Off the Cuff by Carson Kressley Read Free Book Online Page A

impersonator or Potsie from Happy Days. What you want to do is take your jeans to your friendly neighborhood tailor, have them cut to the proper lengh and then have the original bottom hem reattached. The bottom hem will have the original stitching, and will have wear and tear engineered into it. If you just hem the pants without putting the bottom hem back on, the bottoms of your jeans will look perfectly clean and unabraded. That’s a little too Leave It to Beaver
    I also love vintage denim , which should always be in your wardrobe. You can spend thousands of dollars on it at a fancy vintage store, or you check out your local secondhand store. You can also buy new denim jeans that have been washed in certain enzymes and treated so that they’re broken in and feel like a comfortable pair you’ve had for a lifetime. Jeans should have personality.
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    In terms of fit, jeans are by nature a little less smart and correct than other types of pants. They don’t have to fit tightly like dress pants. I love when jeans look more relaxed, slouchy, and a little blown out.
    Deciphering the Flasher
    ( the card on the back pocket of jeans that shows size, length, etc. )
    Jeans are sometimes sized very randomly. So just because you’re one size in one brand, you’re not necessarily going to be the same size in another. Some manufacturers even add an inch or two to the waistband, just to make it even trickier. They say it’s a 30, but if you measure, it’s really more like a 32. It’s a marketing ploy to make you feel better. Then you buy the jeans because you say, “Oh my God! It’s a 30 and it fits! I’ll take ten pairs!” Nice try, world denim cartel!
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    Hopefully, in an ideal world, everybody’s waist size is smaller than the length. When you get to be a 38/31, it’s just a sad scenario, Humpty Dumpty. Buy the length closest to your real length. If that means you have to measure your inseam with a tape measure, that’s fine. Just do it. It’s fun working down there. Measure from the inside of the crotch, where the rise seam ends, to the bottom hem. And whatever you measure, that’s probably your size, because most denim is already preshrunk. All this “shrink to fit” stuff is crap. If they fit your body in the store, odds are they will fit correctly after washing.
    The wash refers to the color and fade of the jeans, which can be anywhere from a really uniform, super dark midnight blue to a soft light blue with lots of streaks and variations. In order to achieve a lot of those looks, denim is often treated; it’s thrown in big industrial washing machines, either with special enzymes or pumice stones to break down the fabric and give it a softer, more lived-in patina. Or sometimes jeans are actually sandblasted. There’s a million and one processes used in denim, and that’s why it’s best to keep it simple. When in doubt, think, “What would Carson do?” The answer: You’re always better off with simple and classic.

    Bootleg jeans were made for cowboys, and that’s why they’re cut the way they are. Bootlegs have very slim lines so they won’t bunch up in the saddle or cause lumps at the knees when riding. They will also have a slight flare to accommodate cowboy boots. Bootleg is also the one cut that’s pretty consistent from brand to brand. If it’s called bootleg, you can be pretty sure it’s going to be leaner through the seat and thighs, with a slightly flared bottom.
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    Relaxed or easy fit No two designers will call this the same thing, but I like to call it the “Oh my God, Becky! Her butt is so big” fit. The waist and the length are still the same, but the space between them, the whole construction of the jean, is more generous in the seat, thigh,, and leg.
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    Straight leg No pun intended. These are not only for straight men, as you may have thought. It’s just a little