Jeggings, rebranded
November 13, 2018 10:32 AM   Subscribe

Clothing brands have been smuggling Spandex onto the legs of unsuspecting men. “I definitely didn’t explicitly understand what I was buying,” Austin Ray, a 36-year-old writer in Atlanta, told me. What he was buying were Gap Soft Wear Jeans in Straight Fit with GapFlex, which is a nine-word phrase to describe a two-word trend: stretch jeans. “Apparently I didn’t think too hard about what those words meant,” he said. The Sneaky Way Clothing Brands Hooked Men on Stretch Jeans
posted by everybody had matching towels (101 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
Mod note: fixed link
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 10:37 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I just call them kicking jeans.
posted by tofu_crouton at 10:44 AM on November 13, 2018 [6 favorites]


I feel like I've been seeking out jeans with like 2% spandex in them for about the last five years. And yeah, often something with FLEX or comfort or whatever in the line name will have a good chance of having that stretch.

“I wondered, Did I buy jeggings? Am I a stretch jeans guy?”

Granted the word jeggings is only used twice, once in this quote at the end and once in the subhead of the article, but aren't those two completely different things? Jeggings are way higher spandex, right? No one is "tricking" men into wearing jeggings.
posted by ODiV at 10:46 AM on November 13, 2018 [16 favorites]


Here in the UK they just seem to be discreetly labelled as "stretch" but I love them. Really comfortable. Also I seem to have a weird body shape and these actually seem to fit over my thighs without leaving masses of fabric sagging inches below my arse.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 10:47 AM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


Hah, TheophileEscargot, I was also going to praise stretch jeans for accommodating my massive thighs.
posted by RobotHero at 10:49 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


Meh. And? Is comfortable fabric unmanly or something? I have Lee jeans that are stretchy. Lee. It never once occurred to me that I was supposed to be ashamed and horrified by 2% spandex content, and have to turn in my testicles because my jeans can bend at the knee.

This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read in The Atlantic, which is saying something.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:50 AM on November 13, 2018 [58 favorites]


Leaving all else aside, I hope that there will never be a reversion to non-stretch pants. As a sorta fat person who bikes to work, I have to tell you - my life is so much better now. Non-stretching pants leave you with "do I buy a size up, belt tightly and bike swaddled in too much fabric but able to move, or do I buy my size and bike while I feel like I'm being cut in half?"
posted by Frowner at 10:50 AM on November 13, 2018 [24 favorites]


If Playtex is good enough for Neil Armstrong, Spandex is surely good enough for me.
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:51 AM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


I gotta say, as a woman I come out of that article more exasperated with the precious, dramatic fragility of masculinity than anything.
posted by sciatrix at 10:52 AM on November 13, 2018 [99 favorites]


Jeggings to me are denim-look lycra leggings, so nothing like my much loved slightly stretchy levis. My fragile masculinity is safe for now!
posted by JonB at 10:53 AM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


I bought a pair of Lee's Modern Series jeans about 5 years ago. THEY ARE WONDERFUL AND I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU CALL THEM because they feel great, look great, and my wife loves my butt in them. Win win win.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 10:54 AM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


Good enough for David Lee Roth, good enough for me.
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:56 AM on November 13, 2018 [10 favorites]


Maybe they could brand it “2% Mandex, for the 100% Man.”
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:57 AM on November 13, 2018 [65 favorites]


If denim + spandex is only a couple decades old, how did the skinny "drainpipe" jeans of the 50s and 60s (e.g. Elvis) achieve their tailored look? Were people just that much thinner than now? (Probably.)
posted by basalganglia at 11:00 AM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


Sebra agrees that drawing an association between sleeker silhouettes and sports helps men get over the trepidation they might have about displaying their bodies. “The idea of men’s bodies being shown off or illustrated through their clothes is a concept that’s relatively new to a lot of men, because there are still so many hang-ups about the male form,”

If I'm being quite frank, I don't think *I* have trepidation about displaying my body, thank you very much. It's just that for whatever reason, people are so averse to the very notion that men have penises that wearing pants that might display such a thing is "gross." Women can wear leggings, but dudes have to pad the hell out of the groin to smooth the whole region over.

