LifeFiles: Does Denim Make The Man?

I hate jean shorts, and my boyfriend enjoys wearing them. He likes them so much that he has six pair -- five in blue and one in an awful shade of brown, just to keep things exciting.

He used to have a camouflage pair as well, but luckily they don't fit him anymore and now live comfortably in the Goodwill pile.

When I see Jack debate which pair of hair band-inspired denim shorties he wants to wear (as if one is more dressy or suitable than another) I wrinkle my nose and start thinking about the old saying that clothes make the man.

Fashion matters, as least as much as it matters to the eye of the beholder (aka -- the girlfriend), but how much does it make a difference in a relationship?

It's hard to deny that physical characteristics are more than likely the first thing I or anyone else notices about someone. Clothes are definitely a part of that, in that they say something about a person's personality.

It's not to say I won't look twice at a good-looking guy in jean shorts or any other item that doesn't do it for me. It's just that I take more notice if he is wearing jeans that don't have a hem at the thigh.

Before you peg me as a fashion snob who won't even give jean shorts a chance, keep in mind that I am not alone. Over the past few years I've conducted an informal survey of women and most of them say no to short denim.

Even some guys know what's up. In the words of one of these fashionably advanced specimens who shun denim that hits above the knee, "The '80s called and I hung up."

Sure, some clothing articles turn me off and I'm not afraid to admit it. On the other hand, there are even more that turn me on.

It's always been about sweaters and glasses. In college, I even kissed a guy because I was swept up in the knit of his Shetland wool. In fact, it was a certain sweater that made me take a second look at my current boyfriend.

That sounds silly, I'm sure, but we all have our little button-pushers -- like cologne and necklaces, both of which my boyfriend refuses to wear.

Note: More men should wear cologne. Not too much, but just enough to stand out above the smell of soap. Women like it; they like it very much.

So here I am complaining that my boyfriend's wardrobe is stuck in the 1980s and he doesn't wear the types of things I like, and yet I don't let it get in the way of our relationship.

Because jean shorts and mock turtlenecks aside (yes, I dislike them too), what makes the best impression is a guy who takes pride in his appearance yet looks good without trying too hard.

I like that my guy doesn't care what he wears. Maybe it's because I grew up with a dad who threw on whatever was available, despite my mother's objections.

A man who is comfortable with who he is and doesn't need clothes to make an impression is all too sexy.

Because when he tries too hard, it's a definite turn off. I can tell when a guy spends hours in the mirror using hair gel to get every piece in place, and that just screams of vanity.

I may not have a type, but the man who checks his reflection more than I do is definitely not it.

Though it may seem like Jack and men like him will only wear what's comfortable, or more likely clean at the moment, all is not lost.

Fashionably challenged men often respond well to suggestions. Just as my dad will wear whatever my mom buys for him, my boyfriend doesn't turn down free clothes.

Men may not have many fashionable alternatives to khaki, but there are other places to turn than the land of Levis.

With a few replacement pairs -- and more than enough positive reinforcement -- Jack is starting to accept that jean shorts aren't as sexy as they used to be.

Even if he does throw them on every so often, I know clothes only make part of the man.

It's what's under the jean shorts that really matters

Laura Lewis is an adventurous 20-something who knows how to make the most of being single. Her column appears every other Thursday.