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Jeans are as American as apple pie, baseball and the Fourth of July. We all have them. We all love them. And from time to time we are all baffled when it comes to the terminology of jeans. Jeans have their own language. So until Babelfish.com recognizes it as a language, here is a basic language guide.
Words describing the denim fabric
- Acid wash – the denim fabric will have vivid white portions. This is accomplished in the manufacturing process by scrubbing the denim with chlorine soaked pumice stones.
- Creased – once meant that someone ironed the jeans. Now it means that a tiny white stripe down the front of each leg has been added in the manufacturing process to give the illusion that the jeans have been ironed.
- Dirty wash – are jeans that are manufactured to look dirty.
- Stone wash –similar to its acid wash cousin, stone wash fades the jeans more evenly. This manufacturer uses pumice stones, sand and enzymes to achieve the look.
Words describing the style of jeans
- Boyfriend—are jeans from the men’s department that are slightly too long (so you must roll them into cuffs) and slightly too big, particularly in the waist. A belt is mandatory.
- Bootcut –are jeans with a wider cuff, never to be confused with “bell bottoms” which were jeans with a very wide cuff.
- Cargo jeans—loose fitting jeans with a lot of pockets on the legs.
- Trouser jeans—are fitted at the waist and hips and fit more loosely along the thighs and legs.
The language of jeans like the pants it describes is constantly changing. For fashionistas, it is a full time job.