That, or wear shorts over the leggings, which just looks silly.
posted by explosion at 11:02 AM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


yeah, jeggings are not just a touch of lycra in regular jeans. they're actual fully stretchy leggings that are jeans colored. this is false and fraudulent jeggings panic.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:03 AM on November 13, 2018 [53 favorites]


Without denying it's possible to be a ludicrous fragile buffoon over this, I want to find out I've inadvertently bought stretch jeans about as much as i want to find out I've inadvertently bought skinny jeans (post 2005), which is absolutely not at all. Something about the expectation of denim feel crossed with the actual stretchy feel is weird, uncanny valley, nuts and gum to my brain. I'm happy hanging out in yoga pants or whatever but... Not for me.
posted by ominous_paws at 11:03 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


With that said, am immediately checking if False And Fraudulent Jeggings Panic is still available as a username, etc.
posted by ominous_paws at 11:04 AM on November 13, 2018 [16 favorites]


My favorite recent discovery in the universe of fragile masculinity rebranding are these candles, with scents like MAHOGANY and STRAIGHT RAZOR, under the utterly brilliant brand name Old Factory.
posted by theodolite at 11:07 AM on November 13, 2018 [12 favorites]


I went to school with Jeggings Panic! Actually Jeggings was his middle name; his first name was Wilfred but he didn't like it. Ol' Jeggy, we use to call him...
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:08 AM on November 13, 2018 [4 favorites]


this is false and fraudulent jeggings panic.

hi who dis?

posted by lalochezia at 11:08 AM on November 13, 2018 [6 favorites]


Every time I think masculinity has run out of new ways to be fragile, another surprise like this drops into my lap.
posted by tobascodagama at 11:09 AM on November 13, 2018 [8 favorites]


I gotta say, as a woman I come out of that article more exasperated with the precious, dramatic fragility of masculinity than anything.

I came out marvelling at what an amazing coincidence it is that the writer was able to find the only two men in the world who would support the ridiculous angle of her article.

“Of course it’s not about showing off or revealing the body, which would be associated with femininity,” says Barry.

Yeah, okay. Robert Plant’s crotch called. It said you’re an idiot.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:10 AM on November 13, 2018 [37 favorites]


I loathe this trend, which I inadvertently stumbled into recently when my last pair of a now-discontinued brown denim Dockers got ripped. I don't like them for a couple reasons: First, they wear out faster and their fit changes. Artificial stretch is temporary and gives way to weird sags. Second, and more importantly, they seem to breath a lot less than even tight-cut regular denim jeans, and I don't like feeling sweaty wearing them. I live in Southern California, and if I still lived in the Midwest, I might actually prefer them, but here, goddamn if they don't seem to raise my body temperature by 5° and it's worse when we get any humidity at all.

But 90% of the men's pants on sale now seem to have some stretch in them, so instead of buying like five pairs of a cut and fabric I liked, I bought two of the least worst and will now attempt to ride out this fad until I can get actual pants at a reasonable price again.
posted by klangklangston at 11:10 AM on November 13, 2018 [18 favorites]


It's not that ridiculous of an angle. I was just sitting funny, okay!

Hold on...

Wait...

There, that's better.
posted by ODiV at 11:11 AM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


They tricked me with the Levi Commuter jeans and I've been hooked ever since.
My dudes, if you're not wearing stretchy denim you're committing a crime against your balls.
posted by Damienmce at 11:13 AM on November 13, 2018 [6 favorites]


I tried a couple pairs of stretchy jeans and didn't care for them, so now I stick to 100% cotton -- which is getting trickier to find. I'm not a fan of the feel of stretchy jeans, and the pairs I bought wore out faster than regular denim.
posted by fimbulvetr at 11:13 AM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


Not to be all pepsi-blue here, but Levi's men's 510 stretch skinny fit jeans are about my favorite jeans ever. They don't remotely feel like jeggings or yoga pants. They feel like jeans. I can tell because on weekends I'm just as likely to throw on a pair of yoga pants, anyway. (Honestly, yoga pants are the best things, ever.)

