Men's Style Monday: The Perfect Jeans Hem

I am constantly fielding questions from men about jeans fit, length and hem. In response, here are a few pointers about shopping for the perfect fit and alteration:

• When choosing jeans, don't worry excessively about their length. It is much more important to make sure the jeans fit well around the thigh and rear.
• If the jeans have any stretch (look at the tag for 1-2% elastic), it's okay to purchase them a bit tighter than you would feel comfortable wearing, since they will stretch out.
• Always take your jeans home and wash them before getting them hemmed. Typically jeans will shrink in length from 1/2 inch to 1 inch...and you want to make sure they are shrunk before altering!
• Request of your tailor to keep the original hem intact. If he/she doesn't understand or catch your drift, tell him/her to use the same color thread as used on other parts of the jean (usually gold).
• To distress the bottom of your jeans after hemming, hold the bottom edge of the jean tight and rub with sandpaper or a nail file.

Stylishly yours,

Lauren

www.editbylauren.com