Mrs. Green Jeans

Mrs. Green Jeans

What comes to mind when you think of classic wardrobe staples? The little black dress? The Burberry trench? A crisp white button down? There is a reason some things become classics. And when you think of classic jeans, two syllables should come to mind: Le-vi’s.

Sadly, on a recent hunt for a new pair of jeans, I forgot about this classic and spent my time trying on jeans that:

A.) Revealed a scandalous amount of my undies;

B.) Had back pockets the size of M&M’s that were a bit out of scale with the rest of my back end;

C.) Were so long that I was tempted to sow the ends and make them into footie pajamas; and

D.) Cost more than my monthly grocery bill.

Needless to say, I was jaded, bitter and wearing sweats.

I was rescued from this fashion nightmare by a good friend who told me over a glass of wine about the great jeans she’d snagged at the Twenty Ninths Street Mall Levi’s store. She used descriptors like “versatile” and “staples.” My ears perked up when she dropped the word “organic.” I decided to give jeans shopping one more shot.

A few days later, I was ankle-deep in denim in the Levi’s dressing room. Inexplicably, I was zipped into a pair of jeans that fit perfectly. But the surprises didn’t stop there; hanging from my left hip was a tag that simply stated “Eco.”

Levi’s Eco brand is a new line of jeans and shorts that are made from 100 percent organic cotton or recycled denim. There are currently five earth-friendly styles available, all in the $70 range.

If you’re concerned that wearing eco jeans will compel you to buy a VW bus, attend jam-band festivals and bathe less, fear not. My pair, for example, has a sophisticated dark wash and flattering cut. I can even wear them to work. Um, every day.

Leave it to Levi’s to combine style, comfort and a little planetary love. Now that’s a classic.

Nelson is Boulder’s self-proclaimed eco-diva. Contact Nelson at ecokate@live.com.

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