Feel like I need to pause here and give the Atlantic props for managing to squeeze out what's basically a "lol skinny jeans" story nearly twenty years after skinny jeans really became a thing.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:15 AM on November 13, 2018 [9 favorites]


"They tricked me with the Levi Commuter jeans and I've been hooked ever since.
My dudes, if you're not wearing stretchy denim you're committing a crime against your balls.
"

Is it that guys in general just don't know how to buy jeans that fit? I have a big ass for a man, so lots of the lower cut waists that fit in back are no-gos on the balls, but I just don't buy those pants after I try them on. I used to be able to find jeans that fit without any problem — the idea that the non-stretch versions are all shitty seems like a retcon to justify stretch jeans.
posted by klangklangston at 11:15 AM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


To be fair, Robert Plant’s crotch calls pretty much everyone idiots. He’s kind of a dick that way.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:16 AM on November 13, 2018 [16 favorites]


I'm never going back to non-stretch pants! Fragile masculinity is hilarious and terrifying.
posted by nikoniko at 11:17 AM on November 13, 2018


Fuck pants.
posted by Fizz at 11:18 AM on November 13, 2018 [23 favorites]


They definitely wear faster than standard denim, especially if you ride a bike or do other activity in them. Compounded by the fact that they get saggy, requiring more frequent washing. However I can 100% back the additional comfort for sitting down doing office work without feeling like I'm being cut in half— I say this as I'm currently wearing actual yoga pants, but still.
posted by a halcyon day at 11:18 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


So now I'm not going to be able to obtain non-stretch jeans by buying men's anymore? Bad enough they stopped making them in women's styles.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:20 AM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


I'm over here waiting for waist-sized leg openings to come back and you guys are trying to wear even skinnier jeans? Hell no.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:21 AM on November 13, 2018 [10 favorites]


As an older man, I fear wearing them, lest I be mocked by the youngs, "They have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams."
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 11:21 AM on November 13, 2018 [6 favorites]


I'm also hooked on the Commuter jeans, and it's not just about fit. I'm a city biker, and jeans that fit well when I'm standing suddenly are constraining when I need to climb a mean hill.

I wasn't exactly tricked into them, though. I explicitly went looking for something with a more forgiving fit when my legs suddenly were too beefy for my old jeans, and was referred to them as "stretchy". So... whatever.
posted by billjings at 11:23 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I've tended in the other direction that's briefly touched upon in the article: raw selvedge denim. But I don't go in for skinny, low-waisted pants of any kind, so I've not experienced the discomfort described by the author. Rather, I'm likely to go with jeans having a fuller leg and a higher waist, such as these Levi's jeans made to their 1933 pattern (bonus: suspender buttons).
posted by slkinsey at 11:24 AM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


If denim + spandex is only a couple decades old, how did the skinny "drainpipe" jeans of the 50s and 60s (e.g. Elvis) achieve their tailored look? Were people just that much thinner than now? (Probably.)

