How Your Jeans Should Fit

You’re off to a good start. You’ve found the jeans you want—Mugsys. But even the right brand of jeans won’t save your look if you end up buying the wrong size pants.

Your jeans should ultimately fit in a way that ensures:

• Absolute comfort
• A casual, sharp & stylish fit
• Room for your boys.

Below, we outline just how your jeans should fit, from gauging tightness to finding your ideal inseam.

How Tight Should Your Jeans Be?

This really depends on your style, but for the purposes of this post we're gonna cover what 90% of guys should aim for.

If there was a single golden rule to picking out jeans, it’s avoid baggy; nothing screams goober more than pants that are too big. At the same time, you should avoid anything that looks like leggings.

Instead, go for a fit that's tapered through the leg and ankle.

To see if you got it right, try the pinch test—from the hip through the knee, you should be able to pinch about a thumbnail to half a thumb's worth of fabric (i.e. about 1/2" - 1"). E.g.:

If you can grab a handful of fabric, they're too baggy. If you practically need tweezers to pinch any fabric, they're too skinny.

This look will always be in style and will work for any situation.

How Long Should Your Jeans Be?

Generally, you want your jeans to be long enough to reach the top of your shoe with a little bit of bunching (the slight extra fabric prevents the legs from riding up too much when you sit down). Here's a good example:

Notice the slight kinks and folds above the ankle.

If you wear your jeans in more formal occasions or want a more summery look, get them slightly shorter—so that they reach the top of your shoe with minimal bunching—to expose a little sock/ankle. Like this:

When in doubt, err on the longer side—you can always cuff your jeans for a more stylish look ;)