Men's Jeans: Fit and Fabric

FASHION · GLOBAL

Men's Jeans: Fit and Fabric

The cuts explained, rise and stretch, sizing and care

Jeans are the most owned and least considered garment in most wardrobes, and the fit vocabulary is simpler than the labels suggest.

The cuts

Skinny is tight throughout. Slim tapers from the thigh down and suits most people. Straight runs the same width from knee to hem. Relaxed and loose are wider throughout, and tapered describes the leg narrowing regardless of the thigh.

The leg opening at the hem is the measurement that determines whether jeans work with your shoes — a narrow opening will not go over a boot.

Rise

The distance from crotch seam to waistband. A low rise sits on the hips and a mid or high rise at the natural waist. Rise does more for comfort than any other measurement, and it is why two pairs in the same size feel different.

Stretch

One to two percent elastane adds comfort with good recovery. Above about three percent, jeans bag at the knee within a day and lose shape faster.

Rigid raw denim moulds to you over months and is unforgiving at first, which is the appeal for some and nobody else.

Sizing

Waist sizes vary considerably between brands and are frequently optimistic. Measure a pair that fits laid flat and compare against the stated measurements, and check the inside leg rather than assuming.

Denim washes

Dark rinse denim is the most versatile and the most forgiving, and it transfers dye onto pale furniture for the first few washes. Distressing is a style choice that weakens the fabric where it is applied.

Raw denim fades to your own wear pattern over months, which is the point of it.

Hemming

Have jeans hemmed rather than turning them up repeatedly. A tailor can keep the original hem, which preserves the look on a raw or selvedge pair.

Trying them on

Sit down, squat and walk before deciding. Jeans relax with wear, so a pair that is comfortable in a changing room may be loose by the afternoon, and anything tight at the waist while seated will be worn once.

Check the rise while seated rather than standing, which is where most discomfort shows.

How many pairs

Two or three that fit well and suit different occasions outperforms a drawer of near-misses. Buy a second of anything that fits particularly well, since makers revise patterns quietly.

Rotate them so each recovers between wears.

Care

Wash cool, inside out, and infrequently — airing between wears does most of it. Air dry rather than tumble drying, which shrinks and degrades the fabric.

Repair rather than replace; most denim fails at the crotch and knees.

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