Badtux the Snarky Penguin

In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.

Religious fundamentalists are motivated by the sneaking suspicion that someone, somewhere, is having fun -- and that this must be stopped.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Do blue jeans ever wear out?

Just wondering. My Levi's jeans don't seem to "wear out" as such. They just get more comfortable and get more "character" as they age. The only time I throw them out is when they get holes in them, which usually happens when I'm working on one of my vehicles and manage to catch the jeans on an exposed bolt or something.

So: has anybody here ever worn out a pair of Levi's jeans? And how could you tell it was worn out? Curious penguins want to know!

- Badtux the Fashion Penguin

Posted by: BadTux / 9/24/2006 12:27:00 PM

Comments:

During the late 80s and early 90s I had three pairs of Levis that progressively fell apart in a most beautiful way. First they reached the point where they were flannel soft and nearly as thin at the knees and started to fray then tear there. They became finally as flannel soft all over and deteriorated in the seat and were covered all over the front with natural rips. I continued to wear them with opaque tights underneath. Loved those jeans. When there was just about nothing left of them at all in the front of both thighs or in the crotch, literally held together only by the side seams is is when they ceased for me to be useful as clothing. I had done nothing extra to hasten their destruction except being a poor artist my wardrobe consisted of about only those jeans plus two black pairs during those years, but I always handwashed them which saved on wear and tear from washers and dryers. I did paint in them after a certain point of deterioration so they were covered with smears of acrylic paint but that may have prolongued their use as it held together parts of the fabric while they were disintegrating elsewhere. The black jeans didn't fall apart in as comfortable a way, never became as soft and supple, though they did naturally develop tears at the knees.

Then Levis became too expensive for me and I moved into Old Navy jeans after a friend gave me an old pair that were very comfortable and hung well, though not ever wearing to that beautiful flannel softness. I've been unhappy with Old Navy jeans for several years now and your post has me wishing for the old Levis again.
# posted by idyllopus : 24/9/06 4:57 PM

Not Levi's. I've bought other brands that have wore out, but not the Levi's.

The only problem I've had is that the waistline keeps shrinking. So I'll buy a pair with a bigger waist, and sure enough, after a couple of years the waist begins to shrink on those, also. The pair I have now is squeezing my belly so much that my belly is now hanging over the waist. I wish they'd fix that problem.
# posted by niCk (Mem Beth) : 24/9/06 6:09 PM

That's know as the "Dunlop Problem", as in "My belly dun-lopped over my belt.".

Dave
# posted by Anonymous : 24/9/06 8:38 PM

Whoa. Idyllopus give us the starving artist in Levi's. I shoulda figured it would have been a starving artist who would have worn the things until they disintegrated :-).

I buy my Levi's at the factory outlet store where they send the flawed ones. They typically have "flaws" such as a bad stitch down the front pants leg, a mis-stitched rear label, etc., but cost half the price that they cost in a "real" store. I found, back in my days as a starving schoolteacher, that the Levi's jeans simply fit better and lasted longer and were more comfortable than the off-brand jeans, so even though money was tight, they were what I bought. But that's when I started shopping the outlet malls for them, LOL!

And BTW, for the guys out there wondering about opaque tights, Idyllopus is a girl, so those are okay on her. Men in tights are, uhm, odd (heh!). Comic book superheros make me want to shout "Suppressed homosexuality!" at the top of my lungs every time I encounter them.

-BT
# posted by BadTux : 24/9/06 8:40 PM

Not worn out, just lost (or stolen). A friend made some bucks on a pair in Russia about 27 years ago.
# posted by nunya : 24/9/06 8:49 PM

Isn't it against a law somewhere for Levis to wear out?
# posted by Lurch : 24/9/06 9:11 PM

After the warp breaks there is a fine venetian blind like ventilation provided by the woof. Or is it the other way around?
At some point soon thereafter the significant in one's life takes one shopping.
Or worse.

--ml
# posted by Dum Luk's : 24/9/06 9:54 PM

I don't know about that, I don't wear blue jeans. I wear slacks I buy used, that are much stronger and last longer. I have better things to do with my money than wear pants that wear out too fast.

I have people to feed.
# posted by BBC : 24/9/06 10:30 PM

Like idyllopus I have several pairs in various stages of "evolution." Once holes start to appear in the knee region, I try to avoid wearing them to work. I've been patching my jeans since I was a teen. I have a large collection of scrap fabric. So I keep patching away. One pair of jeans (only Levi's)is at the 50-50 mark of being half denim and half replacement material. I hate throwing anything away.
# posted by TheCultureGhost : 24/9/06 10:55 PM

Love the Levi's. The wear factor is almost forever.
Actually that's how I met my husband 26 years ago. We were shooting pool in a bar, he leaned over the pool table in front of me to shoot, and lo and behold there's a rip in the back of his Levi's (note: no boxers or briefs). Took his home that night - like I said - married 26 years.
I love a great worn pair of Levi's
# posted by naughty cornfield jane : 25/9/06 12:59 PM

Absolutely they can be worn out, though it takes a long, long time. I had a pair of 501 button fly Levi's for about 15-16 years. I could tell they were worn out when the ass was just a few threads and the knees had totally given way.

Love my Levis and will never stop wearing them.
# posted by Red State Blues : 25/9/06 3:30 PM

mine don't wear out; I become either too fat or too slim for whichever ones I have at the time, so they go to the thrift store and I get new ones, til the next 42 waist size change. so i guess I've never really worn a pair out.
# posted by 42 : 25/9/06 9:07 PM

I grew out of my levis. I don't think I've had a pair for years.

I've ended up buying the cheaper brand of jeans and they DO wear out if you wear them horse riding and hit a mailbox with your knee, then land in the gravel. The holes really aren't as big as I would have thought. They can still be worn without showing anything, as long as I don't try to wear them anywhere fancy.
# posted by oldwhitelady : 26/9/06 6:41 PM

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