Mom says my uncles used to put them on damp and let them shrink as they dried. Ladies' jeans had a long zipper up the side.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:26 AM on November 13, 2018 [18 favorites]


I have tried the stretchy pants, but did not like the feel or durability. I avoid them now mostly by buying painter pants, which aside from having many excellent non-cargo pockets also tend to be baggy like early 90s clothes. Fashion may have moved forward, but I never will.
posted by mattamatic at 11:27 AM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


As an older man, I fear wearing them, lest I be mocked by the youngs, "They have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams."

the love song of jeggings alfred prufrock
posted by poffin boffin at 11:28 AM on November 13, 2018 [28 favorites]


Seems to me the real story of brands getting men OK with wearing spandex is Under Armour, especially with their hocus-pocusy claims that these $150 tights "return infrared energy to your body, boosting localized blood flow & increasing the amount of oxygen reaching your muscles to restore your muscles faster."
posted by dnash at 11:30 AM on November 13, 2018 [9 favorites]


these $150 tights "return infrared energy to your body, boosting localized blood flow & increasing the amount of oxygen reaching your muscles to restore your muscles faster."

I'm a technical writer, which is the opposite of a marketing writer. My brain would not be able to produce this even with the promise of a thousand ice cream sundaes.
posted by Melismata at 11:32 AM on November 13, 2018 [21 favorites]


Mom says my uncles used to put them on damp and let them shrink as they dried.

Now known as "shrink-to-fit" jeans.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:33 AM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


keeps you hot, squeezes ur butt
posted by poffin boffin at 11:33 AM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


I loathe this trend, which I inadvertently stumbled into recently when my last pair of a now-discontinued brown denim Dockers got ripped. I don't like them for a couple reasons: First, they wear out faster and their fit changes. Artificial stretch is temporary and gives way to weird sags. Second, and more importantly, they seem to breath a lot less than even tight-cut regular denim jeans, and I don't like feeling sweaty wearing them. I live in Southern California, and if I still lived in the Midwest, I might actually prefer them, but here, goddamn if they don't seem to raise my body temperature by 5° and it's worse when we get any humidity at all.

But 90% of the men's pants on sale now seem to have some stretch in them, so instead of buying like five pairs of a cut and fabric I liked, I bought two of the least worst and will now attempt to ride out this fad until I can get actual pants at a reasonable price again.


All of this. They wear out *so* fast. They look very bad once the stretch changes. I couldn't find a single pair of non-stretch the last time out, so I resorted to buying two pairs of very cheap stretch so I won't be that sad when they wear out in six months. I have some real denim that is old enough to drive, but they're a little too small for me now. It's awful.
posted by Kwine at 11:34 AM on November 13, 2018 [4 favorites]


I don’t agree with the assertion about people not doing athletic things in jeans. I walk to and from work each day, and there’s no way I’d spend an hour each day walking through crowded streets in full spandex pants or sweatpants. Same with doing things in the city on weekends. Stretchy jeans are it for me.
posted by mantecol at 11:35 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I'm also hooked on the Commuter jeans

It was the bells and whistles that got me, slight water resistance, reflective inside, little zip pocket. It wasn't until I had worn them for a while I realized the secret sauce was spandex. They're also forgiving if quads are a little out of proportion to calves and waist.
posted by Damienmce at 11:36 AM on November 13, 2018


I have one pair and do not like them at all. Don't like the feel or the fit. They've become my laundry day pants when I've run out of regular cotton jeans.
posted by rocket88 at 11:36 AM on November 13, 2018


Fuck pants

That's what I call my stretchy denim
posted by dis_integration at 11:39 AM on November 13, 2018 [31 favorites]


Seems to me the real story of brands getting men OK with wearing spandex is Under Armour, especially with their hocus-pocusy claims

Look, you can spend 150 dollars on pants that lock in your next advantage with Athlete Recovery Compression™, the ultra-tight fit with embedded tech powers for immediate recovery after games and workouts, or you can go to Target and get a pair of yoga pants for 40 bucks.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:40 AM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


I have one pair and do not like them at all. Don't like the feel or the fit.

Preach on.

I've tried them on but can't even see taking them out of the store.

I like the whole selvedge feel, people who say it is raw or scratchy, well I guess they have a point but it's not *that* bad and the 2 pairs of jeans I have from Gustin are now comfy as shit and are are on track to meet or beat the record for longest lasting pair of jeans I've ever had. Break in period was nowhere near the 6 months or whatever folks seem to quote as necessary for this sort of thing. I mean, maybe if you're in search of that sick/perfect fade pattern or something then I guess so because mine don't have that spray-paint perfect fade pattern that seems to be popular but damn are they comfy and well fitting nowadays.

