Not what we usually mean by wearing the big girl pants...

[wshaffer]

So, there's a style of jeans popularly known as the "boyfriend" cut, the notion being that they're cut like men's jeans, except with a bit of a nod to a more typically feminine waist-hip ratio. They tend to be cut a bit boxier and roomier in the hip and thigh area, which is a great boon to those of us women who tend to be cut a bit boxier and roomier in the hip and thigh area.

The name has always both amused and annoyed me. Amused, because any attempt of mine to wear my actual male beloved's jeans would result in hilarity. Annoyed, because there's just the tiniest shade of gender and heteronormative bias lurking in there. And no one would ever market "girlfriend" jeans to men, right?

Er, actually, wrong. Levi's actually sells an "Ex-girlfriend" jean, and it's essentially the direct reverse of the "boyfriend" cut - tighter and more form fitting in the hip and thigh area.

I do want to know: why "ex-girlfriend" jeans? Is it only manly to wear a girl's pants after she's dumped you?

Comments

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent question. And one that I can't answer at all. Really, I'm just commenting to second the love for the boyfriend jeans in general, and the facepalming at the name.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I had interpreted the causality to be implied the other way: that your girlfriend is presumed to be affronted by an insufficiently manly man who has stolen her trousers.

For me (were it not ridiculous in any present or past circumstance), it would be more, "Hey, do you know how long I had to hunt to find those? Give them back!" than any judgment of manliness.

[wshaffer.livejournal.com]

I had interpreted the causality to be implied the other way: that your girlfriend is presumed to be affronted by an insufficiently manly man who has stolen her trousers.

That's plausible, but would it have marketing cachet? "Buy these jeans and you can look like a guy who's been dumped because he steals his girlfriend's jeans - without actually having to have a girlfriend to steal jeans from!"

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

It's never manly; hence the only time it's okay is if you broke up because you realized you were gay. :-p

[wshaffer.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...you may be on to something there!