I feel slightly stupid writing this post, as it was just yesterday that I was raving about the menswear trend. To be fair, I am still incredibly drawn to androgynous pieces. However, after receiving my highly-anticipated Shopbop order yesterday, I’ve realized that boyfriend jeans and I are no match made in heaven. We’re more like star-crossed lovers- think Romeo and Juliet, Heathcliff and Catherine, Jack and Rose. Although the Current/Elliott jeans (see above) that I ordered were literally made of the softest denim I’ve ever felt (including my years-old, most worn-in jeans,) our love affair ended there.
After pulling them on, I was quickly disenchanted. I tried wearing them cropped, at ankle-length, and at full-length, but nothing lessened their leg-shortening effect. They sagged awkwardly at the crotch and in the back, as if I was actually wearing a (very short) man’s pants. It wasn’t a slight sag, either: these were the pants of a very well-endowed man with Beyoncé’s bum. Of course, with a name like “boyfriend jeans,” I wasn’t expecting denim leggings, but I was hoping for a somewhat tailored fit.
The wash of my once-beloved jeans was the final straw. They were a slightly dirty shade, worn at the edges and distressed. Normally, I wouldn’t have minded this, as it added to their lived-in feel. However, in combination with the loose fit, the grungy wash made me look like (whispered) a stoner. That’s right, my jeans felt like they once belonged to a male midget with a large package, a ghetto booty, and a penchant for selling weed in the bathroom after school. With this disturbing image in mind, I tucked my jeans into their box and sent them on their happy way back to Shopbop.
That said, I still believe that boyfriend jeans can be effortlessly and subtly sexy when worn by the right person in the right way. Thus, I present Fashionising’s guide to wearing the trend and a few photos of celebrity inspiration:
from left to right: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Rachel Bilson, and Victoria Beckham (scary clavicle not included)
Boyfriend jeans, it’s not you, it’s me. I love you, but I’m not in love with you. Maybe we should just be friends.
KC&CO,
Bessie
