For most people jeans are a firm favourite and wardrobe staple that they simply wouldn’t want to be without. Durable, versatile and always in fashion, jeans are the casual uniform of the modern world and have even crept into the workplace. There are so many styles available that there is something to suit all tastes and I am tempted to say all figures but perhaps that could just be a bit of wishful thinking.
A Growing Problem
Due to a variety of poor lifestyle choices the population of the developed world is getting ever larger. Bad eating habits, too much time spent in front of televisions and computers and less time being active has meant that our waistlines are expanding. A rather scary proportion of people are now overweight with many being dangerously obese. Clearly there are major health issues here but excess weight also affects the way we dress.
Perhaps Not as Much Choice as You think
Jeans are becoming available in ever increasing sizes but whilst there are jeans to accommodate the fuller figure, these tend to be restricted to certain styles and brands. Obviously this is partly due to the fact that some cuts simply don’t make sense if you are overweight and I am thinking of low rise styles and skinny jeans here. Nobody wants to have everything spilling out over an unduly low waistband or a bad case of builder’s crack! Skinny jeans just don’t work either when they are clinging to too much flesh. In any case, where some people are concerned, the term skinny should be enough to tell them that they are barking up the wrong tree!
Maintaining Exclusivity
Of course we all know that people are such slaves to fashion and indeed so deluded that they will gravitate towards ridiculous styles anyway if they can find a size to fit. No brand with any street cred wants obese people wearing their jeans when they really shouldn’t be and so they employ the technique of size exclusivity, that is to say, they only offer their jeans in smaller sizes. The cooler the brand is, then the smaller the sizes on offer.
What is Overweight When it Comes to Jeans?
Many reasonably slim fashion enthusiasts will have experienced the horror of discovering that they need a size XXL in certain labels which is enough to send them on a major diet and fitness campaign immediately! The truth is that trendy brands want to see beautiful people in their clothes and they certainly do not want the intended look distorted by a fleshy physique. Ladies larger than a size 14 or men larger than a 36 waist will find that their choice of jeans is restricted and when it comes to high end designer labels you can run into trouble if you are even smaller than that.
It is really only the slimmer people of this world who can enjoy all of the wonderful choices on offer. Whilst there is a part of me which thinks it is bit naughty of the jeans manufacturers to restrict the sizes of their products, another part of me thinks this is a good thing. Ultimately the more influences there are pushing people towards a healthier lifestyle the better. If they won’t take notice of the health warnings then perhaps the desire to wear skinny jeans could be the motivation they need to get fit. What do you think?
Article By Sally Stacey