The Pandemic and Oprah's Famous Jeans

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This is an extraordinary summer because the gates are open for outdoor fun after being closed for almost two years, because of COVID-19.

This calls for celebration as they say in the movies. That is a temptation for shopping because ‘I have nothing to wear.’ Mama did not have time for that nonsense. She said I have too many clothes because if I had two dresses, I would know which one is dirty and which one to wear.

Before heading for factory outlets or fishing for online deals, pull down coat hangers and check what’s in the closet. Many possibilities. Clothes you’ve never won since you moved from Brazil to New York, clothes no longer in vogue, to use fashion speak, clothes with store tags and clothes that are Oprah’s jeans.

They are famous jeans she wore when she lost weight. She later regained it, which was expected. Oprah herself used to joke about her preoccupation with her yo-yo weight. In fact those jeans should be in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

You will find such jeans in your closet. You will blame 2020 when the pandemic fossilized us and we couldn’t go anywhere. The only thing open was the microwave, the fridge and the stove. Food takeout also made money hand over fist because we ordered everything including coffee.

Now we have Oprah’s jeans that refuse to go up beyond the knees. Blaming the pandemic is a cop-out. What we should be doing is press the back arrow key and think why we bought them in the first place, when we have ten other pairs.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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