There's been a lot of internet chatter over the past day about "dad jeans" thanks to this story in The New York Times.
The claim? The ubiquitous middle-aged man staple has somehow funneled down to the #menswear masses. We're here to say: It hasn't.
It's not that dad jeans aren't out there--spend anytime outside of a metropolitan area and they're pretty much standard issue--you just shouldn't expect them to show up in Tommy Ton's lens anytime soon.
And the pair the Times suggest Ton has shot (here) couldn't be further from actual dad jeans. They're just light blue skinny jeans as any guy who's bought a pair in the last decade could tell you. The kind of denim the Times is calling "dad jeans" is basically heavily-washed and faded. True, most guys haven't even seen or worn them since the man above was on Must See TV, but dad jeans they are not.
So what are dad jeans, precisely? They're higher than the highest high rise you've encountered.
You buy them at places like Costco. They're essentially sweatpants in denim form. And more importantly, you shouldn't wear them. Ever.
The jeans that the Times are pointing out are trending? They're light washed jeans with slim cuts that skim your leg, as opposed to the skin hugging, dark, rough raw denim stuff that this new wave of jeans is a reaction to. They're more comfortable, yes. But unlike dad jeans, you won't feel like you're wearing Hammer pants.
Yeah, we get it, calling these "dad jeans" is a catchy and easy way to identify a trend--if not a little trolly--but come on Times, we know you guys are "on it" but don't go confusing the men of America into dressing like Seinfeld above. (What's next, square toe shoes?)
Should you guys rock some light denim? Certainly. Here's five we dig. Just don't call them "dad jeans," ok?
See what to wear instead >
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