Now before even deciding what jeans you will purchase here are a few good pointers:
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Determine your size. Men’s denim sizing is Waist-Inseam (example 32-34).
- Measure your waist and inseam. (We are in 2012 sagging is out!!! Even Lil Wayne has changed his ways!)
- To measure the waist, decide where you want the waistband of the jeans to sit and measure that area. Men that have a slight beer belly may want their jeans to sit under the belly.
- The inseam measurement is the measurement from the crotch to the bottom of the jeans.
- Measure your waist and inseam. (We are in 2012 sagging is out!!! Even Lil Wayne has changed his ways!)
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Determine your build. Are you slim, average, athletic and husky?
- Slim = thin builds
- Average = regular cut, no qualifiers
- Athletic = trim and muscular
- Husky = thick build
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Determine comfort preference. What do you prefer when it comes to the cut in the seat and thigh?
- “Full-cut”
- “Relaxed fit”
- “Loose fit”
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Try before you buy.I know men have a tendency to buy items before even trying them on but it is truly important with denim to try them on. Not only should you try them on you should walk around in them and sit in them.
- Denim should actually fit.
- If they stretch out as you are wearing them around go down a size in the waist.
So now that you have figured out your size and you know not to just buy them, now I can give you a breakdown of different styles and washes that would be best depending on your size, stature and style.
Skinny Jeans: This style denim is seen a lot on rock-stars and boho styled men. You must be of a very slim build to carry these off. Some men I have seen even pull off the colored skinny’s. Just beware if you are going to carry off this look make sure they are well fitted as you will stand out. I would recommend sticking to green, blue, white and red. When shopping for this style my favorite is Commune (sold at Nordstrom).
Boot Cut Jeans: If you have an athletic build this style is for you! Some tend to be wider at the bottoms then others so make sure to put shoes on to insure they look correct. These should only be worn with boots (cowboy or motorcycle boots) or high tops. Check out Hudson and MEK Denim when shopping for this style.
Straight Leg Jeans: If you are a slender “slim” build this would be the best style denim for you! This style denim is great to wear to the office on “casual Friday”. It’s not sloppy and but relaxed enough that you are still comfortable. When it comes to shopping for this style check out Diesel and Dsquared.
Light Wash: Leave these for your day time wear, such as going to a BBQ or walking around by the beach. You really need to only have one pair of these in your wardrobe and ps. having rips and tears in your denim is not attractive it makes them look old and worn out. it may have been a trend a few years back but again we are in 2012 lets stick to a classic light wash that are hole-less. When purchasing this wash make sure to look for a softer denim as it will hold the color better.
Dark Wash: This wash should be in every man’s wardrobe, it is a style must! A pair of dark denim can take you far with many different outfits. I love a pair of dark denim paired with a crisp white shirt and a blazer. You can wear these out on the town with the boys as well as a nice dinner date and even to church on Sunday! You can truly never go wrong with this wash.
Raw Denim: This style is for denim lovers, because of the car maintenance and cost. After you have a few pairs of denim then you can go ahead and buy a pair of raw denim. This style will be sure to keep your outfit looking sharp and give it a unique twist. My favorite brand and probably the only brand I would recommend buying would be G-Star Raw.
Industrial Denim: This style is also for denim lovers who are looking to take their style up a notch. Leave these out of the office and/or to meet your girlfriends parents for the first time. :) G-Star, Goldspun, 883 Police
Stay tuned for part 2: How to CARE for your denim.
Ok men….now that you are all DENIM EXPERTS its time to go out and snag yourself a few new pairs of denim! Until next time stay styled right! xoxo FSR