Anyway. I found myself buying two pairs of skinny jeans. The lucky thing is I bought 2 pairs of jeans and 2 books for $2.80. So even though I’m not ABSOLUTELY sure I needed them, I only ended up spending like a buck a pair. (This is where thrift stores come in handy, I’m telling you.)
My random splurge inspired me. So here are tips on what to look for when you’re buying second-hand jeans.
First, feel everything. I’ll probably say that a million times, but the way things feel is really a big deal. You can sanitize once you leave the store so don’t worry about it.
The first pair of jeans I found felt really thin. I happen to like the thicker, it-feels-like-it’s-keeping-my-butt-in-place kind of jeans so I left them and browsed more.
Next thing you need to look for in jeans is how worn down they are. They ARE used. But you don’t want to spend your money on used-used jeans. I have the habit of checking the seat of the pants. Also check between the legs.
 |
| If it’s white, don’t buy. . I like to think that rhymes. |
For me personally (it might be with everyone, I don’t know), when it comes to jeans, I have to try them on. So I found four jeans that were around my size, (size doesn’t seem to matter these days. It’s ridiculous.) and got in the dressing room.
I had gone back for the super thin dark ones, so those were the first ones I tried. They seemed to form to me pretty well.
Never forget to check your back side when you’re looking for jeans. It’s a big gamble if you buy jeans that are bottom-saggy at the store. I’ve done that once before, thinking that if I brought them home and washed them they’d tighten up, but they didn’t, so watch out.
I tried on some higher rise jeans next.
 |
| Take note of the nice front. No strange wrinkles around the thighs or the annoying V that can happen. |
They were too baggy. I didn’t feel good in them. I felt like I was getting hand-me-downs and trying to make the best of it.
Note: stay organized in the dressing room with what you have and haven’t tried on and what you do or don’t like. I wasn’t, and got hot and sweaty rushing to finish up for this nice old woman who was patiently waiting to use the one dressing room.
I picked up another pair to try on and wasn’t too taken by the baby pockets.
I flipped them over and realized there were no pockets in the back either. I don’t do no pockets. Jeans with no pockets are just wrong. And it makes your butt look blank like it’s missing something. You don’t want people cocking their head at your rear, thinking, “now wasn’t there something that’s supposed to be there. .?”
These were my last pair and I loved the faded blue jean color. I don’t have any like this.
Butt looked nice.
I thought about these for a while, though, because they were a little too big on the waist, I’ll probably need to use a belt. And they have that annoying wrinkle. Of course you can’t see it if I stand normal, with my feet shoulder width apart, that’s what I told myself.
I wandered the store a bit more, finding two books. (It had to be two. Buy one get one free. *content sigh* Only at a thrift store.) And soon checked out.
I ended up buying both pairs of jeans. They’re originally $4 each, but the store was having a %50 off clothing and shoes sale. Two for the price of one was looking really good.
Somewhere between me seeing the sign and getting ringed up, the prices saw a change, I don’t know how, and I ended up paying $2.80, which was very very fine for me.
I came home and my mind cleared and I realized I had totally forgot to check a few things. Like snags or fadded fold lines.
 |
| Probably made from trying to jump a barbed fence. . Not that I know what that’s like. |
Or the width of the jeans at the ankle. I usually like a little flair at the ankle, just so it lightly drapes over the shoe.
Oops. Oh well. Skinny shoes it is when I wear these pants. And who will notice the snags on the other? No biggie. And hey, they were a dollar.
Good luck on your jean shopping!
The Rebekah Koontz Site 