"Where's my dress jeans?"

Is there some sort of Y chromosomal aversion to dressing up? In case you haven't been following along, my sister is getting married next week, and every member of my little family unit has been asked to participate. For my little angel, the flower girl, this is no hardship, considering the fact that she could live her whole life in a Sleeping Beauty halloween costume and be just fine. But for my three ushers, the wardrobe choices have met much more resistance.

To premise this story, I feel that I need to remind everyone that we live in Montana, where jeans are considered acceptable attire for weddings, funerals and even the ballet! My darling husband had never owned a pair of pants that wasn't made of denim until I purchased him a pair of chinos for a first-class stand-by flight. He wore jeans to our wedding! (Okay, I let him. Sometimes you have to pick your battles.)

But this bride is asking for suits and slacks to be worn by the wedding party (and rightfully so!) which sent us on a shopping trip. She ordered suits for the guys, including my dad, brother and husband, from her home in St. Paul. Luckily, she only wants the boys to wear black slacks and blue polo shirts. But this caused enough of an argument outside the dressing room of JCPenneys, which had a few other mothers snickering behind their hands. Here is an excerpt of what was said, almost verbatim:

"The pockets on these pants pooch funny."
"That's because you're wearing them too low; pull them up to your waist."
"This is my waist."
"No, it's not. Your waist is up here."
"No way! I don't want to look like Erkel!"
"You don't look like Erkel. This is your natural waist."
"But all my other pants are down here."
"These are dress pants. They are not jeans. They are not going to fit like jeans!" (I'm thinking of recording this little mantra so I can play it over and over and save my voice.)
"Now, tuck in your shirt."
"I thought you said we were going to wear polos!"
"You are."
"You don't tuck in polos!"
"Um, yes you do! See that mannequin there? Tucked. And that one? Tucked. Ever see Tiger Woods? He's wearing a polo, and it's tucked in!"
"Whatever."

And that was just the little one. I'm not sure I can include the conversation the husband and I had about how a suit should be worn!

The point is, there are plenty of men who wear suits everyday. And I personally think they look fabulous! But around here, I'm pulling teeth to get my guys to dress in what would be known as "casual Friday" wear in the rest of the world. (Sigh) I'll try to snap a picture of us all dressed up. It might be the only time it ever happens.