Hmmm.
After reading this article, the first thing I did was run to my closet and count my jeans. I have a collection I always considered average for women in my age bracket and neighborhood: 20 pairs of jeans, and five pairs of capris. Plus two pairs of denim shorts and two denim skirts (if we're including all denim items.) A few years ago, I had close to 75 pairs of jeans (which is really gross), but I've managed to scale down my collection quite a bit and limit what hangs in my closet to things I actually wear.
Of my 20 pairs, I wear the following 9 most regularly: My Seven for All Mankind bootcuts, Joe's Jeans jeggings, slightly ripped Paige bootcuts, a destroyed pair of AG Adriana Goldschmied boyfriend jeans, Citizens of Humanity flare-legs, Gap black and gray jeggings, and a super dark wash pair of J Brand jeans. I buy pretty much all of my jeans from Ebay or Plato's Closet, or from The Gap Outlet, which keeps the expense down. I'd guess the average cost per pair is around $50. I have spent more than $100 on denim, but those days are long behind me.
Why do I continue to hold on to the jeans that aren't in regular rotation? Two reasons. One, They're too expensive to justify tossing, and remain in a to be sold eventually 0n eBay section in my closet Reason number two: They're too-small, "aspirational" sizes, purchased during times when I was thinner. I hold onto these jeans with the hope that someday I'll fit into them again.
I realize that nobody NEEDS more than one pair of jeans (and if you own a pair of khakis or a skirt, you don't even need that). You don't NEED cute throw pillows or bottled water or a DVD player or a coat just for special occasions or makeup or any other of the gazillion things women might own. I don't NEED the twenty pairs of jeans I have, though I do wear more than the 9 pairs I mentioned.
I have a complex where I think I never have enough jeans. I love designer denim especially - they do magical things to my butt and elongate my legs, and can easily be dressed up or down depending on the situation. I think my denim obsession stems at least partially from middle school, where I had only 1 pair of truly lame jeans. I hated those jeans. They were high-waisted and pinched my stomach. Every night, before I went to sleep, I prayed over the first star I saw that God would bless me with a pair of Guess jeans. I lusted over that cute little triangle on the back pocket. I even would've settled for acid wash, if that was all that was offered. We lived on a tight budget and could not afford the $40 Guess jeans cost. And by the time I managed to scrounge up enough cash from babysitting, Guess jeans were out.
In college, due to lack of money and a desire to avoid the sorority prep-girl look so prevalent on my campus, I became obsessed with tracking down the perfect pair of vintage button-fly Levis. Ideally, they were faded, torn at the knees, super soft, and worn down to a pale, pale blue. When I finally found the jeans I wanted it felt like a gift from heaven. My favorite pair had big tears in the knees, and in the winter I'd accessorize them with purple or blue fishnet tights underneath. I thought I was the bomb. Thank God there are no photos of me in that look.
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| J Crew turtleneck sweater; AG Adriana Goldschmied Ex-Boyfriend crop in 17 years Damaged Wash; Coach belt; Juicy Couture ballet flats; Betsey Johnson pyramid studs |
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