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A Confession

Thistle

Veteran

I confess. I like mom jeans. There, I said it.

Not only do I like them, but they are my preferred jeans. I can't help it. I am just going to have to embrace it.

I don't own many jeans, and the ones I do get a lot of use. So, I am looking for some additional ones to add to my rotation. And I just can't stand any that don't come all the way up to my waist. I just can't.

So back go the Silvers and the JAG. Ordering Ralph Lauren's tonight. Talbots doesn't have any in a medium wash right now. Or at least they didn't as of this weekend.

How about you? Any "unfashionable" items you secretly wear anyway for comfort or preference?

Dressing

43 replies

Latest reply was from minimalist

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Ugg knockoff boots. But in the snow, they beat everything for a quick pull on and get the mail option

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I have unstylish underwear (albeit in adorable patterns - come on, the pink poodle panties) because they are big and bulky; but I'm trying to buy new stuff that fits that doesn't have bits and pieces either sticking in or riding up all day - impossible. When I need to be comfy, I wear my granny panties.

E

Veteran

What are Mom jeans? I love high waisted jeans & trousers so I might be in that camp too! I won't buy a pair with less than 10" rise now. I feel deprived that I was a teen during the super low rise thing & thus didn't know about the comfort of high rises until just a couple years ago.

I have two pairs from the Aurora Shoe Co, whose shoes definitely fall in a 'love it or hate it' aesthetic camp, and are too clunky/hippy/something to be (mainstream) fashionable. But I love them, how they look and how they feel and how ethically they were made, and wear them happily anyway.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Soft comfy granny flannel PJs.

JAileen

Veteran

Thistle, the best place to find mom jeans is the thrift store.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Well, I still like to wear my gear sometimes around the house (yoga pants or running tights/ shorts; a performance tee, a fleece half-zip.)

Pre-YLF I wore that pretty much all day, every day; now I don't, but I do succumb to this "outfit" on days when my workout will be later in the day, and/ or I can't get my turn at our shower until later for some reason and I won't be going out until afterwards.

I actually like a lot of gear-ish items. They're very practical. My puffer coat (which I wear almost every day all winter) is a gear model and it even got Angie approval! But if you look closely, you can see it is built more for function than for fashion, although it does give a nod to fashion in its slightly unusual fabrication and its slightly slimmer than some cut.

ETA: Dana, surely flannel PJs are not unfashionable? If so, I am guilty of that sin, too.

K. Period.

Veteran

@E, I have to laugh! I grew up in the '80s when high rise was all there was. In the late '90s early '0s, I was walking with my bff behind some teens and commented, "What a bummer. In the '80s we had high rise pants, which depended on a decent figure but also really showed it off. The only people who could wear those jeans really well were teens. But these poor girls! They are likely going through the best body period of their life, the time they are most likely to look back on wishing they had that shape again, and they are wearing these horrible super low rise jeans that make their cute little rears look flabby and flat. Such sadness!" And I'm sticking with that.

Thistle, I suspect you don't really have mom jeans at all! I think mom jeans are about a lot more than the rise. Yours don't have pleating, an extremely outdated wash and (most important mom-jean feature) an extremely unflattering cut, do they? Not mom jeans then. As long as they are flattering, they will not be mom jeans.

carolbee

Veteran

I'm with you in relation to high rise, I just can't wear anything else, hence don't have to learn the semi tuck as no tucking of any kind takes place in my house. But it does make shopping, especially online difficult. I cannot believe the number of items described as high rise when I can tell from the picture it would been lucky to get anywhere near my navel. On one occasion it was difficult to tell so I rang a B&M store to ask - I don't think the shop assistant had any idea what I was asking. Am currently trying to buy a pair of grey hiking pants for hiking and travelling and am getting extremely frustrated. I hope that Melbourne has some decent options when I visit in March.

carolbee

Veteran

Suz, you can tell from my comment above that I am also into gear. For travelling with carry on only gear that you can wash in a sink and dry over night wins every time. A traveller wearing a scarf looks stylish, no matter what else you have on. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

ironkurtin

Veteran

@Suz - I dunno, mine are like the anti-sexy, so I just assumed.
And oh yes, I love my gear. I refuse to be ashamed of it either. It's attractive and well-made and makes my butt look great. I wear it to work out, but since I may work out at the end of the day, I wear it all day long.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nothing wrong with wearing a higher rise. I'm pretty sure that the silhouette you like is not the stereotypical "Mom Jeans" cut. Nor will you wear it too short with white socks and clogs, and a tucked tight t-shirt.

I dress clients in high rise jeans all the time. xo

D'Ellen

Veteran

Psst...Thistle...I like mom jeans too. Give Gloria Vanderbilt brand a try. I have some pairs from 4 or 5 years ago that I'm still wearing - boot cut, dark wash straight leg, and a lighter wash straight leg that could maybe be a stand-in for boyfriend jeans. They all come up to my natural waist, and I find them much more comfortable and flattering on me than "modern" jeans. They may have changed their styles in recent years, but might be worth checking out.

