Jeans Peace

I found my peace

You can not describe in words the way a good pair of jeans feels.

There is some eurphoric satisfaction in putting on a pair of jeans that make you feel whole.

My most productive days are in jeans. Good jeans. The ones that make you feel as though you are not even wearing clothes.

Work wear now includes casual Fridays. I am most productive when I am in my jeans. Do employers not realise this?

I am not much of a shopper, for those of you who know me, you may already know this.

I enjoy buying things if they are on sale and if I can justify them more than a night out in Prague.

When I put my mind to purchasing an item that requires more than a bargain, I will shop around.

As I read in Glamour this week, I am actually more like a guy shopper. Infrequent shopping for high quality items. Long research process.

I started at the Gap. The King of Jeans. I was highly disappointed, which made the search all that more labourous. If I could not find a pair of jeans that I loved at the epicentre of jeans, where would they be found?

I ventured off to the less expensive jeans shops but not the Biways or Walmarts of shops. I found some that I could have loved but there was not pure unadulterated passion so I moved on.

In the UK, there is a store called Next. It is my favourite shop because it is colour coded. Someone must have done their market research on shopper like myself.

Every aisle you venture down is specific to colours. Reds. Greens. Blues.
Perfect for the person who subconscioulsy buys the same colour...all...the...time.

I had assumed I would have to pay at least 50 quid (50 pounds) for a pair of solid jeans. I only went to check them out because a lady at work said she found a maternity pair for 20 quid.

I took 5 pairs into the changeroom with me, pleasantly surprised they were all under 35 quid.

It was only after the sales lady suggested a pair that someone had handed back to her. "here", she said "what about these?".

I can say that I was a bit desperate as I had a hen 'do' to go to on Friday night and wanted to look a bit stylish.

When you're a shopper like me, you tend to have zero new clothes and need an updated 'everything' for your wardrobe.

I tried them on.

You know the waist bit? The part which you can never decide whether or not to go fully low cut and let your pudge hang out or to granny-it-up with the high cut over the belly jeans?

This pair was the first that seemed to have the perfect compromise. My gut was not hanging over and yet I didn't feel like I was wearing granny pants when I had them on.

They were the perfect colour - a dark sophisticated denim that you could actually pull off if you were going for a casual work event with a splash of fun-night-out-ness.

I couldn't believe it. I had found a perfect pair of jeans, after searching for a good pair for 3 weeks.

The price tag sealed the deal. 21.99. Someone was peeking down on me.
When I went to the counter, prepared to pay the full amount, I was presently surprised when the cashier said 15.99.

Being the novice shopper and pathetically honest person that I am, I couldn't help but blurt out "oh, are they on sale?"

She looked at me with a grin.

"Uh, I don't know," she said. "I just ring them in. But the less I know, the better."

Yes, what WAS I THINKING? Who points out that they are getting an item with a 1/4 of the price off?

"oh," I laughed embarrassingly, "yes, I guess you're right. where do I sign?"
I walked out of the store triumphant. The quintessential bargain shopper was willing to pay top dollar for a pair of jeans that made her feel like a billion bucks.

Not only did I love them, they were a third of the price I had expected to pay when I decided to buy myself a wicked ass pair of jeans.

If only I could wear them every day.

Serenity now.