Written by The Strategy

“Giving up, giving up! Put on your mom jeans” – SNL, 2003


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Every Mother’s Day, we get to thinking about all the reasons we are grateful for our Mothers. You know: for the home cooked meals, the pep talks, the pick-me-ups, the money from Dad’s wallet, the – mom jeans? 



Of course we don’t actually get these jeans from our mothers (or maybe we do), but it was our multi-hat wearing, comfort-seeking, fashionably unaware mothers who inspired such a pant. And like mother like daughter, we snatched a few pairs for ourselves years later shortly after the release of the infamous SNL parody of ‘Mom Jeans’ in 2003 (see below). 



And just in case you’ve forgotten the makeup of a true mom jean:



- highwaisted with excess space in crotch area
– unflattering to nearly every body shape
– light blue wash with no fading
– elastic waistband with tapered ankles
– most often paired with a t-shirt or blouse tucked into the pants
– 100% cotton 



It is for these reasons that I’m still not sure just how the Mom Jean became so trendy. Then again, flashback to Cindy Crawford’s Pepsi ad from 1992, and I suddenly make sense of it. Maybe it’s because all-cotton jeans get better with age or because they give us permission to feel comfortable without having to squeeze into something not made for us? Or maybe it’s as simple as being yet another reminder of Mom. 



Speaking of Mom, what better time than now to revisit this Saturday Night Live gem? 


Written by Shannon Sauder