midweSTYLE: Whiny pants

Colored denim. You're seeing 'em on the ladies and some of the more trend-driven men on campus, in the streets, on the runways and in the magazines.

Cool? Sure.
Novelty? Yes.
Wearable? Totally.
Worth spending your money on? Your call.

For me, it is. How do I know?
Run through this checklist of questions. If you answer "no" to a majority of these, then I suggest investing elsewhere:

• Do you have a well-loved pair of dark wash, selvedge denim you can wear every day?
• Do you have a sharp pair of dark grey chinos to throw on for a change?
• Do you have a slick pair of black jeans to pair with a classic desert boot?
• Do you have a broken-in pair of corduroys you can toss on with a sweater?

If you don't have any of the items above, I'd consider focusing on those before you stop at the front of the store with the "latest and greatest" trends companies are pushing.

I answered yes, so I found a cheap pair from Uniqlo. In this case, wine-colored denim.

Fresh cut, too. My stylist, Kara of barbara & barbara, threw it down with a master fade.

You also know you're in good hands when your hair stylisy says,

"I'm going to geek out on your neck line for 15 minutes, cool?"

On Jeff: Slim-fit twill "Wine" denim by Uniqlo; two-button, notch lapel "Marine" cotton blazer by A.P.C.; slim-fit, short-sleeve button-up by rag & bone; leather desert boots by Clarks.

Photos by Haley Hastings.