If you’re a woman of a certain age you probably remember (not too long ago) hearing that “side parts and skinny jeans” were canceled. If you’re anything like me, you might have looked in the mirror that moment and immediately felt like you needed a style update. I’ll admit that I tried parting my hair in the middle that week and bought a pair of straight leg jeans. I think I pulled both off just fine, but truth be told, the part may have been a little askew from the center of my head and I definitely squeezed myself into the smallest pair of straight leg jeans I could find.
I vividly remember (quite a few years ago by this time) when high-waisted jeans became a thing. My girlfriend’s younger sister rocked them like nobody’s business. I thought “yes, I can do this.” And I did (I think). And before I knew it, that was really my only option. I’m guessing the transition from our low-rise jeans to the high-rise trend of today was gradual, but for me it felt like it happened overnight. Suddenly, even the mid-rise options seemed sky high, but I had embraced the trend (and still do).
So, what kind of jeans are actually “in” at the moment? Boyfriend jeans, girlfriend jeans, mom jeans, dad jeans, wide-leg jeans, flare jeans, cropped jeans, straight leg jeans, oh my! How is one to navigate the tricky landscape of the denim world without being overwhelmed? Rips or no rips? The answer might be easier than you think. Wear what makes you look and feel good. Period. One of the best things about getting older is that you really don’t need to be a slave to every single fad, but, rather, you can pick and choose which ones to dabble in and which ones to avoid. When you’re in your teens, in your twenties and even your thirties, you don’t even have to think about what’s trendy, you just sort of fall into the looks of the moment, much like we all did when we were younger. Let’s face it, if we’re wearing the same thing as our teenage daughter it’s either not going to be cool for that much longer or we’re just not going to look that cool in it. Not to say that we can’t pull-off any look we choose, it’s just that we should make sure it feels effortless and authentic for it to truly work.
Ultimately, I’ve been in enough shops recently to know that all styles of jeans are “in.” You can pretty much buy any kind of jean in just about any of the major women’s fashion chains and boutiques. And they’re all perfectly acceptable and fabulous. So, relax, take a breath and know that you can rock any look you want to if you have the confidence. Remember, you wear the clothes, they don’t wear you. Words to live by!
PS - aren’t skinny jeans just a little sexier, plus how else are you gonna show off those awesome tall boots????