It's about the denim. Again.

From Friday night until this morning I have slept a total of twenty seven hours, which is almost as exciting as being stuck in a room filled with endless Coldstone Creamery and pizza.  oh and Brad Pitt.

I said almost. 

Either way, this sleeping thing is a pretty good gig.  I had forgotten how wonderful it was to lay down in bed and just fall asleep with no effort, or to wake up in the middle of the night to pee and lay back down and then fall asleep with ease, or to not even wake up at all to pee, which is what happened last night.  The last time that happened was when I was about six weeks pregnant way back in November. 

The new sleeping medicine has been fairly good to me, however, I'm still shaky and groggy through most of the day, including right now, I have an appointment with my g.p. today, we'll see what medication he changes.

Since I have been finally sleeping, I have been in a better mood, which just delights Brian, and quite frankly, delights me, too.

This past Saturday night we did some shopping with our kids at The Big Mall.  I decided to try on some jeans at The Gap to see if purchasing a more expensive pair could potentially be worth the added cost.  Certainly spending thirty dollars more on a pair of jeans would mean a better fit, right?  I was really hoping to solve my denim dilemma, or at least throw in a second pair of jeans that I could hold off washing for weeks and weeks.  And weeks.

Into the dressing room I went with a pair of size 10 Long and Leans and a size 12 Long and Leans.  I tried on the size tens and I don't think I could even button them.  I put on the size twelves and they fit me really well, just a tiny bit of my muffin poured over the top of the jeans, but I knew the jeans would stretch out a bit, as we discussed last week.  The jeans were particularly nice because they were mid-rise, as opposed to low-rise, which we all know that low-rise jeans were invented by the devil.

or a man.

I bought the jeans.  I wore them yesterday and within four hours, they were literally sliding off of my body.  LITERALLY, like, if I didn't pull them up, the public would be exposed to my flabby, deflated belly. 

Sometimes I am so hot, I can hardly take it.

Now I'm stuck with these jeans which cost over SIXTY DOLLARS and I don't know what to do.  I can't even hide the jeans from Brian because he had to pay for them since I left my purse at home.  He heard the total and looked at me and I was all like "Look! a bird! over there!"  And I ran and hid behind one of the scrawny Gap mannequins, which did not do a good job of hiding me at all, because, you know, they're scrawny, and well, I am not.

So, I just batted my eyelashes at him, which only reminded him that he just had to pay for my Clinique mascara. 

Am I stuck with these jeans, or not?  I want to return them, but it's not like I could fit into the size tens, but would I have been able to if I wore them for a few hours?  Would they stretch that much?  Would The Gap even exchange them after I wore them?  They look ridiculous, I have to wear a belt, A BELT!.   I have to pull the belt so tight that the denim is bunching in front of me below the waist and in back of me, above my bottom.  Again, the hotness, I don't know how you can even stand all of the hotness that happens on this blog.

Just tell me, what would you do in this situation...please.

Comments

[Shantel]

Beth,

I think I would return them. Who will know right? Have you ever tried BKE or Lucky jeans from the Buckle? They are expensive, but well worth the money. I would never buy a different brand again. The Lucky's range from like $80-$120 and the BKE's about $68-$90. They are very similar, but the BKE's are the Buckle brand and cheapier. I love both of those jeans. One word of advice...they do stretch so if they are snug in the store I would go ahead and buy them. They come in sizes like 28, 29, 30...etc.

Anyway, this is our last day in Florida...We leave for Midway tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. and then back to the cold. Hope you have a great Monday and hope they get your meds figured out. Just think a few more days; you will be in the sun, which is a great way to heal some of your inner self.

Talk to you soon!!!

Hugs,
Shantel

[Melissa]

I agree with Shantel - you should return them. I would tell the underfed Gap worker exactly what you told us - they fit in the store, and stopped fitting shortly thereafter. These (expensive) jeans have not done for you what you needed them to do, and that's false merchandising! (or something!) :o) They may make you get a store credit, but maybe trying a different style will help?
Don't keep them. Bunching under the belt is not what those jeans were designed for, either.
Don't keep them. Stand your ground! :o)

[Jessica]

Sell them on ebay. Long and Lean jeans go really well on ebay. I love long and leans and that is where I buy mine.

[Sarah M.]

I would definitely at least try to return them. A friend of mine used to work at the GAP & she said they took back worn merchandise all of the time. Of course that was years ago, but if you complain enough they might just do it.

By the way, I agree 100% with everything you've ever written about jeans. Shopping for jeans (and swimsuits) is as close to a form of torture as I have ever experienced.

[Angela]

Gap has/had a very liberal return policy. I know they changed it a few years back. Before the change you could basically return anything with a receipt even if worn a lot. But you've worn them once and had issue. So you call before you load up the car and verify what is needed. But you just tell them its a manufactures defect. Its unacceptable. Anyway go return them.

