"Step two: the ," Elias shouted back. "If you have athletic thighs, look for a 'Tapered' or 'Athletic' fit. It gives you room at the top but doesn't look like a bell-bottom at the ankle."
Mark turned, checked the rear view, and smiled. He grabbed two pairs—one in a dark wash for dates and a lighter one for weekends. He walked to the register, no longer a victim of the denim wall, but its master.
"Last rule," Elias said, appearing as Mark stepped out. "The . If there’s a saggy diaper look in the back, they’re too big. If you can’t sit down without a prayer, they’re too small."
Mark swapped the baggy pair for a "Slim-Taper." He looked in the mirror. For the first time in years, he had a silhouette.
"Need a hand?" a voice asked. It was Elias, a shop clerk with the aura of a man who knew exactly where every button-fly was hidden.