I mean, I guess what I'm saying is that the break in period wasn't that bad and it led me to a better feeling pair or two of better-made jeans than I was getting previously in department stores. Stretchy jeans are just not appealing... they don't feel like pants, they feel, well... stretchy and I don't like it.

If you do like it, I wish you many happy shopping trips and all the stretch in the world. My 2 pair (one heavy, one less so) are on track to last for years to come.
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:45 AM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


anyway jeggings are so last season, the new look is particoloured nether hose and velvet bubble shorts with ART THOU NASTY on the butt
posted by poffin boffin at 11:45 AM on November 13, 2018 [39 favorites]


I'm a city biker, and jeans that fit well when I'm standing suddenly are constraining when I need to climb a mean hill.

Duluth Trading Company solved this same problem by adding a little extra material at the bottom to create their "ballroom" jeans. Of course, they also offer "DuluthFlex" material, read: has some Spandex in it. I actually don't like the stretching, after giving it a try for a while. So I just get the 100% cotton versions (plus one pair of nylon water/windproof pants for winter riding), and those do me fine for my commute.
posted by tobascodagama at 11:50 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I guess "Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?" would be too small to read.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:50 AM on November 13, 2018 [15 favorites]


I haven't worn jeans (aside from as part of a Halloween costume) since, like, 1995, and stretchy ones aren't going to sweeten the pot enough for me to try.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:52 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I resolve issues involving my fragile masculinity and pants with this bit of wisdom: "Does Costco sell them? Are they $15?"
posted by maxwelton at 11:56 AM on November 13, 2018 [22 favorites]


(I do wish Costco sold underwire jeans, though--my aging butt needs all the help it can get.)
posted by maxwelton at 11:58 AM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


I'm a city biker, and jeans that fit well when I'm standing suddenly are constraining when I need to climb a mean hill.

Generally speaking, the solution to issues like this is a higher rise and fuller legs. Or, in the case of a low rise and skinny legs, yeah, you gotta go stretch. Personally I find low rise pants on most men who are older than about 20, or any men who don't have a flat stomach, to look schlubby and unflattering -- but de gustibus non disputandum est.
posted by slkinsey at 11:59 AM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


Fuck pants

That's what I call my stretchy denim


Fucking would be the last thing on the mind of anyone who saw me in such pants.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:59 AM on November 13, 2018 [8 favorites]


Huh. Since I got an office job that required "business casual" way back when, I mostly stopped wearing jeans on a regular basis. The exception being casual Friday [1], when I reluctantly put on a pair of jeans because the nail that sticks up gets pounded down so I don't want to stand out by wearing slacks on jeans day.

I'd solved the problem of jeans being uncomfortable by sticking with my 90's childhood and just wearing them kinda baggy. As I'm a moderately overweight nerd type this has never caused any comment.

The idea that jeans were somehow more comfortable or relaxed than a pair of slacks always seemed really weird to me, I suppose because slacks have had the spandex built in for most of my life?

I'd avoided all the sporty names for jeans on the grounds that I'm not a sporty kind of person so obviously they weren't for me. Now I learn that they're fragile masculinity code for stretchy jeans? See, this is how fragile masculinity hurts everyone, if I'd known they were making jeans cut for men in stretchy fabric I'd have jumped right on that.

