sensible jeans

[IQU3838]

Hi,

Could anyone tell me what "sensible jeans" is?

I have googled, but still didn't get it.

Here is the context:

"I can tell my older sister doesn't approve of sixteen-year-olds who lie to their parents and wear pink cardigans and sensible jeans to parties."

Thank you very much in advance.

[5jj]

They are old-fashioned, comfortable, not scruffy, etc. They are the sort of jeans I might wear, if I wore jeans; no self-respecting teenager would be seen dead in them

[konungursvia]

Though the OP seems to be right that it's an ambiguous sentence. I agree with your conception of 'sensible jeans', meaning proper, conservative, clean, decent, etc. But, the sentence as a whole leaves me scratching my head.

An older sister who disapproves of a younger sister, where the younger sister lies to their parents: this sounds like the elder sister and parents are of one and the same view, which can be assumed to be proper, anti-drug, pro-homework, pro-decency, cautious, prudent, and all of that.

A lying 16 year old who wears pink cardigans and sensible jeans to parties: could she be wearing the cardigan and 'sensible' jeans in order to support the lie that she is headed out to the library, but is instead going to a party?

Otherwise, the parents and older sister are in the unlikely scenario that they are punk rocker hippie pornographers, all of whom are appalled that the young girl plans to be an investment banker.