The Slim Dark Jean

The Slim Dark Jean

Dressing Dapper can seem complicated and overwhelming. But my goal is to lay out some staples that aren’t hard to come by, that you’ll enjoy wearing and won’t be a drastic change, but will make a big difference in your appearance. This staple is easy, because men already wear jeans, and prefer to wear jeans.  I won’t need to invest any time trying to convince you why you should be wearing jeans. While a pair of jeans is as common as it gets when it comes to men’s clothing, there is a right way and a wrong way to wear a pair of jeans.

The Dad Jean. Don’t Do It!

We’ve all seen dad jeans like Tiger Woods is wearing in the picture above. I’m a huge Tiger fan, but he’s not doing himself any favors by wearing those jeans. Consider Dad jeans to be on par with a pair of baggy cargo shorts. Not good! You could be wearing a great fitting shirt and great shoes, but nothing will offset or fix a poorly fit pair of jeans.

What to Buy: A Slim Dark Jean

You need to look for a dark, deep blue color jean. This is for good reason. They just look better, and it provides you the luxury of wearing them a lot more places. With a dark blue jean, you can dress it up and wear to a more formal place. I like having a few core staples that can be worn a in wide range of situations. You can wear them in a lot of casual business situations, on date night, at parties or for a night of prowling the town. Even the most casual atmosphere will allow a dark pair of jeans.

Being Dapper really isn’t hard. A pair of properly fitting, dark blue jeans can transform your wardrobe. You’ll see!

A dark blue jean is the color you are aiming for. But the fit is equally, if not more important. You need to wear them in a slim fit. This rule applies to just about anyone regardless of their size. No more boot-cut, or big baggy legged pants. That is not allowed, and it will never be Dapper! Before you freak out, I said slim fit. I did not say your sister’s jeans. They do not need to be painted on, in fact that is not allowed either. A man’s leg naturally tapers from top to bottom. Your jeans need to do that as well. There are many versions of a slim cut, and you will need to try a few pairs on to find the right fight for your build. But stick with slim, or narrower cuts.

If you are coming from the Dad jean, these slim cuts will feel pretty snug when you buy them. They’re going to break in and fit much better after some good use. But don’t let the snug fit scare you, it won’t last long.

And speaking of long, the next step is to make sure the length is appropriate. Make sure they’re not too long. A very common mistake I’ve seen is purchasing jeans that are too long. That will visually shorten your legs and throw off your proportions. Proportions are important, remember!

A general rule of thumb for the length is for the bottom of the jean to just fall to the floor (no slack) when wearing the jeans with no shoes on.

These are the basics of buying a slim, dark pair of jeans. Pretty easy, but it will have a profound effect on your appearance.

Now go find yourself a dark, slim fit jean.

Be Fit. Dress Great!

*** Bonus tip, something I have learned over the years: do not wash your jeans as often as you think you should. A good pair of jeans is like a pair of boots. They become better with time, they shape to your legs. Washing your jeans every time you wear them will prevent the jean fitting as well as it could. Not everyone will do this, but throwing a pair of jeans in the freezer for a bit will help kill bacteria and control odor if your jeans get a little musty.