Blue jeans and pants

wear those jeans. Old timers will understand, new-timers will not understand why having the zipper on the side was offensive to a boy and I can’t explain why it was there.

In the 1960s when permitted to have an opinion on fashion I dressed like Charlie Brown; my choice was corduroy pants and suede or saddle oxford shoes.

In the 1970s I learned to make jeans fit my shape by wearing them in the hottest shower I could tolerate and walking outside, dripping and squishing, until they sun-dried and shrank. You probably did something equally silly.

People have been wearing clothing made of cotton for thousands of years. The fibers are long, making the spinning into yarn easier. “Jeans” the denim product called “dungarees” from a Hindi word (dungi’) for “cotton cloth” are mainstream.

Some people wear torn, ripped and faded jeans that look ready for a rag bag. I don’t understand that. The popular brands have prevailed with avid fans for decades. Some will only wear “Levi’s,” “Wranglers” or “Lee’s.” For many years I wore only “Route 66,” a Kmart brand.

Sears store brands are “Roebucks” and “Canyon River.” J.C. Penny owns the “Arizona” trademark. Jeans were designed as work clothes but became fashionable in the 1970s. The well-known names of Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and others show up on jeans. And, who could forget the high prices women paid for a swan logo on the back, the Gloria Vanderbilt name.

It seems clothing is increasingly made from manufactured fabrics but few things are as comfortable in warm weather as natural fabrics. Still, when you find something as versatile as my miracle pants made from coal, water, air and petroleum, who can complain.

Joe Phillips writes his “Dear me” columns for several small newspapers. He has many connections to Walker County, including his grandfather, former superintendent Waymond Morgan. He can be reached at joenphillips@ hotmail.com.