Denim · Est. 1972
Denim thatworks at work
Most offices here allow jeans now. That is not the same as most jeans being acceptable.
Dark, clean, no distressing, and hemmed properly. That is the whole specification for denim that works in a DFW business casual office. Rinse or one-wash indigo in a straight or slim-straight cut, worn with a sport coat and leather shoes, reads as deliberate. Faded and distressed denim reads as the weekend. Fitted at The Man’s Shop in Arlington.
The line offices actually draw
It is about the wash, not the fabric
The question is rarely whether denim is allowed. It is whether the specific pair you own reads as clothing or as leisurewear, and that is decided almost entirely by wash and finish.
A rinse or one-wash indigo in a clean cut sits perfectly well under a sport coat. The same cut in a heavily faded, whiskered, or distressed finish does not, and no amount of good tailoring above the waist rescues it.
Hemming is the other half. Jeans bought off the rack are almost always too long, and the resulting stack of fabric at the ankle is the fastest way to make an otherwise good outfit look careless.
What to buy
The specification that works
- Wash
- Rinse, one-wash, or a very dark indigo. If you can see contrast between the seams and the body of the cloth, it is too washed for an office.
- Cut
- Straight or slim-straight. Room enough to sit down in, narrow enough to sit cleanly over a leather shoe. Nothing skinny, nothing baggy.
- Weight
- Twelve to fourteen ounces works most of the year here. Anything heavier is uncomfortable eight months out of twelve.
- Details
- Plain pockets. Visible stitching, contrast thread and hardware all push denim toward the casual end, which is the opposite of what you want.
- Hem
- To the top of the shoe with a slight break, or no break at all. This is a ten-minute alteration that changes the whole outfit.
The alternative
When a five-pocket trouser is better
- What it is
- A trouser cut like jeans — five pockets, same silhouette — in cotton twill, moleskin or a technical cloth rather than denim.
- Why it works
- It reads a step dressier than denim while feeling the same to wear. In offices where jeans are borderline, this is the garment that solves the problem.
- Colors
- Stone, olive, navy and tobacco. All of them go with the same jackets your denim does, and they broaden the wardrobe considerably.
- Technical versions
- Cloth that looks traditional and performs like sportswear. Useful for anyone whose day involves a car, a site visit, and a meeting.
- The honest comparison
- If you own one pair of dark jeans and one pair of five-pockets, you can dress for almost any casual professional situation in DFW.
Common questions
Denim, answered
Are jeans acceptable in DFW business casual offices?
In most, yes, with conditions. The denim needs to be dark, clean, undistressed and properly hemmed. Worn with a sport coat and leather shoes it reads as deliberate; faded and distressed jeans with sneakers read as the weekend regardless of what is worn above.
Will dark jeans fade if I wash them often?
Yes, which is why raw and rinse denim is usually washed cold, inside out, and less often than most men assume. If you need a pair to stay office-dark for years, buy a stable one-wash rather than raw indigo, and keep a second pair for weekends so the good pair is worn less.
What fit of jeans should I buy?
Straight or slim-straight. Enough room to sit comfortably, narrow enough at the hem to sit cleanly over a leather shoe. Skinny cuts read as fashion-forward in the wrong way for most offices; baggy cuts read as careless.
Do jeans need to be hemmed?
Almost always. Off-the-rack denim comes long, and the resulting bunching at the ankle is the most common reason an otherwise good outfit looks sloppy. It is a quick alteration and it makes more visual difference than anything else you can do to a pair of jeans.
Should I own jeans or five-pocket trousers?
Both, if you can, and the five-pockets first if your office is strict. One dark pair of each covers nearly every casual professional situation in DFW, and the five-pockets in stone or olive broaden what your existing jackets go with.
Can The Man’s Shop hem jeans?
Yes. All alterations are done in-house by Enrique, our master tailor, including original-hem finishing where the look of the factory hem needs to be kept.
Bring your shoes
Book with Patrick or Austin
Hem length is judged standing, in the shoes you’ll wear with them.
Book with PatrickBook with Austin
100 S. West Street, Arlington, Texas 76010
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · Closed Sunday
(817) 265-1116