Michelle

The long and short of blue jeans

It isn't every day that the boss tells you to go shopping.

Surrounded by hundreds of jeans, you’d think Daily Southtown writer Donna Vickroy could find at least one pair of jeans that fit her.

But after receiving lots of e-mails and phone calls about my hunt for decent blue jeans (Nov. 5), the shopping commiseration and helpful advice was too sincere to ignore.

Gloria wrote, "...It was like you read my mind! I live in Orland Park, the land of shopping malls, and have had no luck. What's with the one-inch zipper? How about when it says 'petite' the length should be shorter!! Or when the waist seems to stick out in the back (are people now oval shaped?)."

Good questions, Gloria, and ones I've wrestled with repeatedly. I know there are women in this world who love to show off their underwear. Sorry to be dull, but I'm not one of them.

Neither is Nancy, who wrote, "I've gotten very discouraged and don't know where to look next. I'm old enough (44) that I like new jeans to LOOK new, and not all faded with holes! Please let your readers know if you have any success."

Many women wrote with happy endings to their seemingly endless pursuit of decent denim.

I was advised to head to the Gap, Eddie Bauer, J.C. Penney, Carson Pirie Scott and even Farm & Fleet (the closest one's in Bourbonnais).

Always one to heed advice, especially if it comes from other height-challenged women, I headed to Orland Square Mall with staff photographer Bill Konway in tow.

First stop, J.C. Penney to try on Lee jeans, which reader Carolyn said come in short, medium and long. She found a great pair at Farm & Fleet for just $24.99. She believed Penney sold them as well.

Penney carries an assortment of jeans in misses sizes. Levi's, a.n.a., Lee and their house brand St. John's Bay. I tried on four pairs there. One brand, a.n.a. had the look and fit I wanted, but were way too long. I checked the store's Petite section, but it only carried the "slim" version. Ouch!

The recommended Lee jeans did not come in my size. I feel a road trip to Bourbonnais coming on.

Meanwhile, on to the Gap, where reader Suzi, of Mokena, was "happy to report" that she found the perfect jeans.

"The 'curvy' fit is perfect. They sit right below the waist, so no 'mommy jeans' and no 'muffin top.' They don't bag out in the back and show your underwear either. And they FIT in the legs! I do not know one single person who has tried these that hasn't fallen in love with them."

How could I resist an endorsement like that?

I tried on the curvy jeans and, voila! Suzi was right. They fit like a dream. They made my legs look leaner and longer -- and when you're 5 feet tall, that's nothing short of a miracle.

The only trouble with the curvy jeans was that even the ankle length was about five inches too long.

"Get 'em anyway," Konway said, tiring of the shopping experience already. "Cuff 'em."

Seems a lack of shopping patience is a genetic defect in many men, and all this time I thought it was unique to my husband. Two stores into the experiment, Konway said he could think of about 5,000 other things he had to do that day.

I was on my own. Fine with me.

On to Carsons, where reader Linda said I was sure to love the Bill Blass jeans in the petite section.

The length was certainly right and the waist was comfy enough. But the legs were a bit baggy for my taste.

Next stop, Eddie Bauer, which is where I used to buy jeans regularly until the store switched buyers and its petite sizes suddenly became several inches longer.

Reader Marilyn had good luck this past summer with the store's 100 percent cotton Natural Fit style.

They did indeed fit fairly decently, but, again, were way too long.

In the end I determined that the fashion world will not give an inch, or four. While many styles do not fit well in the waist and legs, many others do. But I have yet to find the best of both worlds.

At the end of the day, I decided on the Gap's curvy style. The fit in the waist and legs was indeed perfect. I could deal with the length issue.

My thanks to everyone who took the time to offer commiseration and advice.

For those of you who need to jump start your search, consider the Web site shopping.com. It has a new "jeans finder" feature. Punch in your preferences and measurements and it'll display a list of jeans you might have luck with. It will also tell you how much they retail for and where to get them.

I still have to check out Farm & Fleet and a place called Jeans World in Lockport that a colleague suggested.

Meanwhile, I've got a date with a tailor.

November 12, 2006
By Donna Vickroy Daily Southtown columnist
Donna Vickroy may be reached at [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] or (708) 633-5982.