Jeans are a staple of many guys' casual wardrobe. When we were kids, we stayed in the same pair of jeans until we either wore them out or grew out of them, at which point, our Moms started buying jeans that were too long and sweing a hem in them. Ever seen the ring that's left when a hem is let out of a pair of blue jeans? No? Apparently you hung with the cool kids when you were coming up. You're a man now and it's no longer OK to walk around with ill-fitting jeans. There's a fine line between comfort and crappy and since you probably won't outgrow your jeans (unless you're still breakfasting on the Denny's Grand Slam five days a week), there is a real threat of wearing them until they're as thin as a sheet and have holes in places that are just plain wrong. The same rules for pants fit apply for your jeans. Because they have flat fronts (never, ever, should your jeans have pleats), jeans should fit lower on your hips, but not so low as to display plumber's crack. Get them in either straight leg or boot cut, and that's it. A good pair of jeans can take you a long way -- from the grocery store to the ballgame to a fancy night out. But finding the right pair of jeans to have that kind of flexibility means that not all types of jeans apply. You can spend a fortune on them (lots of guys we know own jeans in the $200 range, which we simply don't understand), but there is no reason you can't find a pair you like for $50. 2-3 pair should do you. Keep these things in mind when picking out your next pair:
Have one darker pair of jeans for going out. By dark, we mean dark blue rather than black. Dark blue jeans go great with a dress shirt and sport coat and are the type of flexible jean that we referred to above.
Jeans should be clean, whole, and be of one solid color. Not bleached-out, tie-dyed, or acid-washed jeans like the drummer in our old band wore. We have since forgiven him, but it took a while. Even the guys in Whitesnake have given up that look. We think...
About Buying Jeans: There are many brands of jeans out there. Remember it's the fit that's important, but some brands work better for some body types. David can wear narrower cut jeans, like Levi's 501s, while Brian needs a more generously proportioned cut in the "hind parts," for which Calvin Klein has always been a fan favorite. Try on several and go by fit, not by name.
There are a bunch of "finishes" that basically give jeans that broken-in look. Our suggestion is get a pair of jeans and wear them in yourself, tough guy.
You shouldn't wear ripped jeans unless your name is Jon Bon Jovi or you're appearing in gay stag films. And if you've noticed, Bon Jovi's not even doing that look anymore.
To iron or not to iron? That's a good question. Most folks say no, but if you don't like your jeans wrinkled, grab them out of the dryer immediately and either fold or hang them. If you do iron them, don't use starch and don't put creases in them. You might dry clean them to avoid wrinkles, but that's overkill. David Perpetrates a Fraud: When he was in college, ripped jeans were considered "sexy." While studying for an exam, he grabbed a nail file and started in on the left knee of a pair of jeans to give them that worn-in look. Eventually he broke out of jail and wore a hole about the size of a quarter. Success! The next day, he put the jeans on, got his big toe caught in the hole, pulled up his pants anyway and ripped the lower leg of the jeans clean off. So he has full-n jeans on his right leg and, ahem, jeans shorts on his left. Experiment failed and into the trash they went. |
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