I know, it’s sad. The post-Christmas retail therapy after being showered with gifts is not, by any means, a sound idea for the bank account. I’m not talking about spending the gift cards you got or making returns, I’m talking about being so sad the holidays are over that you hop online to push away any residual melancholy feelings you hold about the long cold winter ahead. However, while I was perusing the post-Christmas sales, I got an email from Levi’s about a robust end of year sale.
Now, hear me out, I havebeen enamored with Levi’s for a long time, and I understand that this company has beenaround for a while … but I have a bone to pick with said company. Let me preface this story by admitting that I spend an exorbitant amount of time on my phone. So much time that the ads I get on my Instagram feed tend to hit a little too close to home and tend to be extremely targeted towards very Kelly-esque things.
So, since Instagram has somehow acquired the inner workings of my mind, they have intensely specific ads that they know I’m a sucker for. These ads include, and are not limited to: astrology accessories, kitschy-themed candles, old sterling silver rings and, well, vintage clothing.
One particular ad that caught my eye was for a vintage denimLevi’s site. Awesome right? No, the opposite of awesome. When I saw that they were trying to scheme a pair of old jeans for upwards of $100, my face was riddled with anger. Obviously, I’m not in marketing for this company, so I can’t make any bold claims, but I’d assume if these were thrifted/worn jeans, they would go for less money. This brought up some peripheral feelings as well. I couldn’t quite tell if the site was even owned by the brand or not. However, this begs the question in general: “Is reselling thrifted finds ok to do?’’
I understand that people use upcycling as a means for money, but I’ve had enough of people thrifting things and hiking up the price to astronomical levels. I’ve watched and winced at people on Depop thrifting a baby t-shirt and selling it for upwards of $30. To quote Keenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live, “What’s up with that?”
However, when it comes to Levi’s, I absolutely love the look but am frustrated with their sizing. I’ve googled and googled day in and day out, “Why are Levi’s so tight?” I bought my first pair of Levi’s on Black Friday of 2019, and the experience could be best described as ambivalent. I sized up around two-ish sizes, and they still squeezed me like a bad hug.
As I stood defeatedly in Levi’s dressing room of Woodfield mall, I did not feel too great about myself. I wanted jeans that fit me miraculously and that I could wear with many outfits and pass down to children! I did end up buying a pair that does suit me very well. After a couple of wears of my ribcage style, the Levi’s began to grow on me.
I wish I could find a better word to describe how these pants make me feel, but they just make me feel plain cool, like James Dean cool. The final point I will send is that, despite the fit, Levi’s are cool pants. Insanely cool. When you see someone walking around with a tiny little leathery Levi’s patch just below their jacket-line, they have a certain “joe cool-ness” to them. I’ve been inspired by such great denim styles in the past couple of years that have pushed me beyond my wildest and denim-y dreams! I’ve seen denim skirts, denim on denim, denim jackets, denim bags and so much more.
Although I’m perplexed why the Levi’s fit me so tight, which very well could just be a “me problem,” I am grateful that I own jeans with such longevity and style.