Don’t dis denim

Despite the origins of bluejeans, they aren’t a fashion cop-out


Stumped about style? Here are answers to some fashion questions.

Question: Here’s my pet peeve: Bluejeans are not fashion. They are a cop-out for women too lazy to wear attractive clothing. What’s the point of mentioning skinny jeans, boot-cut jeans or relaxed-fit jeans in a fashion column, when jeans were invented for shoveling horse manure out of the barn? Women should wear nice dresses like they did 40 years ago.

Answer: Khaki uniforms were invented for British soldiers fighting in India in 1848. Wristwatches were invented for women in the late 1800s. Does that mean only British soldiers should wear khaki pants, and women wristwatches? And that neither should be reworked and adapted as fashion items?

The essence of fashion is change. Utilitarian pieces are constantly being reinvented as fashion apparel. Today’s low-rise, slim-cut, bejeweled fashion jeans would be most impractical for cleaning out the barn.

When Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss first created denim pants in 1873, they were intended as men’s work wear. But those pants were gradually refined and restyled — for men and women. Like it or not, jeans have been a women’s fashion staple ever since.

What should the stepmother of the bride wear?

Question: I will be part of the wedding party when my stepdaughter marries in December. The bride’s mother has chosen a long bronze gown with a short jacket. The groom’s mother plans to wear a deep green dress with a dull gold wrap. What length, style and color should I buy to blend in? I am in my mid-50s and prefer dresses with sleeves.

Answer: Length is easy. To blend in with the other moms, and to be black-tie appropriate, wear a long gown. A style with sleeves is your preference, but if you can’t find one, a sleeveless dress with a wrap or jacket is an option. As for color, select something deep and rich—burgundy, plum, pewter, dark blue, deep rose, etc.

Mad for plaid

The on-again, off-again love affair designers have with plaid is on again. Everyone’s mad for plaid this fall. But not the big, gaudy plaids that sometimes plague the fashion scene. Most of this season’s patterns and colors are dark and subdued. “Subtle plaid” may seem like an oxymoron. So may “sophisticated plaid.” But that’s how the desirable ones appear.


