I recently read an article by Joseph Epstein (https://www.weeklystandard.com/joseph-epstein/this-will-see-me-out) about a new pair of slippers he bought. Mr. Epstein being 81 years old realized that these slippers would be the last ones he would ever need to buy. The phrase he used was, “these should see me out.”
I had the same realization recently in regards to a pair of Levi Original Shrink to Fit 501 jeans. I bought a pair last year and realizing that I still wear a pair of black pre-shrunk 501’s which I first got in around 1993 (when the company I worked for had just started casual attire Fridays), this pair of jeans could be the last pair I need to buy. These pants may see me out.
It might seem a bit morbid to think about that. The more I think about it in my stream of consciousness blogging – Levi 501’s tell a part of my life story. When I find something that works for me, I stick with it. It makes decision making easier. My youngest daughter when in elementary school put together a book entitled: “My Dad”. One one page was a drawing of a man in blue pants with the sentence, “my dad’s favorite pants are jeans.”
Rachel, my hair cutting professional (her business is on the “recommended” tab at this web site), said that it’s a rather amazing thing that I can still fit into jeans that I have had for 25 years. A few years ago I did have to go up an inch in the waist. Growing up when there wasn’t pre-shrunk jeans, you came to know that Levi 501’s shrink 3 inches in the length and 1 inch in the waist. So for a long time I bought 32 waist, 33 length. So when pre-shrunk jeans came out, I knew I needed 31 waist, 30 length. I just counted, I have 10 pair of jeans, three of them are probably 25-30 years old, two of them have ripped at the knee due to natural causes, not artificially done to be stylistic. I had to go up to 33 waist and then 34 waist, 33 length and have 3 pair at that size. The last pair I bought were back down to 33 waist, 32 length (aging bones are reducing my height). So as I type this, a few pair are bound to become unwearable and will be taken out of circulation (yes, I rotate my jeans, so they each get their turn) and discarded. I don’t know if a pair can make it 40 years. So I bet I will need to buy one more pair in 2020 and that pair will be the ones to see me out.
