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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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7

Now in Halls of Power: Jeans

Denim goes from workwear to choice of the business classes

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(Newser) – Jeans used to be the uniform of teen rebels but they're now the pants of choice for world leaders and top execs trying to signal that they're serious but modern. "Dad jeans" and stonewashed denim are still no-nos in the halls of power, but crisp, pressed "power jeans" paired with pricey shoes are now sported by bigwigs from Dmitry Medvedev to execs who wouldn't normally think of dressing down, writes Wall Street Journal style columnist Christina Binkley.

Jeans are a "no-brainer" in the media and manufacturing industries, according to one career adviser, although dressy pants are still de rigeur in the world of finance. Power jeans have long been the style in the tech world, where Steve Jobs' turtleneck-and-jeans look became "synonymous with innovation in the '90s," writes Binkley. Jobs, says one Levis exec, "is the Marlon Brando of his time."

Obama's
Obama's "dad jeans" don't make the grade as power jeans, writes Binkley.   (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sports jeans while walking at his residence outside Moscow.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sports jeans while walking at his residence outside Moscow.   (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Vladimir Rodionov, Presidential Press Service)
In this Oct. 14, 2008 photo, from left: Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, CEO Steve Jobs, and VP Phil Schiller take questions during a meeting at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
In this Oct. 14, 2008 photo, from left: Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, CEO Steve Jobs, and VP Phil Schiller take questions during a meeting at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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Being a junior person wearing jeans in a room full of pinstripes could spell 'youthful blunder.' Perhaps the best rule is that of the high-priced boutique: If you have to ask, you can't afford to wear them. - Christina Binkley

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7 comments
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cochiserocks
Oct 29, 09 4:55 AM CDT
LOL This sort of nonsense is hilarious! - so now GQ et all will start profiling what your jeans say about you and a bunch of folks will no doubt start dressing in 'power jeans' to communicate to the world how innovative and 'Steve Job's/Marlon Brando' ish they are - the consumer machine grinds on and the taxes are paid. Let's just hope they don't go all the way and start re-enacting 'Last Tango in Paris' during their presentations to try and bring back the turtle neck! Reply
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schmidtkoff
Oct 29, 09 5:58 AM CDT
i'm not gettin' the jobs-brando link. guess i'd better grab a cup coffee and reread. Reply
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+1
Thinker
Oct 29, 09 6:56 AM CDT
I love it when new trends like this are announced. It makes it easy to differentiate between lemmings and individualists as the trend catches on with the masses. Reply
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Michael_CT
Oct 29, 09 7:00 AM CDT
i am personally trying to wean myself off denim. its a lot harder than you think. Reply
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Stasis
Oct 29, 09 7:06 AM CDT
What else would you wear besides jeans? I'm confused... Reply
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+1

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