Jeans are the absolute wardrobe MVP. Do not argue with me on this – if you don’t turn to them 5 out of the 7 days in your week, you either work in a corporate office (RIP) or you’ve got some sort of affinity with cords. So finding the perfect pair to replace your old, destroyed ones each season is like finding the holy grail. We asked a menswear buyer for his take on how to choose an A+ pair of mens jeans.
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Jesse Lowe is a buyer for General Pants, so he knows his denim. Here’s what he had to say.
The best advice I can offer is to be as clear as possible about how they want the jean to fit. There’s so many different washes available that it’s quite easy to select what colour/wash they want but a sales assistant will know exactly what styles will offer the customer the best fit they’re after.
Still need a bit of help? Here’s his recommendations for common male body types.
1. If You’ve Got Strong Thighs
Muscly in the thigh area? My boyfriend CONSTANTLY bitches about this, so I asked Jesse what styles work best for guys with thighs.
Our bestselling fit for the active consumer is the slim tapered fit. It has more room in the thigh than our regular slim or skinny fits, yet with the tapered silhouette it will have the appearance of a skinny jean on someone with a more athletic build.
2. If You’ve Got A Booty
Got a butt that won’t quit? Jesse says the tapered works for you too. Also, look for stretch fabric that’ll be way comfier than the stiff stuff.
One of the key attributes among all our tapered fits is that they have a longer rise and more area in the thigh which will accommodate the guy with an above average derriere. Additionally, the more stretch in the fabric, the less chance of blow-outs.
3. If You’re Tall & Skinny
It sounds obvious, but the skinny jean is your best bet. The trick, however, is the leg inseam.
A skinny or slim jean will usually fit someone tall and slim best. There’s a number of jeans offered in longer leg lengths but we recommend our tall and slim customers get into a pair of jeans with a longer rise. The leg inseam measurement (which is the main factor in a jeans length) is measured from the bottom of the rise to the bottom of the leg, so any additional length in the rise gives added length to the jean. For this reason I’d recommend a 32” leg length for anyone under 6’2” or in a 34” leg length for anyone over 6’2”.
4. If You’re Short
Shorter guys often struggle with the length of their jeans, but the good news is rolled denim is in right now.
Tall or not, a lot of people like wearing a skinny jean that’s rolled well above their ankle and the styles that are designed to be worn like this are designed with a shorter leg length so they only need to be rolled a couple of times to limit bunching and bulkiness of the roll. The advantage of this is that when unrolled, the jean is a perfect fitting full length skinny jean for someone standing 5’9” or shorter. If you can find a jean with a shorter rise you’ll also benefit from losing a couple of inches from the overall length of the jean. Relaxed fitting jeans that would appeal to this customer are the Levi’s Hi-Ball, the Neuw Studio Relaxed or the Insight Switch.
5. If You’ve Got Short Legs & A Long Torso
The trick here is to get a longer rise.
There’s a number of jeans with a longer rise and a shorter leg length which would best appeal to this body type as the longer rise allows the jean to sit higher on the torso. A little trick is buying one of the many jeans that are sold pre-rolled that have a shorter leg length which is very popular with anyone with shorter legs. These styles are often bought and worn unrolled as they’ll still sit 2-4 inches shorter than a regular full length jean.
