How should jeans fit?
Jeans should sit still and comfortably on your upper hip without a belt. The legs must be long enough that they break towards the hem, which should gently touch the top of your foot. You’ll want the inseam close to your thigh without the jeans pulling at your knee when you sit.
I don’t say this lightly.
Jeans are the most improperly worn and incorrectly fitted item in a man’s closet.
Every guy knows to get their tuxedo pants hemmed and to tailor their professional clothes, but casual clothes often fall by the wayside.
We’re going to guide you on how jeans should really fit. Fortunately, getting it right is easy once you know what to look for.
Even if you don’t wear jeans for style purposes, following this guide will help you maximize comfort too.
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The #1 Mistake Most Guys Make
Sizing too big is a death-blow to wearing jeans.
Since they’re considered a relaxed pant, it’s understandable why so many men do it. The problem is that it ruins the whole outfit’s silhouette, it’s uncomfortable, and it makes you look shorter.
The tell-tale sign is if your jeans sag at the top. They should sit fitted and comfortably around your waist or upper hip. Even with the help of a belt, an ill-fitting waist will cause the outer seam to jut out and make the inner seam bow.
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This isn’t just awkward looking, but can cause chafing.
If your classic-fit jeans are folding into large stacks, they’re definitely too long and possibly too wide. Even the oversized jeans trend avoids wide stacking, for a more top-wide and tapered fit towards the hem. They’ll definitely have a fuller break, but there won’t be any folds above that break.
Basically, you should never let your pants stack widely regardless of the fit you’re going for.
Legs
Even the most formal-looking pair of black jeans should convey a casual, but not sloppy style. The legs on jeans must be longer than those of dress trousers, and more fitted than sweatpants.
How Long Should Jeans Be?
When you’re standing, your jeans must be long enough that a bit of the fabric folds towards the hem, creating a break. The hems should then reach the top of your feet. This also gives you slack to cuff your jeans, if you choose.
As mentioned, jeans that are too long will create large stacks at the legs. On the other end of the spectrum, you can tell that your inseam is too small if your jeans are “smiling,” meaning there’s excessive folding and bunching coming out from the groin area.
As a style, some skinny jeans feature fabric folds by the zipper. In this case, you’ll look out for excessive folding in different directions than the established lines.
Skinny jeans and slim-fit jeans have a slightly different standard than classic-fit jeans. Look for pants that are an inch longer than you’d buy with classics, maybe two inches depending on your proportions. Just make sure that they aren’t riding upwards and that there’s slight looseness and stretch around the knee area for movement.
They won’t have a break towards the hem in the same way classics will. Instead, like the knee area, there will be a gentle looseness that fully straightens out when you sit down.
Wear your skinny jeans with boots. There should be slim folds stacking for about two inches right above the hem. This is the only time stacking is acceptable—and they should be very thin.
If you have to choose between jeans that are slightly too long or too short, go long. This is the case for any fit. You can always get them hemmed.
How Long Should Jeans be When Sitting?
When you’re seated, the pant leg’s break will mostly straighten out and the hem will only slightly lift from your foot. However, it mustn’t lift so much that your ankles are exposed.
Remember, these aren’t dress trousers.
The exception to this rule is if your jeans are cuffed, especially if you cuff them for the purpose of showing off your socks or top of your boot. If you’ve cuffed them so that they still graze the top of your foot when you’re standing, then it’s okay for your ankle to slightly peak when you sit.
Thighs
Each seam should sit closely to your thigh without the jeans pulling at your knee when you sit down or bend over.
Tug at the mid-thigh portion of your jeans and make sure that you can lift half an inch of fabric from your leg. Otherwise, it’s too tight. More importantly, make sure that you aren’t able to pull more than a full inch off. Slightly small jeans will stretch, but slightly large jeans will only get more ill-fitting as you wear them.
This mid-thigh tug
Waist and Seat
The waist and seat should fit comfortably without a belt. This also means it sits still on your upper hips without the slightest sign of sagging. Everyone is built differently, so if they can sit on your mid hips without falling, that works too.
The back bottom of your jeans should gently hold your seat without restricting movement when you bend down. There mustn’t be any stress on the middle-stitching. A visual way to tell if the seat is too tight is to look at the lower portion. If you can see the contour where your seat ends and your lower thigh starts, it’s definitely too tight.
How Tight Should Jeans be at the Waist?
As mentioned, if you need a belt to keep your jeans up, they’re too big. If the waistline bunches up when you close your belt, they’re way too big.
Another important note is that if your pants are too long, it can affect the way they’re sitting on your waist or hips, giving you an inaccurate reading of the waistband. This is especially true of high-quality jeans.
A hearty pair of selvedge denim pants are so stiff and strong, that excessive stacking can sometimes hold them up when you wear them, even if the waist is slightly too big. Selvedge denim is tightly woven and often infused with Kevlar fibers making them extra hard.
They’re a great investment, so guys are more likely to buy them even if they can’t find the perfect length with the intent of getting them hemmed.
Once they’re shortened and broken-in though, the jeans may actually start to sag. Avoid this expensive mistake by folding the bottom of the jeans when you’re trying them on to prevent stacking. This simulates how they’ll actually fit around the waist after you’ve gotten them hemmed.
Add a secondary checkpoint by assessing whether or not you can put two fingers between you and the waistband. If the answer is yes, you’re golden.
On the other hand, if your sides stick out over the waistline of the pants, they’re too tight. You should be able to easily close and open the top button without having to suck in. It’s important to size up if there’s any pinching.
The Perfect Fit
A lot of getting the right fit for your jeans is a matter of comfort. Your body often tells you when it’s not right.
Now that you know how a grown man should wear his jeans, feel free to get that nice pair you’ve been eyeing.
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FAQs
How should skinny jeans fit?
Skinny jeans should fit snugly, but not so tight that you can’t comfortably button and unbutton your pants. The waistline of the pants shouldn’t squeeze your midsection to the point that they jut out, and the length should be about an inch or two longer than a classic fit.
Is it better to size up or down in jeans?
For a classic-fit, it’s better to size down, as long as the jeans don’t uncomfortably pull at your knees and it’s sufficiently long. If there’s any significant discomfort from sizing down, you can size up and get the jeans tailored.
How do you know if jeans are too loose?
Jeans are too loose if you need a belt to keep them up or if they have several folds in the legs causing the fabric to stack.
How tight should jeans be when you buy them?
Jeans should fit perfectly at the waist and be long enough that there’s a break before the hem. Slight tightness in the hip and knee area is ok, as long as it isn’t uncomfortable.
