Work Jeans

New old jeans. I’m not too much of a snob to hunt for deals in my favorite thrift store. Not only is the place known for “deals,” but the place doesn’t have the acidulous cold cigar smell of “typical” thrift stores.

The prices are way lower than other nonprofit thrifts and a fraction of the prices at commercial thrifts.

I need to replace the jeans I snagged on the tractor. I manage to destroy work jeans in a couple of seasons and don’t mind if they are patched.

I keep a pair of Sunday jeans until they age up to everyday service then graduate to work jeans.

During warm months I prefer jeans to bib overalls. I’ve never seen bib overalls at the thrift store.

The Kansas Woman watches for deals and recently brought me a gently worn pair for work jeans. They looked right but didn’t feel “correct.” It was like wearing someone’s old shoes.

Having to stop the chain saw, set it down and tug my jeans back over my hips is a nonstarter, so I looked at the label.

They’re girl jeans and that was the problem.

Today I would wear girl jeans as work jeans were it not for the fit and having to stop and tug. That wasn’t always the case.

At about ten years old my mother ordered school clothes for me from a popular mail-order store.

She opened the package to show new shirts and jeans.

I was proud of my new school clothes until I tried them on.

My feet were barely into the legs when I discovered a fatal flaw — the zipper was on the side.

Mom tried to convince me that nobody would notice but I knew different. If a boy wore girl jeans to school, it would be out before home room class warmed up.

You couldn’t expect something that rich to remain entre nous even with your best friend.

The only time in my childhood that I absolutely stood firm against something my mother wanted me to do was about wearing girl jeans to school.

The jeans didn’t stay. They went back to Chicago, and from then onward school clothes and everything else we wore came from Cohen’s store downtown.

At some time zippers on girl’s jeans moved to the front or somewhere else as things became more gender-neutral.

But men still have ideas on what men should and should not wear. If you doubt that, just check the sales of Bud Light beer since 2023.

joenphillips@yahoo.com