Ode to Comfy Jeans

 LuLaRoe may have taken over my wardrobe in the past year. It swooped in quite flagrantly, emptied my wallet and shoved all other clothing items to the dark recesses of my closet to keep the cobwebs company. It even claimed its own deep drawer in my dresser and sent my jeans packing to a rarely used lower drawer to hibernate for an undetermined length of time. Of course I reasoned that, in light of the embarrassing amount of money I spent on it (though have since wrangled in due to necessity), that I better be wearing the clothes quite frequently! Which has sadly lead to the neglect of other clothing items, not least of which are my jeans.

 I used to be a jeans girl. I wore jeans all the time, everywhere. And it was difficult for me to send those old favorite pairs of jeans off to better lives somewhere else as my body decided to turn against me and outgrow them. Or in those tragic cases when a hole developed in a less then desirable- or repairable- location (*Like the seam of the crouch*), and the jeans had to be laid to rest within the lonely confines of the trash bin. Otherwise, I would wear my jeans, or in general most of my clothes, until they were undeniably beyond hope. Believe it or not- I still have some clothing items from my high school days! Of course they aren’t my jeans- I don’t think I will ever fit in another pair of size 5 or 7 jeans, even with weight loss- nothing will force my hips back into their pre- ‘three large babies’ shape. But I have shirts that I have hung on to and worn for 14+ years. It helps when as a teenager you had body image issues and swore off most tight fitting clothes. But once my LuLaRoe craze hit, that all changed, and after long years of wearing pretty much the same old faithful clothes, I turned against them for a while.

 Now a days, I try to make it an even mix. Leggings are harder since I need shirts that are long enough to cover my bottom & thighs somewhat- besides for modesty, those body image issues haven’t improved in my post babies body. I do enjoy the leggings though for the fact that they have personalities all their own, depending on the print. When I am enjoying a rainy day, I may put on my leggings with raindrops and umbrellas dancing across them. Or during certain holidays, I feel extra festive wearing some silly jack’o’lanterns or decking my legs out in boughs of holly just as I would my home- only this holly is incredibly comfy and isn’t prickly. And best of all, no matter which pair of leggings, they are all very forgiving. They forgive me for the extra piece of pie at dinner, or the 3rd helping of spaghetti after an exhausting day. I don’t have to unbutton them just to get comfortable after that large meal. And those are great qualities, and definitely something I need sometimes, yet there is still something about jeans that leggings can’t quite live up too.

 I can slip into a pair of my favorite jeans- and I am super picky, my best, most faithful pairs are all Arizona jean company in the juniors department of JCP- and just enjoy the most comforting embrace. Sure laugh all you want, but my comfy jeans hug me in all the right ways. I’m not talking about my ‘fat pants’, you know those pairs that you hang onto in a size or two bigger then your usual ones, the ones you save for those days when you are losing the battle to bloat. No, I am speaking of the pairs that fit you like they were tailored especially for you. And they may not forgive in ways leggings can, but thats because they just want to give you the tightest embrace they comfortably can, and its incredibly satisfying.

 Recently, on the coat tails of the hottest, most humid summer I have ever experienced in the 32 years I have had the privilege of being alive, I just couldn’t wait to don my jeans again in the fall and I took a pair out from its lonely drawer, shook off the dust, and slipped into them. It was amazing! You may think this lady is crazy for finding so much joy in putting on a pair of standard denim jeans, but isn’t life really about the simple joys and pleasures that we frequently take for granted?

 Now getting into the physiology of it, I honestly believe part of it can connect to the same logic as why a weighted blanket can be so soothing and comforting to anyone, but particularly those who may struggle with mental disorders (autism) or even just emotional turmoil and stress. Its like how research shows that hugging can reduce stress and release the ‘feel good’ endorphins in your brain. The feeling of snug jeans, can help you feel grounded and secure. Throw on a warm, heavy sweater or hoodie, and you are set! Thats why everyone loves fall so much- its like one huge, cozy hug as we all pull out our favorite, comfy jeans after a long hot summer!