Sisters in Denim

(Photo source)

After I had my two children, I was very worried about losing the baby weight that I had gained during pregnancy. Luckily, by eating healthy and exercising, I was able to drop the weight in just a few weeks. In fact, after my second child, I was able to fit into my “skinny jeans” just one week after giving birth. For men, this may not seem like much of an accomplishment – after all, I had just given birth which was quite an accomplishment in its own right. However, for women, fitting into your old or skinny jeans can be a significant indicator of reaching a weight loss or fitness milestone, and not just for American women. Women all over the world use the jeans threshold as a way to manage their waistline.

In a recent survey commissioned by Kellogg’s Special K cereal, 7,500 women from all over the world were asked about their jean-wearing habits, including how they felt about their jeans, on what occasions they wear jeans, and if they use jeans to motivate them to lose weight. In all European countries survey – the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden – the majority of women in each country reported that wearing jeans makes them feel relaxed, comfortable, and confident. Furthermore, more than half of all women surveyed in each country admitted that jeans – or, more importantly, how the jeans fit – is a key indicator that one has lost or gained weight.

The survey also found that

• 90% of women from Portugal reported wearing jeans to work –  more than any other European country in the survey
• >50% of women own a pair of jeans that doesn’t fit, and 20 percent own jeans that are too small.
• Of those who own “too small” jeans, nearly 60% say they are holding on to them with the hope of again fitting into them.
• One-third of women say they have tried to lose weight for the sole purpose of again fitting into smaller jeans.
• 62% of women in the US view dropping a jeans size as a major accomplishment

As you see, in spite of the differences American and European women may have about beauty, politics, and dating, we are all connected by a common thread – the idea that jeans and how they fit are an important part of how we feel about our health and ourselves in general.

Sisters in denim, indeed.