When skinny jeans came into fashion, there was an outcry – what person in their right mind who didn't have Kate Moss legs wear these things?! And yet, they persisted. "Oh, I could NEVER wear those," I thought when I saw them, but secretly, I coveted them. Slinky dark wash jeans with black high heels? Bright red ballet flats? ME WANT.
But I could NEVER wear those.
I used to work in Kensington Market in Toronto for a lovely Mexican/Italian man who owned a trendy little shop there. He told me I should wear skinny jeans. I snorted – yeah, right! But he was serious. He said I should show off my curves and what he called my "Brazilian body" (uhhh sure – I'm as white as white comes, but I do have a large butt, so I guess that's good?).
NOT going to happen. But still, my eye would catch on magazine spreads with models wearing skinny jeans, white t-shirts, and trendy hip-length vests with long silver chains around their necks (and of course, the giant sunglasses).
I've struggled with my weight since I left Toronto and went from walking EVERYWHERE and playing ultimate four nights a week to an office job where I drive back and forth (and still play sports four nights a week). When I moved out I thought, hmm, I could stand to lose ten pounds. That was two years ago, and I've GAINED ten pounds (from an injury) since then, lost most of it despite being in a car accident, and right now struggle just to stay at the weight I moved out here at, despite being quite active (I even completed my first triathlon this summer!).
So, this isn't a story of how I was fat, lost the weight, and now I wear my skinny jeans, hooray! There's nothing wrong with that story – but it isn't mine. And it won't ever be, not because I don't think I'll lose the weight I want to, but because I wear my skinny jeans right now.
Last Christmas I was shopping for new jeans online (which my astute partner saw and immediately shoved his credit card at me because he's awesome and hates shopping for gifts for me – fair enough) and I saw them. My dark skinny jeans in a style I knew fit me.
On sale.
DONE.
And they came and I loved them. Maybe I don't look like Keira Knightly in them, but you bet your ass I rock them with my black heels.
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."
