Coverall Manufacturing Standards Are Slipping

Spring showed up this week… and my coveralls finally gave up.

I mean, they didn’t just wear out… they retired. Holes in places I didn’t even know coveralls could have holes. A bit of a breeze where there shouldn’t be a breeze, if you know what I mean.

So Anne and I figured it was time. Off to Mark's to start the spring off properly with a new pair.

Now, I knew my size. 36–30. Been that way forever. No question about it.

Problem was… they didn’t have any.

They did have 38–30, but I wasn’t even going to bother trying those on. Too big. I’ve always been a 36. So we ordered a pair online right there in the store and a few days later they showed up.

I tried them on… and they were tight.

Not “a little snug,” either. Proper tight.

Well now… that didn’t make much sense. Must be the style, I figured.

That same day we were heading into London to make a lamb delivery, so we stopped at another Mark's to sort this out.

A nice young lady helped us out. I explained the situation, tried on another 36–30 in a different style…

Still tight.

We had a bit of a chat and she kind of gave me an easy out, said the sizing can vary depending on where they’re made. “Try these,” she says, handing me a 38–30.

Well… they fit just right.

I kind of glanced over at Anne… she just smiled. Didn’t say a word. Which, if you’re married, you know says quite a lot.

So I nodded like that made perfect sense, blamed it on company standards, and off we went with my “incorrectly manufactured” — yet somehow perfectly fitting — 38–30 coveralls.

Felt pretty good about it, actually.

Then this morning, I went to put them on for the first real day of spring chores. Got one leg in, then the other, about to head out the door… and I remembered I needed my jack knife out of the old pair.

So I went over, reached into the pocket… and that’s when I saw it.

The tag.

I stood there for a second thinking… do I even want to look at this?

Ah, what the heck.

38–30.

Well now…hmmm

Farmer Rod

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