A Good Pair of Jeans is Hard to Find

I'd like to go into a store and see a pair of jeans on a shelf and check to see that they are in my size and then take them to a cash register and pay for them. The idea of that sounds like the stuff fantasy novels are made of.

Instead, I'm resigned to the fact that I will go into no less than 5 stores, try on 3 different sizes of the 4 different cuts in each store and by the end of the day, I'll have tried upwards of 36 pairs of jeans and have purchased NONE.

I wear jeans a lot. Always have. So I'm somewhat willing to invest in a good pair of jeans since I will wear them so much. I normally like to have 2-3 good pairs of jeans in different cuts. Unfortunately, this is a complicated issue. If shopping for diamond means you have to look for Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat, and Cost.... there is even MORE to think about when shopping for jeans. Let's explore:

Cut

Bootcut. Straight Leg. Skinny. Low Rise. Curvy Boot. Modern Skinny. Rockstar Straight. Diva Skinny. Crop. Mid Rise. Boyfriend. IT NEVER ENDS. And every store is different and has their own system. I might wear one size in a Bootcut but I have to go a size up for the Skinny Jean. And don't even get me started on Petite vs. Regular for us short-legged people. It makes me bonkers. You want something flattering on your legs, your butt, your stomach, and won't sink too far when you sit down. All of this is hard to find.

Color

So, the color is very important. A good dark wash is a good staple since you can dress it up for an evening out on the town (or, in our case, a quick jaunt up to Steak & Shake and you're back home in time for Ellie's bath at 6:30). A lighter jean is good for casual but won't look so good with heels. There have been times when I have found the "perfect" jean but it's not in the right color.

Shoes

Yes, it's time to talk about shoes. When I try on a pair of jeans, I have to take stock of the shoes I would possibly wear with this pair of jeans. Would these jeans look good with:

1. Ballet flats?
2. Cowboy boots?
3. Flat boots with the jeans tucked in?
4. Tennis shoes?
5. Flip flops?
6. Heels?

If the jeans in question won't work with more than one of the shoes in question, they are OUT.

Embellishments

I don't need all the rhinestones and stitching and murals painted on the butt pockets. Tone it down.

Quality

After I had Ellie, I had lost enough weight that my maternity jeans were too big, but with a ways to go before I could fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans. To hold myself over, I bought myself 2 pairs of jeans from Old Navy online. Ellie was 8 weeks old and I wasn't too concerned about the perfect fit. These jeans have been decent, however, in a manner of weeks I noticed the stitching was pulling and there is a hole in what I can only describe as a VERY problematic place. These jeans were cheap, but they are already falling apart.

Cost

While I'm willing to make an investment, I am not willing to spend the same amount on jeans that I would on a car payment. Some of these clothing companies are SUPER PROUD OF THEMSELVES and want you to pay $TOOMANYDOLLARS for their jeans. It's all just very silly. Then I usually have to add in the cost for alterations since I normally have to get them hemmed. Ugh.

All this to say, I went shopping the other day. I went to several stores and then into some department stores as well and I was OVERWHELMED by all the options and cuts and I got tired of trying everything on so I just walked out and stopped at Sonic on the way home. And I got a corn dog. And cheese tots. And a slushy.

Please help me.