[1] Which I hate with a passion. Apparently stock values will go down if people wear jeans on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but on Friday stock values are unaffected by the pants worn by office employees. The whole concept is obnoxious and just rubs me the wrong way, I think mostly because it underscores the completely arbitrary and capricious nature of employee dress codes and how powerless we are in our daily lives.
posted by sotonohito at 12:03 PM on November 13, 2018 [10 favorites]


Wrangler are the only jeans that fit me well. The cut of the crotch area is more U-shaped than V-shaped. I have several pair in rotation, but I do like the "comfort stretch" jeans. My jeans wear out quickly enough (mostly in the knees, or from grease stains or whatever) that the sagging has never become a problem. And it's nice to be able to squat low without feeling like something (either my jeans or my body) is going to rip.
posted by xedrik at 12:06 PM on November 13, 2018


I think mostly because it underscores the completely arbitrary and capricious nature of employee dress codes and how powerless we are in our daily lives.

"Next Friday ... is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans."
posted by octobersurprise at 12:12 PM on November 13, 2018


Pros of stretch jeans:
Almost as comfy as pajamas.
Much more likely to look tailored than off the rack non-stretchies.
Sitting or standing I can breathe.
My butt looks great.
Ad revenue generated by thinkpieces on stretch jeans for men.

Cons:
?
posted by avalonian at 12:16 PM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


... casual Friday ... Which I hate with a passion ...

Right there with you. I hate "office casual." Especially as it simply means having to spend more care and money on office-appropriate casual clothing and, for most people, creates an entire second category of sartorial signifying to learn and exemplify.
posted by slkinsey at 12:17 PM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


Generally speaking, the solution to issues like this is a higher rise and fuller legs.

A high rise and fuller legs are emphatically not what you want while biking, though, because the high waistband digs in when you lean forward and the full legs get caught in the chain (or else you have to deal with tucking them into your socks).

I am really hoping that one day Everlane will start providing me with free clothes because I talk them up all the time, but I've got to say that their jeans wear extremely well, fit well and stretch a little. They cost $68 a pair, which is in some ways a lot (certainly not $15 at Costco) but in other ways not a lot at all (not $119 at Gustin) and they're made in what Everlane fairly plausibly claims to be a low-pollution, fair-labor factory in Vietnam. Everlane stretchy pants are the only ones I've tried where the waistband doesn't stretch a lot, so you don't end up needing a belt because they're falling off your hips by the end of the day. I used to suffer about finding pants and now I just order from Everlane, and I know I sound like a sock puppet but frankly I'd rather use my sartorial creativity on shirts and shoes rather than on searching for pants that fit and are suitable for a relatively short bike commute.
posted by Frowner at 12:26 PM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


really all offices should be weeklong casual with Extremely Formal/Fabulous Fridays on which everyone wears the closest thing they have to met gala couture
posted by poffin boffin at 12:28 PM on November 13, 2018 [33 favorites]


Stretch jeans are an abomination. Jeans should be made of cotton denim only.
posted by Liquidwolf at 12:33 PM on November 13, 2018 [6 favorites]


Metafilter: no-gos on the balls
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 12:34 PM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


I may need to reevaluate "stretch" pants -- I've left departments stores in disgust due to being unable to find khaki chinos without spandex in them, preferring looser-fit regular non-stretchy pants. I've tried the stretchy ones on and they've had an odd texture, reminiscent of polyester. But, if they're the magical comfort leg-wraps that everyone says they are, I should give them a second try.
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:36 PM on November 13, 2018


everyone wears the closest thing they have to met gala couture.

So, jeans, then . . . .
posted by soundguy99 at 12:39 PM on November 13, 2018 [10 favorites]


yes but you must wear them with panache
posted by poffin boffin at 12:45 PM on November 13, 2018 [14 favorites]


Fuck pants

That's what I call my stretchy denim


That was what I called my ska-punk band, back in the day.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:07 PM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


Your band was named Stretchy Denim?
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:09 PM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


everyone wears the closest thing they have to met gala couture.

