Jeans for Jim
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 4:58PM 
7 for All Mankind's Standard Fit JeanOne recent morning my day began with a phone call from my Dad, Jim. (Please read about him in this post from last year - he's wonderful.) I was surprised and bemused when the conversation (obviously a priority call at that hour) turned to the topic of denim. My surprise stemmed from the fact that I've never known my Dad to wear anything other than Levi's 501s, purchased from JCPenny or Mervyn's. My bemusement stemmed from the way he mentioned some of the "newer" brands in this conversation, or tried to; apparently he had been talking with my brother-in-law.
"He mentioned some brand that's just three letters?"
"A.P.C.?"
"That may be it." I told him that while A.P.C. jeans are fabulous, they may be a bit more than he bargained for in terms of maintenance. Let's face it, even if you can afford it selvedge edge raw denim just isn't for everyone, especially 71-year-old retirees however hip they may be. Even if Dad is diligent, turning the jeans inside-out and doing a cold wash may be a long to-do-list. But before we started to plan a maintenance schedule, I knew we had to find a pair. He said his only thing was that he didn't want the jeans to be "bootcut or too tight". Ahem.
Could it be done? Can a septogenarian really break into the world of premium denim and survive to tell the tale? I knew this would be a project in patience (for both of us) to say the least. Like any good coach, I began a bit of mental preparation. I told Dad that if he was really serious, we needed to take an afternoon and go shopping. That the trip would not be like his usual jean-buying outings of the past, and that it may take a long time to find just what he was looking for. I also told him that if he persevered, we would certainly find something that he'd not only like, but would treat him well in return. (I was only being honest. Even those of us who love jeans must admit that shopping for them is a bit of a chore. If you don't know what you're getting into, you can easily get overwhelmed.) I suggested that we start at Barney's since they have a gazillion different brands to try, and from there we could go to Lucky Brand and wherever else...
Our shopping day dawned hot and beautiful. We drove downtown and I was happy that Dad was relaxed and affable - always a good beginning. However, once we'd parked and we were headed to the elevator, Dad revealed that he didn't really care for Barney's because...
"I always find it sort of..."
"Pretentious?"
"Yup." I said we'd start at Banana Republic instead.
I should now state that my Dad is pretty trim for his age. He has very lean, athletic legs, but not much behind, which makes all of us other Wilsons utterly crazy. Where does the ass disappear to at that age, we'd all like to know? It must be a mystery of the male physique. "Where the butt should have been, there was none..." wrote the poet. Okay, so I'm paraphrasing, but you get it. In other words, my goal was to enhance what was there and make everything else look utterly smashing. Thankfully, the ground work had already begun! I think one of the many benefits of my dapper brother-in-law's influence on my Dad is in the field of style. My father finally sees that a great pair of jeans with a crisp shirt and blazer is a great look for dinners out or for travel. He's seen the dashingly hip side of urban style, and now wants to make it his own; I knew I was just the girl to make it happen.
At Banana Republic, I explained the nuances of denim washes. Some were too faded, some were too indigo. We also had a quick vocabulary lesson on "whiskering" and "distressing". Two things I think most Dads over 50 would care to forego. (I think it's a generational thing; everything was supposed to be new new new when my parents were our age, so purchasing something that is made to look "broken in" is a hard-sell.) Trying on a pair at Banana, Dad examined the rough edge of a pocket and asked "Now, what happened here? Are they damaged?"
After a brief explanation we agreed that he wanted a dark blue denim (but not too blue), with minimal distressing. The Banana Republic Straight Leg looked pretty good, but the slimmer-cut Vintage Straight Leg was even better, but still a little baggy in the legs. While not perfect, this was clearly a good place to get our "new world of denim" feet wet. With jeans on hold at BR, we ventured out to Grant Avenue and the many jean shops beyond.
Dad gets fit by Meghan in his new 7 for All Mankind jeans.
I thought we'd head right to Lucky Brand, but we were immediately stopped by the 7 for All Mankind store right next door. I thought "why not"? So we went inside to check it out. The store was elegant, sparse, and modern, the music was loud, and I think both of us were a bit wide-eyed altogether. A sales associate soon approached and offered assistance in a very non-invasive way. I explained our quest, and she quickly went down to the stockroom to find Dad's size and prefered colors, and soon emerged with a stack of jeans. In the dressing room, she laid out the stack in a spectrum from left to right ranging from the slimmest to the baggiest fits. Here was a girl who knew a thing or two.
Leaving the dressing room, I thanked the associate (named Meghan) for her help. She assured me that she totally understood (without my telling her) about the whiskering and washes - "I totally know what he's all about. We'll see what size or style he likes and then pull more colors."
Dad tried the 7 for All Mankind Standard Fit first (that being the slimmest cut) and struck pure gold. They looked fabulous - already a quantum leap over Banana Republic's slimmest style. The legs were trim and the butt was discovered anew. What's more is we all agreed they were the best - me, Dad, and Meghan. He tried them on with a belt and had them pinned to be shortened just a bit. Meghan, ever the pro, said that the jeans would shrink about 1/4" after washing, but she'd account for that in the tailoring. At this momentous second, I took out the iPhone camera and started snapping - if for no other reason than to assure my mother, and sister and brother-in-law in NYC that the matter of "Dad and jeans" was now in the bag. A much more stylish, well-fitting bag at that. Amazingly, the whole jean-buying excursion took all of an hour.
Meghan at the 7 for All Mankind store rings up the sale.
Dad did express some sticker shock at the price tag for his new jeans, but agreed that they looked great on him. On the way home I made sure he was happy and confident with his purchase, because the worst thing with any kind of fashion investment purchase is the buyer's remorse. But he agreed that he was content with the whole experience. I must say that he was a trooper the whole time. I thought the stores and the loud rock music would be the killer, but it wasn't. Dad was focused and kept an open-mind throughout, and I'm proud.
Upon receiving the dressing room image above via text, my sister wrote back "Super cool." Well, that's how Dad rolls.
7 for All Mankind, Banana Republic, denim, family, jeans, menswear, shopping in Aren't Men Wonderful? 
Reader Comments (2)
(Though, in the interests of full disclosure, M still has to pour a drink or two into me before we go jeans shopping, and I usually end up making an exception to my no expletives rule while trying them on.)
it must have been all in the family this weekend. brian can tell you about how i ventured (stumbled?) into the frightening (but shockingly comfortable) world of jeggings. (i know!)