Complete denim newbie seeks advice

[Holdfast]

And I mean a complete denim newbie - I used to be a fair bit overweight, so the idea of tight jeans horrified me!

I've since lost the excess weight and got into better shape but believe it or not never really got round to buying a pair of jeans...

So I'm completely new to denim and toying with the idea of buying a pair. But the range is staggering. I'm looking to the experts to point me in the right direction in terms of the different brands' fits and which they'd recommend for me.

A bit of background - I certainly don't want anything paint-stained, ripped, torn or otherwise heavily distressed. Some light wear is fine. From what I've read I don't think raw denim is right for me; sounds like too much trouble for me.

I'm in my (very) late twenties so can't pull off a "hip young thing" look; I just want something slightly more casual and slightly younger looking than my regular chinos, etc. A dark blue rather than a sky blue please.

I'm a 31" waist, fairly wide hips with fairly muscular thighs and calves so can't have anything "skinny". Re: the legs, I also don't want a flared look. Tapering I doubt I could pull off with my figure; for what it's worth my suits have a 17-17.5" cuff circumference and I'm happy with that. I guess that's a straight leg. I also have a short inseam of about 28" (should jeans be longer than regular trousers?)

Price not really an issue to be honest, but nothing totally insane please!

I appreciate this post is much more basic - and boring -than the usual discussion, but please take a moment to help this suit-savvy but denim-desperate guy out! Thanks! What brands and sizes should I be looking for?

 

[DNW]

It sounds like something Diesel makes is suitable for you. They have a range of washes, some not so crazy. I notice that you're in England, you might get access to some washed Nudie Regular Ralph or Straight Sven for a decent price. If you want something more subtle, APC makes a pair of washed standard jeans that's decent and well priced (they might not fit you well because of your muscular thighs). I also like Rogan, but they might be a bit too "fashion forward" for your taste because their cuts are fairly unconventional. Lastly, Levi's makes some decent washed jeans in their LVC collection and possibly some in the Capital E collection (I'm not familiar with the latter).

 

[tweedlesinpink]

I second the Diesel choice. They're good comfortable jeans that make all sorts of cuts, so finding a straight with a nice wash wouldn't be a problem at all. if you're looking for diesel, though, i'd point you to the HonestForum, where they have a whole section dedicated to Diesel, and tonnes of dieselfreaks to recommend stuff. Just let them know what you're looking for, and they might even snag you a brand new auction.

 

[Holdfast]

Thanks guys - I'll check out the double recommendation for Diesel and also the others DarkNWorn mentioned.

What size should I be getting for a 31" waist? I gather denim will stretch? Should I be going a size down?

And what about hemming - on regular trousers I wear a half-break. What length should jeans be hemmed to and should I wash them before to see if they shrink.

Thanks again!

 

[DNW]

That would depends on which brand you go with. Diesel makes their jeans fairly true to size. If you're buying a washed pair, you won't have to worry about shrinkage as long as the jeans are washed in cold water. As for hemming, it depends on how you wear your jeans. I like mine to be about 1" longer than my dress trousers, which gives them a slight break.

 

[Holdfast]

You're a star. Thank you very much!

Now to actually go find a pair...

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

how about an apc rescue?

!luc