Men's Jeans

A pair of jeans is decided at the thigh and again at the hem. Slim and skinny cuts stay close from the seat down, tapered pairs allow room through the thigh before drawing in below the knee, and straight legs hold one width the whole way. Relaxed and loose fits keep that width but start it higher, at the seat. Rise runs alongside all of it, deciding whether the waistband sits on the hip or nearer the natural waist.

Then there is the denim itself. Weight, given in ounces, runs from around 9 oz for a fabric that feels broken in immediately to 14 oz and beyond for one that takes months to soften and holds a crease where it bends. Rigid cotton fades sharply along the seams; a few percent of elastane trades some of that character for give. Washes carry the rest, from raw indigo through rinse and stonewash to whiskering and repair.