Swank Guides: Men's Denim for Dummies

I figure for the sake of clearing the air, I should just say this right now so that there isn't any confusion on the topic: not all jeans are created equal. In fact, last I checked, all jeans are created quite unequally. But, I hope you would already know that... However if you don't, thank god we're having this sit down.

Denim comes in all shapes, sizes, washes, and quality. Naturally, as you would suspect, the more money you spend, the more quality you get... and it shows. There is an unspoken axiom of the universe that applies to all fashion, "Good isn't cheap, and cheap doesn't look good." Denim is no different. By the time this post is finished hopefully those of you who read this looking for knowledge on how to pick your pants will walk away with more information than you came with. Now, before we begin, I feel compelled to preface this post by saying that for various reasons, some of what I suggest may take you outside of your comfort zone and that is okay... but it is when we are out of our comfort zones that we can recognize something truly amazing. Lets start.

Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two (twi- "double") or more warp fibers. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late eighteenth century.[1] The word comes from the name of a sturdy fabric called serge, originally made in Nîmes, France, by the Andre family. Originally called serge de Nîmes, the name was soon shortened to denim.[2] Denim was traditionally colored blue with indigo dye to make blue "jeans," though "jean" then denoted a different, lighter cotton textile; the contemporary use of jean comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Gênes), where the first denim trousers were made.

A similarly woven traditional American cotton textile is the diagonal warp-striped hickory cloth that was once associated with railroadmen's overalls, in which blue or black contrasting with undyed white threads form the woven pattern. Hickory cloth was characterized as being as rugged as hickory wood—not to mention the fact that it was deemed to be worn mainly by "hicks"—although neither may be the origin of that term [from a nickname for "Richard"]. Records of a group of New Yorkers headed for the California gold fields in 1849 show that they took along four "hickory shirts" apiece. Hickory cloth would later furnish the material for some "fatigue" pantaloons and shirts in the American Civil War.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

In this day and age, denim is more than just work wear, it is a fashion statement that comes in all shapes and sizes. So, lets start this post off by talking about jean fits.

The Fit

The fit of the jean is the bread and butter of your entire wardrobe, it is the mood of your style and without an appropriate cut, you'll clown yourself. Period. The main point of difference between jeans are the type of leg that is provided. There are many different kinds of jean cuts, but when it really gets down to it there are about five cuts that you will continuously come across on the regular, and only two of them would I ever suggest that you wear. The five most common styles available are:

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• Bootcut:
A style where the jean pant is consistently straight from the waist to the knee, and then widens from the knee to the ankle.

• Straight Leg:
Straight leg jeans are pants that are consistently straight from the waist to the knee and then from the knee to the ankle. Some straight leg jeans will even close slightly at the ankle to create a better bunching effect at the cuff.

• Slim/Skinny:
Slim/ Skinny Jeans come in different shapes and sizes. Some of them are tight to fit, and others are simply close to body. Look at skinny jeans as sleeker versions of straight leg jeans.

• Wide Leg:
A style very similar to that of boot cut except the flare from the knee to the ankle is more pronounced. Wide leg jeans best resemble bell bottom jeans.

• Relaxed Fit:
Of thee listed styles, this one is the baggiest while still maintaining some of the jean's form. Relaxed fits typically have a looser waist to sit lower on the hips, as well as ample room around the knee and ankle.

So, The Swank Guide to Men's Denim is supposed to help provide an informed and accurate insight into helping you pick your jeans out. The assumption is that if you are inquiring about what type of jeans to buy, either you are looking for help, looking to change your wardrobe, or are looking for inspiration. So, lets move onward toward building an attractive denim wardrobe. A solid denim wardrobe should consist of anywhere from three to five interchangeable pieces. In my honest opinion, the most attractive pieces one can obtain for his wardrobe are articles that can be dressed up beyond simply of a casual nature.

So an appropriate wardrobe upgrade would be to try and make a move towards regular fit or slim cut jeans. The reason being that these two different types of fits can be dressed up or dressed down either way. The major factors determining this are the types of shoes that can accompany a straight leg jean or a skinny jean. A major factor for me is whether or not the pants will look good with a pair of nike dunks or any other high tops for that matter. But at the same time, could my jeans keep up with a decent loafer or top sider? That is the great thing about straight legs and skinnys. Its that you can pair them with just about any shoe. The only time you may want boot cuts is if you are wearing cowboy boots, or flip flops. Past that, boot cuts are practically impossible to pair with shoes without them looking funny, or worse yet, you looking really guido. We'll get into pairing the look correctly in a minute...

The Wash

In the world of denim, two things hold a lot of weight in determining what looks good: The Fit, and The Wash. The wash as you would (hopefully) suspect is how light or dark the jeans are. However, it is not only limited to just sheer lightness but also how faded the jeans are. What type of wash you are looking for is mostly dependant on personal preference. However for building a jean wardrobe I would suggest buying your first pairs of jeans in a dark wash as they are easier to dress up and lighter washes are a little bit more difficult to dress up. Faded jeans are optional however, it is important to not pick jeans that are overdone to a tacky extent where the fading almost looks like bleaching. Non faded jeans are a little bit dressier as they have a crisper look and faded ones have a more casual, laid back look. I personally feel however, that denim that was purchased faded may be a little harder to dress up than denim that was purchased regular. however I would suggest that you use your own discretion on this.

Dressing Your Look

Dresssing Up Your Look: Assuming you have taken my cut and wash suggestions a decent idea would be dressing up your look with a driving shoe, moccasin, loafer, or other slip on. Also, consider pairing your denim with a henlee, polo shirt, or button down and finishing up the look with sport coat or cardigan.

Dressing Down Your Look: Going with the same assumptions as previously stated, a strong idea for dressing down you look would be to try and attach a high top with your look: Consider Nike Dunks, Creative Recreation Shoes, or Converse All Stars. For tops, consider a simple v-neck tee shirt, a woven shirt, or a graphic tee that is true to fit.

So all of this stuff is great to hear, but where do you start? Well, if you are willing to check out designer brands of all price points, I suggest revolve clothing. Other resources would be Evisu Genes, Karmaloop, and Urban Outfitters. Anyway, I hope that this all points you in a decent direction to begin with, until next time... keep your head up, nose clean, and ass wiped.
-Cliff