Many fashion trends come and go. I’ve seen plenty of them over my 38 years. My mom made me rock stirrup pants as a child. Velour matching track suits were my loungewear of choice in high school. I owned a black and brown pair of gaucho pants when I was in college. Luckily, all those trends have gone away over time.
There is one fashion trend that will never go away for me, if it was ever really considered a trend. It’s the mom jean trend. One of the only trends that can withstand the test of time. I put it right up there with a black dress as one of my fashion staples. They are known far and wide – and for good reason.
But where did my love for mom jeans really originate? It started when I was pregnant with my now 8-year-old and everything was starting to spread out. I cried while trying to zip my jeans and entered the phase where maternity jeans are life. The large fabric band that stretched over my belly was fabulous. They were as comfortable as clothes could be while carrying a 9-pound human in your uterus.
I had Henry and lived in pajama pants for about four weeks during my very short maternity leave. I was about to go back to work and had to re-enter the workforce in something other than leggings.
I don’t know why at one month postpartum I tried to fit in my pre-baby jeans. I blame the Kardashians for my unrealistic expectations, along with many of the other problems in the world. I couldn’t even get them over my thighs. I sat on the edge of my bed and cried. Again. About jeans.
I was so excited when I finally got back into my old jeans many moons later. They zipped and I rejoiced! Then I realized that yes, they were physically on my body, but no, I could not breathe. At all. I have never been more uncomfortable in my life.
Then, I needed to sit down in those jeans. Something had to give, and hopefully it wouldn’t be the fabric. I was extremely uncomfortable. I leaned over to pick the baby up and felt a breeze on my backside. WHY? Why were these jeans so awful and tiny and uncomfortable and unrealistic? I felt like they were made for a character my kids pulled out of a blind bag.
That day, I headed to TJ Maxx and bought my true first pair of mom jeans. I remember trying them on and thinking how comfortable they were. I bent over and I didn’t feel a breeze. I did a couple jumping jacks and nothing fell out. Life was good.
I’ll admit, they aren’t exactly a fashionable choice. But let’s be realistic, they are the ultimate in comfort. They really hold everything in. You can bend over in them without your entire backside showing. Your newborn can projectile poop on your mom jeans, and it will slide off like rain on a car that was just covered in a layer of Rain-X. You can throw them in a ball on the floor and step on them for a week and they won’t wrinkle.
From that day on, I have worn mom jeans. I will also continue to wear skinny jeans even though they are no longer cool. Wear your mom jeans with pride, ladies! They are the ultimate in comfort and utility. And those are two things we certainly can’t do without at this point.
