Stussy Jeans

How Wide Is a Big Ol' Jean, Really?

Wide leg means different things at different brands, and Stussy sits at the far end of the scale. The Big Ol' Jean runs full from hip to hem with no taper at all. The leg opening is close to the width of the thigh, so the denim falls straight and sits on top of the shoe rather than breaking or stacking on it.

That matters for how you buy. Plenty of people size up on jeans to get a looser look. You do not need to here, and doing it will leave you with a waist that will not stay up. The width is built into the pattern, not into the sizing. Take your usual waist measurement and let the cut do the work.

It also changes what you wear on your feet. A wide leg with no taper covers most of the shoe, so chunky trainers and boots work better than anything low profile, which disappears underneath the hem.

The Denim

Big Ol' Jean Washed Blue

The washed blue Big Ol' is the version most people picture. The wash gives the denim a lived-in tone straight away rather than the stiff, dark finish raw denim starts with, so there is no long break-in period. Five pocket construction, mid rise, heavyweight cotton. This is the pair that reads most clearly as Stussy denim, and the one to buy if you want the silhouette to be obvious. It pairs naturally with the boxy tees and hoodies in the rest of the range.

Big Ol' Jean Black

The black Big Ol' carries the identical cut in black denim, and it is the more versatile of the two. Black reads sharper than washed blue and takes the wide silhouette somewhere you could wear it out in the evening. If you are buying one pair rather than two, this is the more useful choice. Be aware that black denim fades faster with washing than indigo does, so wash it as rarely as you can get away with.

Denim Chore Jacket

A chore jacket is not a trucker. The denim chore jacket drops the western yokes and chest flaps for a straight body, four patch pockets and a boxy cut, which comes from French workwear rather than American denim. The practical difference is room: a chore jacket layers over a hoodie comfortably where a fitted trucker pulls across the back. Heavyweight cotton denim that stiffens new and softens into shape over months.

Worth knowing before you pair them: a full denim jacket over full denim jeans in the same wash is a difficult look to carry. Either break it with a contrasting wash, or run the chore jacket over the black Big Ol' rather than the blue.

Sizing

Jeans are sold on waist measurement in inches, from 28 to 36. Take your usual waist size. The wide leg comes from the pattern, so sizing up gains you nothing except a loose waist. If you are between sizes, size down rather than up, because heavyweight denim relaxes slightly at the waistband with wear.

The chore jacket uses standard S to XL sizing and is cut roomy, with room for a hoodie underneath at your usual size.

Looking After Denim

The single most useful rule with denim is to wash it less than you think you should. Every wash strips indigo, and the character in a good pair of jeans comes from wearing them, not from cleaning them. Spot clean marks as they happen and air the jeans out between wears instead of putting them straight in the basket.

When they do need washing, turn them inside out, use cold water on a gentle cycle and a mild detergent with no bleach. Hang to dry rather than tumbling, because heat shrinks cotton denim through the leg length and stiffens the fibres. Do the same with the chore jacket.