the polyesters must die

I know it sounds harsh but there it is. I am a part of the blue jeans generation. I have been wearing Lee jeans for decades. Why? Because they fit! Finding the perfect fit for jeans is like finding the perfect bra.

Fit

Comfort

Style

These are VERY IMPORTANT.  So when you find a pair of jeans that meets all of these criteria you buy them. And you wear them until the literally fall apart. I have worn jeans that were held together with safety pins and patches because they were comfortable and they fit.

Jeans are like your best friend- you know that no matter what they will always be just what you need. So having a pair get to the unwearable stage can be pretty traumatic. I wasn't too worried because I had my trusty Lee jeans that fit just right every time -even new off the shelf. So when I had to retire two pairs recently because I couldn't fix them anymore I went to Penny's and picked up 2 new pairs. (Did I mention that I am short - like only 5' tall?) I have been buying my jeans at Penny's for years because they carry my size in short (which means a 29" inseam which is still 2" too long but I can deal with it because it's better than 6" too long)

So, fast forward a couple weeks. My new jeans are driving me nuts. It's a gradual thing. I'd put them on and they'd be OK but as the day wore on I'd start to get cranky and tense because my skin was too tight. Next day an old pair is next in the stack and I'd have a pretty good day. Maybe it's menopause and hot flashes. Another week goes by and I have washed, dried and folded my stack of jeans and the two pairs of new jeans are back to back. By the end of the second day of wearing the new jeans I want to rip someones head off while I am trying to rip off chunks of skin form my legs because they itch so bad.

First thing I do is go and check out the laundry soap. Hubs brought home the same brand I have been using for years- Arm and Hammer because I have very sensitive skin and am allergic to perfumes and dyes. Nope- same stuff. Something BAD is going on. meanwhile my legs look like I have some serious mysterious disease and I am CRABBY!

Finally I check my new jeans. PISSED! They changed the fiber content on me! 70% Cotton and 30% POLYESTER!!!!! (Insert unladylike 4 letter word here) I am allergic to polyester. I just spent $60 for two pairs of jeans that I can't wear. It never occured to me that my favorite blue jeans would chnage their fiber content. UGH!  I can't return them to Penny's- they've been washed and worn several times and I don't have my recipt! So I went to the Lee's website to see what I could find and they have a live chat feature on their website so you can get the perfect fit. I logged in and explained my problem to Marilyn. After a brief exchange Marilyn gave me the 800 customer service number. I called right away and MARILYN answered the phone. She was awesome and explained why they changed the fiber content. I told her about my problem with that and she graciously took down all my information- name address phone number- so she could call me back after she checked some of the 100% COTTON old stock they have to see if she could find me two pairs to replace the new ones I bought.   SHE IS SENDING ME TWO NEW PAIRS OUT TODAY!!!!! 100% COTTON!