True Blue: In Support of Denim

I like “comfort” as much as the next gal. Designer duds and haute couture, you can have ‘em. I’ve never been the Vogue/Harper’s Bazaar type anyway and veer more toward a classic, timeless look. Some things, like a well-cut blazer, a plain v-neck tee and a flattering pair of jeans, never go out of style.

Until now.

According to a recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek, for the first time in U.S. history, athletic pants sold in equal numbers to denim jeans. Which would suggest as a nation we are getting a whole lot healthier, but sadly statistics show we are not. So what gives?

The black yoga pant has become the uniform of the female masses and I for one am sick of looking at them. Personally, I believe we’ve taken the “athleisure” look a bit too far. A butt-length, sack of a top thrown over a pair of skin-tight black yoga pants does not an outfit make — no matter how cute your shoes are.

Running errands after a workout? I get it. But, if your ponytail isn’t askew and your make-up isn’t streaked with sweat — we know. You chose the same outfit that you wear at the gym to present your cleaned-up self to the rest of the world. Great.

Shopping: Is it seriously easier to tug off those body-hugging capris then it would be to drop a skirt to the floor? Lunch with the girls: Do you plan to eat so much that you’ll utilize that four-way stretch or are you lunging your way back to the car? Live theatre! Wedding showers! A funeral! Come on, show these people a little respect.

I just don’t get it; this look is boring at its best and sneakily deceptive at its worst. The truth is I can always fit into my yoga pants; the girdle-like fabric does wonders for my backside and makes me look in tip-top shape even if I haven’t worked out in over a month. But my jeans, well, they never lie.

For everyday casual wear, denim is by far your true best friend and a heck of a lot more interesting to look at. You might have to try on more than one pair, but with the plethora of styles available, rest assured, you will find one that works for your life.

Don’t let this true, blue American icon disappear! Let’s wear those elastic-waist, stretch pants only when we really need ‘em — at the yoga studio, for a workout or in our golden years.

Do you know what casual, trendy, comfortable, yet “stylish” attire became the norm for men in the 1970s? It was the leisure suit. Just saying. —Karen