In Quest of the Perfect Jeans.

I, in no way, shape or form profess to be a fashionista.  My  'at home, not going anywhere' style is usually a pair of yoga pants or jeans, and a t-shirt or tank top.  Oh, and don't forget my girly wool socks (they have a pink stripe instead of the traditional red one).  If I get a bit chilly, which I do between hot flashes, and I have neglected to throw another log on the wood stove ...I pull on my old brown sweater.  'Pretty' comfortable, but definitely not in the 'pretty look' category.   I only wear makeup when we got to town, and there have been days when I realize I have forgotten to brush my hair!  Such is life at the Little Shack.  No need to dress up (or even get dressed some days!) to feed the critters, clean, do laundry, cook, teach Alley and Zac their homeschool lessons or try to get the basement cleaned out so we can finish it!  Life here is pretty laid back and non-glamorous. If a messy job pops up, I'm ready to deal with it.  BUT...when we go to town for the day (and it is for the whole day when we go), I like to do the best with what I have.  I like to look nice, put together and presentable.  Not like I've been out in the middle of nowhere (which I have been!) and cut off from polite society!   On the days when we go into the 'big city' I enjoy putting on my 'nice clothes', doing my hair and makeup and feeling 'pretty'.  Alley and I get each others approval on what we have chosen to wear.  We are honest with each other....she didn't like my latest town outfit with the necklace I'd chosen, and I though her black flats were better than the boots she had on.  On our last trip to town, Alley and I had a quest.  Jeans.  Not 'okay' jeans, but jeans that actually fit properly.

Alley and I have been following the 8 Hour Diet for several weeks now, and we both feel we are doing well and losing weight. But, we needed new jeans in the meantime. Alley needed new skinny jeans and I just really wanted jeans that would fit me without being too tight around the middle so I could avoid that muffin top.  I decided to do some research before we hit the stores.  I Googled  "jeans for fifty year old women".   In the search list I found  Divine Caroline's "The Perfect Fit: Ten Figure-Flattering Jeans for Real Women".  I browsed through the 10, noting the ones I liked, and then Googled them along with the name of the town we were going to to see if they were available anywhere there.  I definitely wanted to try the NYDJs (Not Your Daughter's jeans).  The price was way more than I wanted to spend, but, I figured if they were everything they professed to be, I would certainly consider them.  I found a store that sold them, and then went on to the next likely candidate.  The Gap had Curvy Jeans that I thought might work,and then there were the Lees and Levis that I liked the look of, but couldn't find in a store in town. 

Off we went for what had started out to be a 'girl's day' in town, but as Trev went off to visit his uncle for a few days, Zac joined us on our trip, and was a good sport about being dragged from clothing store to clothing store in the mall (thank goodness for Angry Birds!).  Our day began with something I had been wanting to do for years....a professional bra fitting.  I had searched for and found a little boutique in Westbank called Esteem Lingerie where we didn't need appointments.  While Zac patiently waited in the car, Alley and I went inside and had a lovely time being properly measured, and then trying on a multitude of beautiful bras.  So many pretties!  We each chose a new, properly fitting bra and then began our jeans quest.

The Orchard Park Shopping Centre  was our destination.

NYDJs

First stop...The Gap.  I had planned to try on the Curvy Jeans there, but they didn't seem to have my size, and as no one asked to assist us, and Alley didn't see anything she was interested in, we moved on.  My NYDJ were supposed to be available at The Bay there.  After a bit of a wander around, I located them all on one rack, without any signage to help me.  I searched and found a few styles, Straight, Skinny, and also a Skinny Cropped and grabbed a few different sizes to try.

  I must admit, they felt great!  The price tag was a bit of a shocker though!  They were more than the website had said, and more than just the difference in the US/Cdn. dollar.  But, I figured, I would get the one pair of regular Skinnys and that would be it for me.  My whole clothing budget for months to come!  I took my one pair to the check out, where the check out lady had been, but had since disappeared.  I waited....and waited...and waited.....! I rang a bell.  And waited some more.  After awhile, I decided this was surely a sign.  I was still dealing with sticker shock, so I placed my jeans on a shelf and left the store.  Alley and I looked through several of the chain jean type stores, and eventually arrived at Garage.  Now, I have always assumed that for most women my age, Garage was not the place to shop.  Their clothing is oh so cute, but definitely not age appropriate for me.  Alley, being 14, is in her element though.  We were greeted by a friendly salesgirl who informed us of the sale they had on low rise skinny jeans-buy 1, get one 1/2 off.  Just what Alley was looking for!  While she was looking for her size, I noticed a sign for the "new" higher rise skinny jeans (not on sale).  So, not expecting to find anything that would fit me, I looked anyways!  Lo and behold, there was a size 13 at the back of the rack!   I wasn't sure what size I took in 'teeny bopper', but thought I'd give them a whirl!  I'm so glad I did!  The higher waist was high enough to get over the dreaded muffin top created by the low rise style, and they were even long enough in length!  SOLD!  The staff was so helpful and nice that both Alley and I commented on it.  Alley got her 2 pairs and I got my 1, and we both left feeling like we had succeeded in our quest.

Garage's High Waist Jeggings

We had a few things to get at Walmart, so before we stopped for dinner, we headed over to the Kelowna store.  It's always fun to see what they have in the way of basic clothing items, and the price is always right.  I  noticed that they carried a jean called Riders, and then realized they were Lee brand, one of the brands I had wanted to try.  And Stacey London's face was on the signage!  Hmmm?  Worth checking out? I thought so!

I read over the 3 style descriptions above the stacks on the shelves and decided I was probably a 'straight' style.  I grabbed a couple of different sizes and spotted a Riders button up shirt as well, so added that to my pile.  On the way to the change rooms I noticed some shirts on a clearance rack and grabbed those too!

Riders by Lee

Well, I must say, I was impressed!  I tried on these incredibly comfortable jeans and loved them!  The shirt too!  None of them were priced over $30Cdn.!  I ended up with 2 pairs in different washes, the shirt as well as the clearance shirts!  Score!!    

The helpful girls over at Garage had told us to soak our dark dye jeans in a vinegar/water bath overnight and to add a bit of salt too.  This would help preserve the colour and keep them from leaching.  So, that night, I took our new denims (plus 2 we got for Zac who continues to outgrow jeans!) and threw them all into the bathtub with several gluggs of vinegar and a handful of salt.  They soaked overnight, then were put through a cold wash and hung to dry. Presto!  Jean Quest over!  Alley and I both feel we did very well, and I'm thrilled to have not one, but 3 new pairs of jeans I feel great in and paid less than 1/2 the price of the NYDJs for all 3 of them!