BTGuy: My point was that if you’re in a community that has decided to look down on jeans that’s why “mothers pull children away from you” when you where jeans, and therefore you (and the community) see jeans as being something that shows a person a mother should keep their kids away from, which is because the community looks down on jeans, which is because jeans show something bad about the person, which is because people look down on jeans, etc.
I believe that you think what you said it true based on your experiences. You view yourself in a certain way when you wear jeans and therefore think that everyone else views you in the same way.
My real problem is this: far too many people in Yiddishkeit nowadays decide that whatever they’re uncomfortable with is Assur. What happened to just not doing something that you feel is a Nisayon for you? I have a Nisayon with problem Y. So I know for myself to avoid situations where Y could occur. Does that mean that I have to try and get the whole world to think that Y is Assur? Apparently, many people here (and throughout the Frum world) think yes. Rav Schachter always quotes the Mesilas Yesharim that someone has to realize what his Nisyonos are and make Gedarim for himself to avoid falling in. And this Nisyonos are different for every person. So why is it that everyone suddenly thinks that if they have a Nisayon they have to make a Geder for the whole K’lal? I would never tell you to wear jeans. You see a problem with yourself when you wear jeans. It makes you feel lower about yourself and more willing to do improper things. Okay, so now that you realize that you should choose not to wear jeans. That doesn’t, however, mean that it has the same effect on everyone (or anyone) else. So don’t wear jeans. But don’t tell everyone else that they shouldn’t either (which was very much the vibe I got from your post). That was my point.