The Happening: The Fall of the Skinny Jeans

I have this little rule I follow when deciding on whether to throw some clothes out or not: If I haven't worn it in two months, then it's time to let it go. Well, while I was clearing out my closet for the latest garage sale we're planning, I noticed that I had put my skinny jeans on the not-worn-in-two-months pile. Yup, my once-favorite and probably most worn pair to date was now on the chopping block, but what's a boy to do? It holds such sentimental value and as much as I'd hate to admit it, I need to part ways with them and thus, marking the end of an era.

First worn around this time in '06 to the shock/amusement/delight of many, these are the jeans that defined my style for the last four years. For most of my college life and the first years of work, I have been identified with them both positively or negatively, but the one thing that never changed was how much I loved putting them on. However, as the years passed and the pounds packed on, I slowly noticed my liking for roomier cuts. Once I bought my Zara Regular Fit jeans this year, the transition had been complete: I was now more a straight-cut guy than a skinny.

What started as a necessary shift, though, became really an eye-opener for my appreciation for the straight-cut aesthetic. Not only are the 501 types more comfortable, but I now see that they also imbibe this more natural masculine look, one that's laid back and doesn't try too hard to show how you've been working on your calves or gluts. Yes, you may say it's the fattie in me that's speaking after years of skinny jean worship, but it's just really the beginning of a new style phase for me. Don't get me wrong. I will miss all the jokes about being able to squat in skinnies and the admiration of my thighs, but we had our fun, it's time to move on. Deuces.

You've served me well, Levi's 511s. But now, it's time to find a new home.