New Kimes Jean Habit Well Worth It

Some say humans are nothing more than their habits. That’s especially true when we try to make healthy diet and exercise changes. Nearly everyone I interviewed for our Focus on Fitness articles said success came only after many failures and near misses. Once habits get paved into your brain, it’s incredibly hard to bushwhack new neural pathways even if your heart’s into it.

What do Kimes Ranch Jeans have to do with breaking habits?

Kimes wasn’t around when we were kids. Founded in 2009, the fast-growing company is the baby in an industry full of grandparents. Read more. We did not grow up wearing Kimes. And as creatures of habit, it might be hard to convince ourselves to try Kimes when the same ol’-same ol’ has been on our shelves for so long.

But do the same ol’ same ol’ jeans:

• wear out quickly?
• bunch at the waist?
• rub on your knees when you’re riding?
• look like a hand-me-down after three wearings?

I’ve been wearing Kimes jeans for several weeks and am happy to report I’m forming a new jean choice habit.

When I first received two pair of Francesca jeans, made of 100 percent North Carolina cotton, I was skeptical. They felt less rugged than my usual jeans. Crafted with a dark indigo rinse denim, they looked like the kind of spiffy dress jean that doesn’t hold up to ranch work.

So, I put them to the test.

• I wore them while trimming four horses’ feet without the use of a hoof stand (Four horses over two days, not four individual hooves!). They were super comfortable for the task, did not require hitching up every time I stood up, and easily withstood the wear.
• I rode and walked and hiked. They fit brilliantly under leggings and never rubbed my inner legs, even during a hot, four-hour ride with lots of gait changes.
• I wore a fresh pair to dinner in town. They looked nearly as dressy as a pair of black slacks.

Kimes designed the Francesca simply and with quality. The back pockets do not have two pounds of glitter-thread and rhinestone, just the classy, stitched Longhorn logo. Check out the Francesca jean here.

The seams, labels, and branding have comfort in mind: seams lie flat and thin. Labels are either embroidered or ink-stamped so you won’t need to cut out that scratchy, nagging label flap.

I asked Amanda Kimes to name her top three features that make the Francesca a great riding jean.

“The rise. It’s not too high, not too low. The denim is the perfect weight for hot summers. And the wash. The dark denim looks cleaner longer.”

Agreed.

Next week, we review Kimes’ Betty jeans.

Sign up to be a Remuda Reader and you’re automatically qualified to win a pair of Kimes Ranch Jeans and a pair of Ariat boots. Total value, $400. Sign up here.