Monday, July 07, 2014

If I Like Jeans? They Stop Making Them

     I wore bootcut Levis for years.  One particular style fit me well, held up well and wasn't too expensive.  Levis decided jeans that reach one's waist were passe and discontinued them.

     Hey, that's okay -- Galyan's Sporting Goods sold good hiking jeans!  --Then Galyan's was bought by Dick's and their clothing lines were no more.

     So I started shopping at Western tack & saddle stores, farm-supply outlets, and discovered the old traditional (non-Levis) brands still sold jeans that fit well and I liked...until, one by one, they didn't and Carhartt was all that was left.

     But hey -- Carhartt.  Good stuff.  Workwear, right?  Not too likely to go chasing fashion?  ...Then they dropped the heavy carpenter's jeans I liked.  So I discovered their Double-Fronts.  Not my blue denim but tough canvas twill in dark brown and tan.  And that's serious workwear, they won't stop making those, will they?

     They have.  I should have become suspicious when the dark brown color stopped being available; it's a little more popular. (I've got a couple of pairs in the mending, which has now become a priority.)

     You can still get women's Double-Fronts -- in a "slim," low-rise style.  Yes, "skinny jeans" workwear, which might work for me if I was twenty years younger and as many pounds lighter.

     Carhartt still -- so far -- sells some plain "easy-fit" jeans that should do.  Maybe I'd better stock up

21 comments:

ZerCool said...

I'm not going to pretend to know the first thing about women's clothing or their pants... but have you looked at Duluth Trading Co? I keep hearing good things about their Firehose pants, and it looks like they make a (slightly lighter) version with a women's fit.

That or see what size men's pants might fit you? :)

Drang said...

Mrs. Drang has the same effect on just about anything.

Eric said...

ZerCool - you beat me to it!

Sport Pilot said...

Ditto on DTC but be forewarned most clothing apparel there isn't made in USA. Still QG's pretty good. FWIW if there is a Rural King store in your area stop by and purchase some of their store brand jeans. Nope not Made In USA but good value for the dollar.

fillyjonk said...

Yeah, low-rise is coming back. I had hoped the last time it died it was dead for good, but this summer, it seems like even the farm stores (my usual go-to place for non-ridiculous clothing) only has khakis or jeans that stop a good bit south of the belly button.

Also, they seem to have forgotten that some women actually have more than an inch or two of difference in size between hips and waist. If I get pants that fit my hips, they gap at the waist. And I'm not that unusually proportioned.

The only clothing company I've seen lately that makes most of their stuff in the US is Deva Lifewear, but those are kind of hippie dresses and the like. Fine for me but not for some.

Laura said...

thirding Duluth's pants.

'cept not, if you have bad luck with'em. :P

still, though, they wear well and they're comfortable. they actually make pants to fit curvy women, which is a relief to me...means i can get jeans from them and have them fit properly.

Ruth said...

another vote for Duluth, I have several pairs of their jeans and Firehose pants. But please don't Jinx them......

I have to admit that I kinda like a lower waist on my jeans, when I can find them in an otherwise good quality and fit, I'm short and "regular" waisted pants actually come up over my waist. No, Duluth's jeans aren't low waisted!

Anonymous said...

Reinvestigate Levis. They have a habit of resurrecting old styles with no warning...did it with men's 517, and I suspect they did it with a couple of ladies styles.
Kishnevi

Anonymous said...

I learned years ago if I found ANYTHING I liked that it was wise to IMMEADIATELY buy a lifetime supply, as they were sure to go out of production very soon.

Merle

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

Could also check http://texasjeans.com . 100% Made in 'Murica! :)

Roberta X said...

ZerCool (and others): Duluth Trading Post, much as I love 'em, does not seem to understand that some women are tall and long of limb; their longest-leg jeans are highwaters on me.

rickn8or said...

Annnd again with Duluth Trading. They DO have dedicated wimmin's work clothes too.

Got started with their extra-long tee and polo shirts, which work better for CCW, and became a big fan of their Souped Up Sweatpants.

And yes, some stuff is not made in the USA. Not made in the USA as in "Vietnam."

Earl said...

I like Dickies, because of price, but then I buy for me an older fuller fella. I got the dark brown and the lighter brown carpenter pants and use them to shooting style points at half the cost of the 5.11 tactical goodness ones - likely last four times as long.

jed said...

Wish I could offer something other than 'ditto'. I gave up on Levi long ago. Wrangler did it to me, and I went to Carhartt. Not sure what I'll do if they discontinue the "loose" fit pants. I already went to Dickies for work shorts, since Carhartt doesn't make shorts cut the same in the backside as their jeans that fit me.

I guess Carhartt is going to follow the trends, no matter whom it leaves behind. Maybe I should go grab some more of the pants that work, as a precaution.

Never understood the "skinny" jean thing. Seems awfully uncomfortable.

Charles Lee Scudder said...

Sadly most "unpopular" styles are quickly sold only from the company. Then die.
My fave jeans were Stephanos, they lost all the belt loops, then got turned into shorts, and finally just fell apart. Check out Etsy. They have some people putting out the different styles of jeans. Either as "vintage" or new production.

Roberta X said...

Sadly, Dickies brand women's work jeans are not a good fit for me and the material seems awfully thin. Got one pair to try out. Would not buy again.

Roberta X said...

A lot of the workwear companies regard their women's lines as an afterthought, usually bought for fashion. It may even be true, since the ratio of women to men in construction and allied trades is very small. But for those of us who need proper workwear, it's frustrating.

Ruth said...

Ok, I just book marked that TexasJeans link, they offer womens inseams as short as 26" and thats REALLY hard to find....

Drang said...

I learned all sorts of factors in whether a pair of britches fit when I stated seeing a woman a foot shorter than me. Not-yet-Mrs. Drang was a docent at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, and someone decided that they needed to issue docents uniforms instead of just telling them to get a pair of khakis. "Rise? What's 'rise'?"
(Come to think of it, this may have been the first case I saw of her killing something through liking it -- being able to find and wear a pair of khakis she liked...)

Would a pair of allegedly-designed-with-women-in-mind BDU-style cargo pants work? Propper and Truspec make them in a variety of color combinations, you wouldn't have to go to work in camouflage. I'm sure someone can link you to vendors. (LAPG, for one.)

Midwest Chick said...

I would have suggested Texas Jeans, but the last time I ordered, they sent me the low riders (and they are REALLY low). Even when you think you've ordered the right thing, not so much on their women's jeans. Their men's jeans are great though.

Anonymous said...

LOL Modern Factory (Solid surface/Corian Cabinettry) work wear seemingly includes The same work Clothes That Lebron James wears... I May be one of Very few who wears safety toed Boots, and Budget walmart carpenter Pants... I see everything from BB uniforms To LAWN gerRAy... Yeah They wear it at Home too)