So either a fabulous golden gown or Elon Musk's cruise ship waiter outfit.
posted by octobersurprise at 1:09 PM on November 13, 2018


I'm on the shorter side, with huge calves and thick thighs and a skinny waist. I LOVE expensive, thick selvage denim - the smell, the feel... but I also LOVE being able to oh, I dunno - sit down/ride a bike/get in or out of a vehicle/etc... like a normal human being. I've embraced the jeggings, life is so much better. There's a pile of expensive denim with blown out crotches piled up in my room that I can't bring myself to get rid of, but that I NEVER wear.
posted by youthenrage at 1:11 PM on November 13, 2018


Your band was named Stretchy Denim?

Stretchy Denim Armstrong.
posted by octobersurprise at 1:11 PM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


Your band was named Stretchy Denim?

White Denimrules jeans-related rock exercise music! There are still jeans-related openings for country, doo-wop, and chamber music.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:14 PM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I’m just here to say I’m finding it hilarious to see my friend Austin quoted on the blue
posted by Maaik at 1:25 PM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I just don't have the figure for stretchy, clingy jeans. If I want the look of leggings, I'll wear leggings. I miss jeans that hold me in.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:41 PM on November 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


2% spandex is really not very much. I think some of my natural-fiber suits have that much stretch in them. It just makes everything more accommodating.

These 15-20% jeans, though...! They start sagging instantly.
posted by praemunire at 2:07 PM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


Clearly Chuck Norris Action Jeans were ahead of their time.
posted by ckape at 2:12 PM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


"(I do wish Costco sold underwire jeans, though--my aging butt needs all the help it can get.)"

I think you were joking but I can't stop imagining the abject horror of a string of metal built into the ass of my jeans. I want a nice looking ass in pants like everyone else, but christ, the hell of my foot is where such an underwire would be right now and there's no way it would be comfortable, even before it inevitably starts snagging and poking out of it's intended place.
posted by GoblinHoney at 2:12 PM on November 13, 2018 [4 favorites]


I was just confused by the repeated references to how regular denim jeans were apparently masochistic exercises in sitting down. Or even wearing a pair of jeans is a matter of putting up with rough horrible material. My Levi 505's (routinely washed after wear) are generally nothing but pretty comfortable, especially when sitting down.
posted by Atreides at 2:18 PM on November 13, 2018 [5 favorites]


I had a job at which a friend and I started Formal Fridays. It was pretty fun, especially seeing the confusion of people not in our department.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:32 PM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


"Next Friday ... is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans."

I recently learned that Casual Friday is directly related to Aloha Friday, which came about when the Hawaiian Fashion Guild (!) handed out Hawaiian shirts to their state congress-critters.

99% Invisible's mini spin-off Articles of Interest has a great episode about Hawaiian shirts that gets into this history.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 3:07 PM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


Gotta say I also associate this trend with pants that fall apart, though perhaps that is also a sign that I should invest in some nicer pants.
posted by atoxyl at 3:15 PM on November 13, 2018


Lord, but I do despise stretchy pants and shirts. Whenever I see a pair of men’s pants labeled “stretch” (or whatever marketing moniker they use) all I read is “Body-hugging pants that cling too close, and will make you sweat.” Even venerable purveyor of all things cotton, Lands End, has snuck stretch into tons of their stuff. It’s just a way to use less cotton and make items just a bit smaller.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:53 PM on November 13, 2018 [7 favorites]


Yet another cyclist reporting in! I never imagined that I'd ever spend more than $50 on a pair of jeans. But I bought a pair of stretchy "technical" jeans last spring, and I've bought 3 similar pairs since to round out the wardrobe (and a couple pairs of equivalent shorts). They're that good, I can never go back (these, fwiw).
posted by Nutri-Matic Drinks Synthesizer at 4:14 PM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


Fuck pants

That's what I call my stretchy denim


Hell, that's what I call my boyfriend
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:20 PM on November 13, 2018 [9 favorites]


Seems to me the real story of brands getting men OK with wearing spandex is Under Armour, especially with their hocus-pocusy claims

