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Apr 17, 2014

If Jeans Could Talk


One morning this past week, I was folding a load of laundry from the dryer. I folded a few of my husband's jeans and a couple of t-shirts. I went to grab another piece of clothing and noticed a pair of jeans I wore the previous day. I stopped and smiled because these jeans had miles. I owned them before I met my husband which was a good 6 years ago.

I hadn't worn them for a while, in efforts to keep the miles off them. During their prime years, these were the jeans I always wore even over a new pair. They were just, you know, the pair. You can say I got my money's worth with these.

We all have been through a lot of jeans. Some of you may even have many of the same pair but these jeans were my absolute life time favorite. The way they fit. The wash. The length. Everything about them was perfection.

I tried finding another pair as these began to fade after a good several hundred (plus) washes but of course when you find something you really like, you're more than likely never going to find it again. That's why my mom always says to buy two or more of a good thing.

Where am I going with this and why do you care about these old, faded over-worn jeans of mine?

I recently joined a Facebook group sponsored by a blogger called 40 bags in 40 days. The gist was to fill a trash bag everyday of items to donate resulting in less clutter and you post your progress daily. Well, eventually I realized this group wasn't for me because I'd be lucky to fill one trash bag as we don't have a lot of clutter here after last summer's rampaging purge. And I am not giving up my antiques. I stuck the group out a few more days because I thought well, maybe I could learn from this so I never let my house get to the point of needing to toss 40 bags worth of stuff.

I am pretty good about throwing things out. Ask my mother. She always went through my donation bags growing up to make sure I wasn't giving anything "good" away. Which is odd, because my father and brother happen to be the opposite.

So, I decided to throw a wrench in the system and ask the ladies in this group their advice on what someone my age, recently married should save over the years. I don't want to have any regrets since I can be the purge queen at times. I can't remember what some of the other comments were, but one of them really stuck out in my mind when I took this pair of jeans out of the dryer.

A gal had mentioned saving a pair of jeans from when she was first married.

I had thought that was entirely too clever. Why? In my opinion, your jeans have more stories than your wedding dress. Your wedding dress is basically a costume that you feel obligated to wear on your big day. At least it was to me anyways. I guess you can blame that on my tom boy roots. I remember the moment my husband ask me to marry him and  dreading the thought of having to wear a wedding dress.


Don't get me wrong. I love my wedding dress and I am going to keep it.

I have my dress and sash stored in a little canvas box my mom purchased for it and eventually I'd like to place that box in a cedar chest that just may show up under the Christmas tree some day. *cough* *this is where husbands should take notes* *cough*

I made the executive decision and officially retired my most favorite pair of worn out jeans. I placed them in the canvas box with my dress. Normally, retired jeans get turned into work jeans to wear on the farm or doing work in the yard.



Before I retired these jeans and had my little boxing ceremony, I showed them to my husband and said, "Do you remember these jeans?"

He smiled and said, "Oh yeah..... you use to wear those ALL THE TIME."

I chuckled because I remember wearing these on our second date which consisted of grilling out steak and riding the four wheeler. Eventually after about date #10, I was asked if I owned anything besides those jeans and Purdue t-shirts by my now husband. I mean, we were farm kids! Of course I always wore jeans and a tshirt on our dates... most likely we were on the fourwheeler, going to a tractor pull or a bon fire. It wasn't my fault we didn't engage in activities that required a cocktail dress and heels!

So I guess since these jeans have been with us during our dating years, came with us on our honeymoon, were worn during many house building projects, helped out with harvests 2011-2013 and got me through my first few years of marriage, I think it would be fun to save them.

If there is an item in my closet that describes me the most, it's these jeans.

These jeans have been with me through most of my 20s. As my 20s come to a close next year, I think a lot about how much I've grown and what I've accomplished in the last decade [in those jeans].

Someday, 20, 30 years from now, when I take my wedding dress out to look at it, I may wonder why the heck a pair of jeans are in there. Or maybe I will take one look and smile.

And hope that they still fit as I remember some of the best years of my life.

What, besides your wedding dress have you saved in a special place that defines who you are or holds some very special memories? 

9 comments:

  1. I still have my prom dress and my granddaughters play dress up with it. :)

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  2. The title drew me in! Oh the jeans I save for so many memories! I think that is a great idea to save the jeans with your dress. I don't really save anything from myself but I have one of my dads favorite flannel shirts. Sometimes when I need a little moment of comfort i pull it out and give it a squeeze. Its amazing how clothing can hold so many memories. Thanks for reminding me! :)

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  3. I like this post, Miss Kelly!

    My Wedding Dress is in a box under the bed. I had it all sealed up for preservation until Sister wanted to try it on. I had the idea to sell it on eBay, but the local gal who was going to help sell it told me said it wouldn't bring much and it was to pretty to "give away." Then I had the idea to sell it to a gal to make baptismal gowns out of for babies. That fell through too. I had a third idea in the works when I took the dress out to look at it. It brought back fun memories and I just couldn't part with it.

    I have several t-shirts and a pj shirt that are keep-sakes. I also have the teddy bear I received when I had my appendix out in 2nd grade.

    Like you, I am not a fan of clutter. But, there are a few things we really should keep to remind us of our youth.

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  4. Purge queens, unite! I love the question you proposed to the 40 bags in 40 days group. I can't imagine even acquiring enough for 2 bags because I tend to throw everything away as soon as I can! Right now the only things I have saved for special memories are 3 childhood toys and a box filled with cards from my significant other over the past 4 years. In the future, I look forward to tucking away my favorite jeans and wedding dress!

    PS - Keeping my fingers crossed that a cedar chest ends up under your tree this year :)

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  5. What a sweet post! I wish I could remember a pair of jeans like this, but unfortuantly any jeans I would have worn when hubs and I first started dated would be long retired because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't fit in them anymore! Like you I tend to wear my favorites until they literally fall apart at the seams and then they get thrown out or retired into work jeans. I also tend to only keep around one or two pair of "for good" jeans and buy the rest second-hand so I'm not so devistated when something happens!


    I'll admit, my wedding dress isn't stored properly :( It's just wrapped up in a gown bag, at the top of my closet. It got super muddy and dirty on the bottom at our outdoor October wedding, and I don't think the lace can be cleaned that properly, so I've just kinda ignored it :( I have this idea to seperate the layers and save the good lace part for future daughters/etc and use the satiny part for pieces of baby blankets!

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  6. I've worn jeans since I was old enough to decide for myself. I've told the people responsible that I want to die in my jeans and be buried in a white T-shirt and jeans. It's who I am, or who I like to think of myself as: comfortable, down to earth, practical. I've never saved a particular pair of jeans mainly because, by the time I'm done with them, there really isn't much left to save. My jeans are what I wear every day to work the livestock, or garden, or mow, etc. While raising 6 children I've never been afraid to get spit up on, play in the dirt, and all around enjoy my kids. Like you, my wedding dress was something I wore for the occasion. It's boxed up and stored in the attic. What for? I'm not quite sure. If I were to get married today, I'd wear clean jeans, clean t-shirt, work boots, and my favorite hat. And I'd line dance the night away.

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  7. A round of applause for the post and then another round for being able to fit into the same pair of jeans for so many years! Haha. I think you should be proud of each.

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    Replies
    1. Haha, thank you so much Colby! I never did think about that. It is a lot of work to "maintain" that's for sure. :)

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