A girl I dated once told me I didn’t know how to buy or care for jeans. Buy or care for jeans? What was she talking about? In my mind, you go to the store, see some jeans in a brand you may or may not recognize, find your waist size, put up with the line at the register and you have jeans. Caring for them even more basic.  You notice they are dirty or are about to walk on their own, throw them in the washer, good as new. Apparently that is wrong.

My best friend's girlfriend was kind enough to explain 'jeans' to me the other night. Maybe it’s that women are a bit more conscious about their clothing. Maybe I just never had any idea so much thought went into an article of clothing I just throw on everyday. I could write about everything she told me, from fit, to style, cut, color washes, custom rips and wearing ideas, but I'll stick with the basics.

When you buy jeans, make sure they fit. Doesn't mean you have to bring your girlfriend shopping with you and ask 'does this make my butt look big,' but in order for them to be worn for long periods, make sure they fit. This means you're not struggling to button or zip them, and your socks aren’t showing when you're standing up straight. Also, if they feel too tight, they probably are, at the same time, if you can feel the material sway when you walk, they're too loose.

Cut, design, color, fading is all up to you. However, don’t overdo it. A dark pair of jeans with a touch of fading on the legs and rear is ok. When you get into pre-ripped jeans and color washes, you're getting into jeans as a fashion statement. Over time, the fading will come and so will the rips, but they'll all be in places that are natural. Not in places designers decided on, to accentuate certain features on guys.

Last thing, denim is a friendly material, you'll find as time goes by that you can just slip right into your jeans as you hit the break in period. Wash them after you have worn them a few times, use warm water so they keep their shape and dry them on medium so you don’t shrink them. Follow these basic rules, and you'll never end up with a lecture from your girl and always have jeans that fit.