As far as what to replace them with I have no idea.

[Amy F.]

If they won't let you return them, then actually wash in hot and dry them? (instead of just fluffing?)

[elle]

They'll take them back. I did that with a (RED) campaign shirt. It was... shall we say... a little tight.

Watch out for jeans that have stretch. I have a pair of Gap jeans that I have to grunt and squat to get into, but 2 hours after wearing them they fit perfect. Then I don't wash them for a few days and they still fit great. I wash (and dry them) and the cycle repeats. I'm a big fan of the Gap jeans. Tommy Hillfiger makes some great ones too.

[Megan]

I would take them back and buy the next smaller size. On just about all of my jeans, I have to lie on the floor and shimmy them up to get them on and buttoned. By the time that I wash them, they are falling off. Why oh why does denim grow so much?!?!

[Aimee]

I am dutch ~ do you still need to know what I would do with the jeans!?!;) I'd definitely return them!

[camille]

you could return them or maybe after washing them put them in the dryer and try to shrink them a bit?? of course, we wouldn't want them to turn into "flood" pants, but still, it could work. i confess, i've done it.

[RubiaLala]

Take them back.

[Rhonda (Mimi)]

I say return them. You won't be satisfied otherwise....I have found that the only jeans that fit me good are Tommy's. They cost more, but it is worth it to have a good fit. It's funny cause this morning I was gathering my dark clothes to put in the washer before work and my Tommy's were good and worn and I thought of you...I figured they had at least 1 more wear before washing..LOL.

[Sara]

It's not like you wore them nine thousand times and then decided you didn't like them. They don't fit. Return them. With a reciept, you will more than likely perfectly fine. They may ask you to do a trade for the "right" size. Try the tens on again, and sit down in them for a few minutes. If you can still breathe while doing this, they will stretch to the right size. That is my jean test. (And I LOVE long and leans. They are the greatest thing for a post baby body!)

[Gina]

I would return them. You wore them once. They will take them back. You may have to talk to the manager or more than one associate. I do believe that with the receipt (and most hopefully -- the tags) you will have little problem.

First timer....I adore your blog.

[Jen]

Return 'em. Be warned though. Gap is a PITA about returns lately. I tried to exchange something for size~still had the tags on and everything~just needed a smaller size. Nope. I had to beg for the manager who finally "went against policy" and exchanged it.

Good luck!

[Charlene]

Return them. There is no way you should keep a pair of jeans that you will not be comfortable in - if they say no keep at them. I've worked enough retail in my life to know the person that just says "okay -thanks I tried" gets screwed (sad but true). The person that complains and yells gets what they want.
Maybe try jcrew? I buy all my pants from there (on clearance) for the length factor and love them.

[Frances]

I say take 'em back.

[tricia]

return them. they'll take them back. they prefer you NOT to wash them. talking from first hand knowledge.

[RubiaLala]

FYI, to preserve your good jeans, I found this and thought of you:

http://www.youlookfab.com/2008/04/14/wash-jeans-in-vinegar-to-set-the-dye/

[mandy]

Oh man, I have had this problem. I however did not return them, although I certainly should have. So, when you ask "what would I do" I can only say what I think you should do, because I wasted so much money on two pair that I could not wear and I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. I ended up giving mine away on freecycle, so someone did benefit from my ding-dongy-ness in not returning them for myself.

[Karen]

I had this exact same problem last November with jeans from the Gap. I wrote to their customer service department by email and complained and they said to bring in the jeans and they would exchange them for a smaller size. I'll check to see if I still have the email...

It appears that I don't otherwise I could have sent it to you. If you're concerned I would try to return them or, if you have a problem returning them at the store, get in touch with customer service and get an email saying that you can return them. I had washed mine by the time I sent the email and the letter I got back from the Gap people implied that an exchange wasn't going to be a problem.

So...I almost returned mine but, like you, I doubted the smaller size would have stretched out to be comfortable. I put the stretched out ones in the dryer a couple times and now they seem to be okay. I generally hang them to dry now unless they are at the point where they are so baggy they need a good shrinkage in the dryer. And now they are one of my favorite pairs of jeans! Good luck with yours!!

[Sharon]

Absolutely return them!

Is there a tag that explains to purchase 2 sizes smaller even if you can't squeeze your arse into them in the dressing room? No!

Was there a tailor standing outside the dressing room to check for fit and potential stretch? No!

Is there a store policy that tells you not to move, bend, sit or kneel in your new jeans because these movements s-t-r-e-t-c-h the fabric? No!

Gotta get rid of them before you start washing them... !!!! And by the way, it seems that you must really wear a size 4 after all the stretching takes place...

[Nan]

return 'em! if you spent that much, they should fit like a glove.

[Susan]

Absolutely return them. You're only going to get SMALLER....

[Pat]

Take them back and exchange for the 10. I've done the very same thing and they were very gracious.