Scary Jeans

In honour of Halloween, I will write about something else I find disturbing.  Skinny jeans.

The first time I saw them I sighed.  I knew that this fashion – the painted-on look – was one I would not touch.  Some people don’t care how they look in certain styles – they just wear whatever they want – but I’m not one of those people.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a twig so I have no intention of squeezing myself into such pants and inflicting pain on myself and those who see me in them.  That’s okay.  I’m at a place in my life where I can wear my boot-cut or straight-leg jeans and say pooh-pooh to particular fashions.

My daughters, however, do care about the latest styles.  When I take them shopping and we have trouble finding trendy jeans that will fit them, what do they think?  That they’re fat.

This upsets me.  My husband is 6’4” and I’m 5’8”.  Petite doesn’t run in our family, but even when I was totally skinny at 125 pounds, I still had to buy XL pants and queen-size pantyhose.

I don’t get it.

We spend time convincing women and girls that they are beautiful “just the way they are”.  We expend energy promoting self-esteem and healthy body image.  We explain that models in magazines are airbrushed and altered.

Then we allow skinny jeans and short-shorts to take over.  I thought we had smartened up and left the era of super skinny being the norm, but I guess we’re back.

It’s scarier than Halloween.

Choosing Coverage

Summer’s here!  Out come the lighter clothes.  Unfortunately, light seems to be synonymous with skimpy and cool seems to equal cleavage.  Why is that?  Aren’t we encouraged to cover up to avoid UV exposure?

Okay, who am I kidding?  I don’t care about your exposure to the sun.  That’s your choice.

What I do care about is how we dress in places of business and education.  Places where our husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and other good men have to be every day.  In those places, it’s not about fashion.  It’s about respect and service, and showing too much skin is simply not respectful.

There, I said it because the men aren’t going to.  They’re afraid you’ll tell them to mind their own business and stopping looking, or call them perverts and complain about harassment.

Most men aren’t creeps or perverts.  They’re just men.  Sometimes they’re like a deer caught in the headlights.  It’s like driving past the guy on the bike with his crack showing…  Do I want to look?  No!  Are my eyes drawn there until I realize what I’m looking at?  Yes.  Blech!

Consider this:  1) If you dress provocatively, you don’t get to choose who notices.  It might be the Hot Hunk, but it might be the Corner Creep.  Or it might be the Good Guy you work with who now feels uncomfortable around you.  2) If you’re showing skin to get attention, wouldn’t you rather know it was your pretty eyes, your witty intellect, your dazzling smile, or your caring heart that first attracted your special someone?  Not your skin.  Everyone has skin.

Let’s make life a little easier on the decent men in our midst – especially in places of business.  Let’s give ourselves – and others – the respect we deserve by choosing coverage.