Finding Your Fit With Mens Jeans

Cut and fit is the most crucial thing on any pair of jeans. Regardless of color (wash) or brand, the cut will be the single factor that can make you look either great or ghastly. An integral part of learning about the world of men's fashion involves knowing how to check if a pair of jeans will look good on you - all without trying them on.

Straight is Super
In every corner of men's fashion, there's that single type of item that can go well with just about any other piece of clothing. And in the world of denim, that ultra-universal element of mixing and matching is the straight cut jean.

A straight cut is almost universally flattering. Whether your body is for underwear ads or obesity campaigns, a pair of straight cut jeans will look good on your bod. It's your best and safest choice, especially if you have an irregular body type or if you still don't have the hang of dressing yourself well.

Find yourself a pair with a waist that hits to about an inch below your navel. That's the 'neutral' area for wearing any sort of pants; it's not high enough to make you look like a dork, but not low enough to make you seem like a wannabe model. It's safe, in short.

Boot Cut Blues
A favorite of men with an athletic build, boot cut jeans are the ones that give your body the most curve. The boot cut looks fantastic on guys with a relatively developed (read: built and toned) pair of thighs and not-so-fat legs. A wide thigh accommodates the extra bulk up there, while the thin leg and slightly wider leg opening creates a sexier silhouette for your lower body

Pairing clothes with boot cut denims is also child's play. All you have to do is make sure that your top fits you well (the shoulder seams run exactly along your shoulder, say) and your shoes have some length to them. Too-loose tees and shirts will make you look like a balloon, as it throws your body proportions out of whack. You'll also want at least some length of your shoes to peek out from under the larger-than-usual leg openings.

'Slim' vs 'Skinny'
Although both are practically synonymous in the world of diet foods, they mean two very different things for denims. Slim jeans usually have a straight or tapering cut; they hug the legs more at the thighs and lower legs, hence the name. Skinny jeans, meanwhile, are supposed to really hug the legs tightly, like a pair of leggings, and always taper at the end.

Many regular build guys will have little to no problem fitting in slim jeans. Skinny jeans, meanwhile, are made exclusively for the ultra skinny guy with barely any meat on his legs. If you belong to the latter category, you should get either slim or skinny jeans anyway; anything larger will make you look like a scarecrow.

Loose Cuts: Love 'em or Lose 'em?
Almost as ubiquitous as straight cuts on store shelves are the loose cut pairs, marketed as the jeans for big guys. But unless you really do have telephone poles for legs or just had a leg operation, loose cut jeans aren't a very good idea. The cut is very rarely flattering, so it's not good for much aside from wearing them around the house.

If you feel that you're a little more generously built than most others, go for the straight fit. Because the leg widths adjust with the waistline, you'll come out looking much better without necessarily committing a fashion faux pas.

Even when you've already learned these rules by heart, you should still let the fitting room mirror be the final judge. It's a fact of life that some jeans will look amazing on you while others simply don't work. That's fashion for you.