A few years ago I was in OKC, and after a while I noticed a pattern. Some days my matches looked like a catalog for moisture-wicking clothes.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:19 PM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


For an embarrassingly long while I was trying to figure out why so many people in Oklahoma City in particular were wearing that type of clothing.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:19 PM on November 13, 2018 [11 favorites]


I've unashamedly loved my stretchy jeans for years. They are the best. I've never had better fitting or longer lasting pants.
posted by davejay at 9:04 PM on November 13, 2018


I never get more than a 100 or so wears out of a pair of work pants before something catastrophic unrelated to the pant quality happens (serious tear; soaked with bleach, splattered with foam/paint/caulking/etc.) so cheap or expensive doesn't really factor into longevity. I love me costco's cheap stretch jeans. Tough enough for my purposes, not constraining if I'm crawling around some confined space and cheap. I wash them every or every other wear so I haven't really noticed them stretching out (though I wear suspenders and not a belt). I didn't have to be "tricked" into wearing them, the advantages were obvious.

For a while there I used to have to sew new pockets into them in short order but they've went with a much better pocket material now and I haven't had to do that in a while.
posted by Mitheral at 10:18 PM on November 13, 2018


It’s just a way to use less cotton and make items just a bit smaller.

Uh... No, it isn’t. I’m right this moment wearing the Hank Hill special with Stretch-o-Tronic Technology or whatever the fuck. They’re...jeans? The daddest of dad jeans? But you can squat in them? Stretchy does not mean tight or thin or shiny or anything like that. It’s denim, in all the same cuts and finishes you’re used to, but with some give.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:49 PM on November 13, 2018 [2 favorites]


Some stretch denim (and stretchy dress shirts, and slacks) has a sort of sheen to it. I think it’s intentional styling.

The blends that are like this also have that same sort of zippy feeling at the fingertips (and a slight ‘mvvvvp’ sound when brushed, even) that I associate with sateen sheets and polyester blends (maybe it’s not actually the Lycra or spandex doing this, but some other fiber of finish.) Its a sensation that’s sort of like a mild version of fingernails on a blackboard for me, so I definitely notice it. Those tend to be the sweatier fabrics too.

Most stretch stuff just doesn’t flatter me at all, but if it did (and didn’t exhibit that zippy sensation) I’d totally buy it.

What men’s jeans really need is a little more room in rise and more button fly choices. There are a few cuts from Levi’s, but they don’t look great and after that you’re quickly looking at brands like Diesel and RRL, which are super pricey.

It’s not just the Something About Mary scenario, button flys make the whole crotch area more forgiving, and less stifling. I have a lot of less than current-looking jeans because I’m not surrendering any decently flattering pair I’ve found with a button fly until they literally fall apart.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:03 AM on November 14, 2018


Discovered something horrifying last night. Not all of my jeans stretch. I discovered this while I was attempting to learn stretches for my sciatica. I will be remedying this in the near. Future.
posted by evilDoug at 7:33 AM on November 14, 2018 [2 favorites]


I like that we now have soft clingy stretchy pants and jeans in men's sizes with men's-pants-type pockets. If you're large enough for men's clothes, want your butt to look cute, and want to keep items in your pants, they're amazing.
posted by bagel at 9:43 AM on November 14, 2018


Aren’t stretch fabrics kind of lose-lose from environmental point-of-view? They are less durable and harder to recycle.
posted by baueri at 10:07 AM on November 14, 2018 [2 favorites]


As a smith who works with white-hot metal (and who trains a few interested in such) I require 100% natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk) with demonstrations of what happens when frozen gasoline (aka any sort of polyester, spandex, or acrylic) is included in the weave. Even the 50/50 stuff will quite readily catch afire and act as its own wick when heated to sufficient temperature. If you're going to play with molten bronze/iron/steel, dress appropriately and avoid anything that will melt, cling to your skin, and then catch on fire.
posted by Blackanvil at 7:39 PM on November 14, 2018 [8 favorites]




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