The Rolled Jeans: Reader Mail

In today's Reader Mail:

Dear BS:

Everywhere I go, I'm seeing people with their jeans rolled up. What's up with this? Are you doing it? Should I?

Baffled,
R.

We know! As soon as we got this message, we started seeing this everywhere we went. (As above, which we took this weekend a half-block from our house.) This to us is suspiciously like one of those fashion memos that go out and then everyone does it, and then it's a trend. When we were in Paris last month, we saw all these kids—12-14, we judge—sucking pacifiers. This is practically the same thing to us.

We're still wearing skinny jeans that are too tight for breathing, much less rolling. If we had looser jeans? Well, we do enjoy wearing them long, and walking on top of the hems with our shoes, and grinding sidewalk-dirt into our jeans. But the whole thing reminds us of last week's Law and Order: SVU, when Robin Williams started talking about all the sheep. The other cool cats out there who watched this with us will know what we're talking about.

We want to add that we love both pairs of shoes here.

Who's rolling up their jeans?

Edited to add: We felt very sure of our position when we wrote this post—but then we were out this morning at a meeting, and while we were looking for the bathroom at 202 in the Chelsea Market, we found a full-length mirror—and lo and behold, one leg of our too-long gray jeans were rolled up! And we looked at them, and were like, "hmm, so we're not getting them all dirty." And then we reached down and rolled the other one up. Fickle!

Our taste meter must be totally off on this by the way, because we thought that was the greatest SVU ever, and apparently everyone in the entire world thinks we're wrong.

 

Comments

[A]

Ugh. Definitely one of those see-it-enough-it-starts-to-look-good trends. After all this time of seeing skinny jeans everywhere, I decided I might actually something narrower than boot cut -- and, of course, now everything is extra-wide. By the way, they were sucking pacifiers here about 10 years ago. The French must be way behind; or else we are, and it's coming back. Either way -- frightening. As for me, I'll only be rolling up my jeans if I'm wading across a creek, and that's not likely to happen any time soon.

[Maggie]

I wear jeans that have the right-length hems. Rolled jeans makes me look like a child (4'10, 104 lbs). I still wear skinny jeans because a) they make me look taller, and b) I had been looking for them for years before the trend, and am so pleased that I was able to find some that I am never letting them go.

[Jen A. MIller]

Yeah, it's not a flattering look on everyone. Makes my short legs look shorter. But I'm sure I'll see it all over the Boardwalk this summer.

[anna]

I roll my jeans. But it's because i have to roll the right leg for riding my bike and it definitely looks better to roll both instead of just one leg.

[shellybean]

I roll my jeans b/c they are way too long, and I love them so much that I am afraid to get them hemmed. (I have a long history of getting pants hemmed, then not being happy with the length). The downside is that you can't wear rolled jeans with heels or heeled boots.

[lauren]

I definitely roll my jeans. The ones I roll are kind of skinny, but the leg openings aren't QUITE skinny enough. Also they are a bit short. (OK, they are old.) But I roll them and the rest of the leg is still tight and skinny. Sometimes I wear fishnet socks with them. I am of the vote that you can wear rolled jeans with heels, as long as they are skinny enough. I think it looks cute, but it might just be me.

[LH]

I do this, but just when wearing flat shoes. I'm short, but usually wear something with a heel with jeans. Therefore I do not want them hemmed. Usually I am with BS. I just grind the hems into the ground. But rolling is the only thing that will work with skinnier jeans.

[leslie]

I ain't gonna lie. I peg my jeans a bit above the ankle and wear them with heels.

[LB]

We don't, unless we're in sand or water, but we're FAR more concerned with finding those yellow sandals!

[danielle]

i don't particularly like how the jeans in the above photo are rolled - too much rolling. i think one roll is sufficient, if at all. i guess maybe that's not a roll, but more of a cuff. i just think it usually looks messy. although, i do have a pair of lux skinny jeans with the zippers on the sides that i occasionally cuff.

[Sara]

I agree with Danielle, in the picture they look more cuffed than rolled.

In a recent j.crew catalog they showed rolled pants/jeans with heels and it looked really good! So much that I can't stop thinking about incorporating it into my own wardrobe.

[K2]

I do this, but I've been doing it for years because I'm short and like wearing flats and hate dragging hems on the ground.

[WendyB]

That was a SERIOUSLY bad Law & Order episode!

[NEM]

I'd roll, however I don't think that I'd roll if I were somewhat short legged. I'm 5'10 w/ long legs. I think it has the tendency to make one look stumpy-ish. Mind you it isn't about HEIGHT so much as it is about LEG LENGTH relative to body.

[NEM]

Loooove the yellow sandals too. they look cute, retro and are probably ridiculously comfy! love the color too - so summery

[Alisya]

I don't know about anyone else, but I kinda roll my pants inwards, because I'm really only 5-foot-nothing and rolling it outwards would only accentuate the fact that I'm short.

[Meredith]

Didn't we do this a few years ago? Roll up normal length jeans to be more like a capri? Are we doing it again?

[Erin]

Frye has a yellow sandal that is very close to the one shown. The color is a little different and the heel looks a bit higher but they could be sisters.

[Lola]

I am fairly certain those yellow sandals are Danskos - Sissy style. But I can't find them in yellow. I can vouch for Dansko sandals - I have the Lolitas in lime green and they are the most comfortable sandals I own.

[alexa]

I don't roll my jeans but I cuff my skinny/straight leg jeans when wearing sandals so i don't trip over the pant leg. Pretty much everyone around here cuffs their jeans, and I've noticed a lot of capris and shorts this season come pre-cuffed.

[michelle]

Yes! Whoever mentioned the JCrew catalog with rolled jeans + heels is soo right on.
After seeing that, I really wanted to try it myself - of course nothing in real life ever looks as good as in the catalog! I'm not giving up, though.

[Megan]

Naturalizer also has yellow sandals very similar to the ones pictured. The heel is higher but they are super cute. I think it's the kilowatt style

[danielle]

i think i've found the shoe! it's the "sissy" sandal by dansko. the one on their site looks the same, but they don't have yellow. maybe yellow is an older color?

http://www.dansko.com/flash.aspx#categories,0,1,3

[lexi]

i think it's cute on the models in j crew. i have only done it with one particular pair of yellow jeans. One, I don't want 'em to get dirty. And, two, only with heels. It feels more spring/summery. It depends on the outfit too.

[Tamara Straight Poop]

I am totally a jeans-roller. I love that it gives options - wear them long with heels, rolled with ballet flats or flipflops. It's a nice summer walk-on-the-beach feel too.