desperate old lady

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Madewell has introduced a ‘balloon cut’ jean that is the 5’3” appropriate version of mom jeans for me. High rise, room through the thigh, and a skinny ankle opening. If you’ve struggled with ‘boyfriend jeans’ I recommend them as an alternative.

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I just rewatched that sketch and it is WILD how people in 2003 are guffawing over lines like "9 inch rise" which is now practically low rise. I personally know young women who would kill for all four of those vintage pairs in the gif. Anyway, though I still have a pair of skinny Madewells, I've committed heavily to Everlane straight fits (they discontinued my favorite), am okay with a wide leg depending on butt fit (I am "curvy" but find often straight holds you in better), and recently got a pair of black Levi's Wedgie Fit, and they are very shapely and supportive and don't necessarily wedge you. Trust.

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Old Navy does not seem to have them in stock at all right now, but when they have them in stock, I always purchase their High-Wasited Plus-Size Pull-On Kicker Boot-Cut Jeans (or whatever iteration of the pull-on plus-size jeans they happen to have). I refuse to purchase anything with "jeggings" in the name, because what in the actual fuck, but the pull-on jeans accomplish my platonic ideal, which is maternity-style waistbands (not the full-panel kind, the less-obvious kind), but where the front pockets of the jeans actually work as pockets (I will never understand why companies think women who are pregnant no longer want pockets in their pants), and they're not actually maternity pants, so you don't have to feel weird about wearing them when your child is, um, 7 or older, just saying for a friend.

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I used to love the LOFT curvy skinny and curvy straight jeans, but since having a kid, I'm apparently too curvy? Meanwhile, I teach 19 and 20 year olds and they are all dressed like this video and I find it super confusing.

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I am looking at all the hip, not skinny jeans that people are recommending and I am so confused because they just look like skinny jeans to me?! Where is the line between skinny and cool? Do I have jeans-blindness??? Also I'm 4'9" so everything is high-waisted on me. I wear Old Navy Rockstar jeans exclusively and almost certainly look lame, but I live in Maine and no one cares here.

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The irony of "mom" jeans is that they look terrible on those of us with actual mom bodies! FU, fashion. I might never buy new jeans again. I just bought a pair of Paper Denim & Cloth (Anthro brand) "Jayne" trouser jeans, circa 2004, to replace a pair I finally wore into the ground. Perfect inseam for flat shoes, mid-rise that covers the FUPA.

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I have switched to Team Mom jeans! Let me make my case 1) they are more comfortable than skinny jeans, 2) If you are pear shaped you either had to wear skinny jeans that were terribly uncomfortable on your legs and/or have weird waist gaping and/or get them tailored, 3) Mom jeans are like a lovely little hug and (I feel) more forgiving, 4) IDGAF if they're sort of dumpy bc I'm comfortable like never before! I like the Wedgie although they're too short but I actually had some luck with Old Navy and Land's end (both of these are also too short on me). Re boots/winter: I have ZERO good ideas on that and am having flasbacks to the 2000s when everyone's jeans were so soggy/wet and had weird salt rings from the snow and I'm pretty invested in avoiding that so maybe I'll do skinny jeans/ponte pants (Costco FTW!) in the winter?

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I'm still wearing bootcut jeans because my calves want skinny jeans to crawl off my butt and always have. May spring for a trouser style pair if the magical perfect set manifests without me actually doing anything. Have moved to a climate where winter wear for parents at the playground is snow pants so that solves any fashion concerns

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I'm three months postpartum so jeans are still an absolutely not at the moment, but when I go back it's definitely going to be stretchy skinny jeans and IDGAF what the youths say.

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Jeans and I got a divorce. I started cycling during the pandemic and cycled so much, I earned myself new stretch marks and a massive pair of thunder thighs. After the summer, when the weather cooled and I knew I’d have to get back into pants, I took one look at my pile of jeans, threw them on the top shelf of the closet where I can’t reach without a step stool, then ordered tights and flowy culottes online.

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Not Your Daughters Jeans worked for me …. Until Lotd and Taylor closed. I have a few still; am sure they are sold elsewhere. Talbots, once I realized I was a “plus” sized person now … worked very well. Not blue jeans but colored ones so close.

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