By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Sarah Ward, Conselle Affiliate
We recently received an email from a mother of a teenage daughter who bemoaned her frustration in trying to find her a pair of jean shorts that don’t have the common “whiskering” effect on the front. While you may not be familiar with the terminology, you’ve probably seen this whisker trend in effect for some years now. Whiskers are pre-fabricated creases that create a broken-in and worn look in the denim at the crotch level. Since attention goes to contrast, these so-called whiskers on jeans draw the eye’s attention to the crotch area.
Where Did Whiskers on Jeans Originate?
This trend was originally created by hip-hop designers who wanted to push the envelope and see if they could get the masses wearing jeans that focused the attention on the crotch. When you look around at what people are wearing, you’ll find they’ve nearly succeeded. If you read a little further into whiskers, ask yourself, what type of animal has whiskers? Cats, also known as pussycats. What is a derogatory term for women’s anatomy? You see where this leads.
Where Can I Find Clean Jeans?
Modern Fit Boot Cut Jeans from Eddie Bauer
While finding clean jeans without whiskers may be challenging, it is certainly not impossible. Try shopping at Bloomingdale’s and other local department stores as they often have a large selection at affordable prices. You can also consult many fashion catalogs as a resource such as Appleseed’s, Eddie Bauer, and The Territory Ahead. Last week a client had a similar challenge finding clean jeans and we found her the perfect pair in The Territory Ahead catalog.
While it may seem difficult to find the clean jeans you want in a market saturated with whiskered jeans, there are always solutions. As image professionals, we promise to always help you find the clothing you need.
Copyright Judith Rasband and Conselle L.C. 2010
Judith Rasband is the Image Expert and would love to help you find clean jeans! Visit www.conselle.com or call 801-224-1207 to learn more.
hah that’s pretty funny. maybe not for a mom who’s daughter is wearing those jeans.
i don’t even like the effect but the only jeans in my fit had whiskers so i bought them. now i’m wondering if i ironed them if the pleats would come out (don’t mind about the design)
oh ps, my male roommate just bought jeans and they have
whiskers!