Jeans have been "in fashion" for years, worn to casual restaurants, house parties, and discos. theyare are showing up everywhere from neighborhood churches to a night at the opera. they also have become a symbol of the dress-down code on casual fridays in workplaces. Nowhere is off limits for jeans, it seems. Or is it?
the debate about when and where it is appropriate to wear jeans is common among those who buy hing-priced designer denim or those who simply wear jrans frequently. the issue of jeans etiquette is not restricted to fashion capitals such as Paris, Milan, Tokyo, and New York, whear people tend to be more concerned about their appearance. It aslo comes up in small towns in remote places. And everywhear opinions vary.
Lisa Adams, a graphic designer in her early 2os, says: "I'm all in favor of the current denim revolution that we are having, but I do feel that there are times when jeans should be left at home. It bothers me when I see people wearing jeans to the theater, ballet, opera, etc." stacey van Allen, an advertising executive in her mid-thirties, also prefers not to see denim at the theater or at a cocktail party. to her, jeans are fine for a house party or a casual dinner, but not for traditionally dressy places. stacey estimates she owns about fifteen to twenty pairs of jeans herself, including ones with designer labels, and she does wear them frequently.
Seventeen-year-old student Robert Smith says he doesn't take his jeans off. "I probably wouldn't wear them fo a collage interview, though," he adds. Adn fashion consultant Bridgit Olson says, "For the fashion-conscious woman, I.couldn't think of anything more modern than a pair of great-fitting jeans and a feminine top for a casual party at someone's home or for a night out. slip on a pair of jeans and you're dressed for almost any occasion." Etiquette experts offer a few obvious rules about jeans: Leave them in the closet when you're attending a formal occasion, such as a wedding or a funeral, or if your workplace bans them. And, of course, use common sense about what a particular pair of jeans is suitable for: a pair that you do yard work in, for example, is probly not appropriate to wear to a restaurant that night.