Jeans, whether you realize it or not, can convey quite a lot about the type of person you are.

That’s right, the single act of putting on a pair of jeans can completely change the type of messages you send through your appearance. Imagine you see a person with a baggy, ill-fitting pair of jeans with ankles that drag along the floor with each step. What do you think? The first words that pop into my head are ‘sloppy,’ ‘uncaring’ and ‘severely fashion-impaired.’ Now, imagine someone is walking right next to this said jean catastrophe, and he or she just happens to be rocking a pair of jeans that fit in all the right places. Your thoughts? Well, you can keep those to yourself.

For women, buying jeans can be a daunting task. Buying a new pair of jeans only confirms one thing: whether or not our butt did, in fact, get bigger. For a man, buying the right pair of jeans can be the golden ticket to a first date with a cute girl he’s been eyeing. These jean buying tips work for both men and women, so listen up and get ready to take a self-closet evaluation.

First off, it’s essential to always, always, always try on jeans before buying them and to also take into account how you’re going to launder them. When trying on jeans, make sure that they aren’t too tight (muffin tops should never, ever be seen), but at the same time there shouldn’t be gaps in between your waist and the jeans; you’ll know when they feel comfortable. For women, there should never be any sagginess around the butt of your jean, while men obviously get more leeway in picking how tight they want their pants to be (keep in mind that women do like fitted jeans, but not too-fitted jeans). It’s all about establishing the perfect happy medium. Lastly, the whiskering of the jean should hit directly in the back of your knee joint, giving you a comfortable amount of room to stretch your leg. I am aware that skinny jeans are in, but skinny jean or not, you should be allowed to move your leg without bursting the seam.

Has your closet been purged of those painful pairs of pariah jeans yet? Are you wondering in dismay how you’ve gone for long looking so painfully jean challenged? Let’s hope so, because for your sake, and my own, no one wants their eyes to be assailed with a pair of jeans that’s baggy in all the wrong places.