I also noticed in the new Coldwater Creek catalog that they have a Classic Shaping Jean in several styles that "sits just above the natural waist". I'll be checking those out the next time I'm at the mall.

Nomad

@Suz, I'm a fellow gear lover! A sizeable chunk of my non-work wardrobe is from REI. I'm trying to get better about (1) not defaulting to head-to-toe REI on every casual day, and (2) being choosier about my gear items so they're flattering as well as functional (as much as possible, anyway.... rain pants are never, ever, ever going to be stylish, but am I ever glad to have them for hikes in the rain).

Missey

Veteran

Thistle- I laughed out loud when I read you were ordering Ralph Lauren jeans for their rise because I just ordered a pair of their black moto jeans from Lord & Taylor. When they came I thought, "Hmm. These seem a little high waisted." Then I tried them on and said "OOOH! Comfy!" I love them and they are very fashionable. I give you a big high-5 for your mom jean habit!

LoveSarahDub

(website)

I confess that I LIVE for sneakers. Skate sneakers like DCs have been a staple for me for YEARS, and I have NO shame in it. To me, they are fashionable, but I guess some people think that sneakers should be reserved for the gym or sweats. But I tend to get a pretty cool reaction when I rock them with unexpected attire. I love street style, and I just love them!

Also, sweats and flannel pj pants are what I prefer while I'm at home with my son. And yes, I've been known to run to the store in them. And I prefer them about 3 sizes too big and WAY too long. So sue me!

I say, if you feel good in something, ROCK IT!

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I echo the Gloria Vanderbilt's just make sure you find straight leg versus tapered which are more the Mom Jean version and never ever wear them with white tennis shoes!!!!

Available at both Sam's Club and BJ's

shedev

Veteran

My two are gear and socks with footwear like oxfords. I feel every seam in my shoes. I just wear longer pants.

Peri

Veteran

Haha, Carolbee, no tucking goes on at my house either!

I like semi high rise...like an inch or two below navel. I never liked anything lower than that, and just refused to buy jeans when that was all you could find. My recent unfashionable love has been bootcut and flares but I'm glad they are surfacing again. Last year I went in stores and asked for anything that wasn't skinny and got met with more than one blank stare.

deb

Veteran

Thistle, you know that I am a mom jean fan although I really did wear mom jeans in the '80's. They were considered stylish. Did you see my post on the Gap Hi Rise skinnies?

Marley

Veteran

High-rise jeans are NOT Mom jeans!

Aquamarine

Veteran

Thistle...to me mom jeans aren't about the rise but about the back pocket placement. You know, *really* high up.

catgirl

Veteran

Mom jeans never worked for me. High waist implies waist. I found this:

http://savvybroad.com/?p=1009

Joyce B

Veteran

Count me in on the high rise jeans. The low rise ones have never worked for me.
I do like to wear them with a T-shirt when I can... Maybe that is what is called mom jeans?

Emily

Veteran

I'm going to join Suz's team Gear - I love how I feel in my yoga/running gear. Plus it's cute! I wear it around the house when I'm working from home or spending the day in doing housework.

Anonymous

I love my hoodies!

Anonymous

I, um, sometimes wear yoga pants out of the house. Not anywhere I'm going to be for any length of time, but for things like a quick run to the grocery store if I'm about to bake something and realize there's some ingredient I'm missing. And I'll sometimes wear them at home when friends are coming over.

I also have a pair of Crocs I wear sometimes when it's warm and rainy. They're a slingback flat style in an almost-nude-on-me gold tone, so they're fairly inconspicuous, but, still, Crocs!

Gigi

Veteran

Ooohhh...Thistle, in the small print it says anyone who likes Mom jeans is banned from the forum! Just kidding.

Maybe you should post a picture of the Mom jeans, if you feel like it. As other posters have pointed out, there are a lot of design elements needed to create Mom jeans. High rise alone isn't going to cut it, my friend.

As far as things that I wear that are comfy but are unfashionable, I do have a couple of long maxi skirts from J. Jill that I wear occasionally. They aren't unfashionable in and of themselves, but given that they are two sizes too big for me, they look pretty darn frumpy. :^) They can't be altered, so I am stuck with the frump!

E

Veteran

K, it's so true! Not to mention, a generation of girls suffered permanently freezing backs in overly ac'ed schools, as the super low rise jeans did not mean shirts were suddenly made with extra long hems. So normal shirts would ride up, the low rise jeans would slip down a little, and a wide expanse of lower back was exposed and shivering every time we sat. Ugh! It was a terribly time for teen fashion.

ManidipaM

Veteran

I love the FEEL of voluminous maxi skirts and salwars. So I wear them despite the figure unflattery. Likewise straight midis that hit mid-calf or just below. For some reason, that is a very comfy length to me... yet I hate capris with a straight fit to that length.

And sometimes I sleep in old gear or thermals... like longjohns.

And I swear by my one pair of ballet-style grey-brown Crocs.

Oh and I am still wearing my too-comfy maternity boyfriend jeans 9 months later. I will therefore see you your Ralph Laurens and raise you mine for mom jeans!

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