When choosing a pair of men's jeans there are a handful of things that decide whether you wear them constantly or leave them in the wardrobe. None of them are complicated, and most of them are easier to check in a fitting room than to guess online.
Start with the fit, not the waist
The fit — straight, slim, bootcut or tapered — does more for how a pair of jeans looks on you than the waist size does. It is also the thing most men never revisit, having settled on one cut years ago. We have written a full breakdown in men's jeans fits explained, but the short version is that straight suits the widest range of builds, slim suits most men who are not heavy through the leg, bootcut is for anyone who genuinely wears boots, and tapered is the answer if you carry weight through the thigh but want a neat ankle.
Check the waist
The waistband should sit snug without digging in. Two fingers between the waistband and your body is about right. If you need a belt to keep them up, they are too big; if the button pulls when you sit down, they are too small.
In stretch denim, take the smaller of two sizes — it gives roughly half a size within an hour of wearing. In rigid denim, take your true waist.
Check the seat and thigh
The most common fault, and the one men notice least in a mirror. Sit down in them. If the denim pulls hard across the thigh or the back pockets splay outward, the fit is wrong through the seat — and no amount of waist adjustment fixes that. Try a tapered or straight cut instead of going up a whole size.
Check the length
The hem should finish around the top of the shoe with a slight break, or just above the ankle bone if you prefer a cleaner line. Denim puddling on the ground wears through at the hem within a season.
If the fit is right and only the length is wrong, that is a ten-minute job — our in-house tailors shorten jeans and keep the original hem where the style calls for it.
Style and wash
A dark, plain wash is the most useful thing you can own: it passes for smart-casual with a shirt and boots, and it goes with everything. Mid and light washes are more casual and read younger. Distressed and ripped finishes are a specific look and date faster than plain denim does.
If you are buying one pair, buy dark. If you are buying a second, buy mid.
Where to start
Browse all men's jeans, or go straight to a fit: straight, slim or bootcut. By brand, we stock Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Bugatti, 6th Sense and Meyer.
Once you have them, our guide to washing men's jeans covers keeping the colour and the shape.
Any questions, call in to us on High Street in Ennis and we will fit you properly. Nationwide delivery across Ireland, and click and collect on everything.