Stories

The Evolution of My Style: Trading Cocktail Dresses for Denim

There’s nothing fancy about Tennessee, and I like that about it. I’ve simply molded my own aesthetic to fit that of my home state.

As many of you know, until recently jeans—or pants of any kind, really—have not been a part of my staple wardrobe. The reasons are twofold: 1) previous jobs have heavily consisted of event reporting and covering fancy parties that often required attire that was a bit dressier and 2) I’ve always had the hardest time finding pants that fit.

I’d say I’m of average size for a 30-something woman, but of very muscular build—15 years of playing soccer did nothing to slim my thighs, rather it built them up, and a decade of running, doing yoga and group fitness has only kept my muscle tone intact.

I’d rather be healthy than skinny and not; however, wearing dresses and rompers has been my way around having to find pants that actually fit.

But lately, as summer nears, I’ve been drawn to cute tanks and flowy tops and I need something with which to pair those. Wrangler sent me a few items from their new 1970s-inspired 70th anniversary release, and I’ll admit: At first, I was skeptical. For one, isn’t this the denim line of farm hands and cowboys and, also, is there any way they’ll actually fit my body type?

Lo and behold, not only did they fit like a glove, but they’re also impossibly cute, too.

No one was more than surprised than me, as Wrangler is sized by waist and inseam, not the standard 6, 8 or even 10, depending on the brand, that I might normally order. It was a total gamble as to what size I’d wear, but I consulted their size chart, and it was spot on.

I tried out the High Rise Skinny and also the Stone n Glory Straight and made sure they were a good fit for all my extracurricular activities.

I initially thought I’d prefer the skinny jean, as that’s what I usually gravitate toward as they tuck neatly under boots, but the straight cut also allowed me to pair them with a pair of summer wedges, of which I have many.

With the skinny, I wore a cute pair of sandals I’d been dying to break out but had yet to find the right outfit for. And bonus, both pairs are high-rise, so I can actually sit down while wearing them without giving the people behind me a show! It’s the little things in life, guys.

The collection also includes several retro Tees that are perfect to throw over my bathing suit during the summer months of lake living. Since cutting bangs two years ago, I’ve always thought I looked like I could have been plucked straight from the 70s with my unruly, unkempt waves and my penchant for going days without washing my hair.

Plus, I’ve always been draw to color—my blog and Instagram probably tell you that much—and I adore the rainbow palette of the Wrangler 70th anniversary release.

And to top it all off, I got myself a new jean jacket, one thing that has always been an important part of my wardrobe no matter the phase of life I’m in, so I can still don my summer dresses but have something to warm me up when the temperatures cool off at night.