Like a lot of guys, I always assumed pants were pretty straightforward.

You needed precisely two pieces of data: Your waist and inseam measurements.

On the other hand, words like skinny and slim evoke images of discomfort.

These are often combined in various ways, making things even more complicated.

Skinny.Skinny cut pants are like straight-cut ones, but, you know,skinnier.

That literally means what you think it means: Theyre narrower, but the same circumference down the leg.

These are good for guys who have slim legs and find themselves swimming in straight pants.

Slim.Some brands differentiate between slim and skinny.

Slim-cut pants are narrower in the seat and thigh, but wider in the lower leg.

This is just a matter of finding the right cut for your body shape.

If you have big thighs but skinny calves, slim might be perfect.

Its, as the name implies, a very comfortable fit.

This is sometimes called athletic these days, because branding.

Loose.Loose-cut jeans and pants are very roomy all around.

The legs will tend to pool around your shoes and be very wide in general.

Lets move on to leg openings.

A big contributor to how pants look on you is the cut of the leg.

This is a matter of taste and preference, as well as the kinds of shoes you favor.

It will fall around your ankles pretty widely.

Tapered.Tapered legs get narrower as they go lower, which means they will fit more closely around the ankles.

They might even feel a bit tight when pulling them on because of your unsightly, enormous feet.

Without the boots, these might not look or feel right.

Thats all in the cut.

Your jeans can go through various treatments before you put them on to strut your stuff.

Heres what those are:

Raw.Raw denim is unprocessed and unwashed, so it will feel stiff and unyielding.

Its got an old-timey feel.

The dye wont bleed or rub off.

Stone-washed jeans are washed with pumice stones to get an aged, broken-in look.

Acid wash adds in a bleaching agent to give the jeans a faded look.

Enzyme washing is a more environmentally-friendly way of pre-aging jeans.

The fabric will be scuffed and torn, sometimes to ridiculous levels.

Grinding.Grinding makes the seams and hems of your jeans worn and frayed.

This is often combined with distressing, but not always, and also gives the jeans a worn look.