Written by DCist fashion contributor Rachel Cothran. Find more of her writing at her web site Project Beltway.

Mauro Farinelli's favorite word is ass.

"Your ass looks hot," he tells me, pronouncing it the same way you'd say "ouch" after stepping on something sharp. "You have a great ass," he determines matter-of-factly.

And what Farinelli says, goes. The thirtysomething owner of local jeans mecca Denim Bar has a magnetic personality and the certain know-it-all attitude that makes you instantly trust his judgment and covet his approval. If you let Farinelli work his magic, if you're open to it, you won't be sorry. But Denim Bar is not for the faint of shop. You have to not only want to find the perfect pair of jeans, you have to be open to the experience of denim. You have to be interested in terms like "whiskering" and "yoke" and "busted seams" and care about things like raw denim and real indigo dye (he's selling a pair made with 100 percent natural indigo for $750, if you're interested). Farinelli is the Denim Moses who will lead you out of style slavery and into the sartorial promised land.

But you'd need to know that salvation often doesn't come cheap. And you'd need to have the courage to admit that those Gap jeans ain't cuttin' it.

At Denim Bar, the "good stuff" is behind the bar: the most expensive jeans and the booze you just might be offered while you shop (bloody marys on Sundays). Entering the flagship Arlington shop is a bit intimidating. There's little more than stacks upon stacks of denim nestled into dark-wood walls; you can hardly be the shy "just looking customer."

I arrived at the store with my friend Matt, who quickly impressed Farinelli with his fashion knowledge and by wearing ridiculously hot and expensive Prada jeans. I told Farinelli about my favorite jeans, a pair made a few years ago by Paper Denim & Cloth, now as frail as phyllo dough. I needed to find the next best thing. And I wanted Farinelli to do all of the work. He knew Matt's and my size with a quick glance, and soon enough we were in our respective dressing rooms with three pairs of jeans.

The first pair, Joe's Jeans The Honey ($159), fit like a glove. Farinelli sells Joe's Jeans hand over fist at Denim Bar, probably because it's what he suggests to many female customers. "They're the only brand to offer styles for every fit of woman," he says. Mauro had grabbed one size smaller than what I normally wear, and he was right. The jeans hugged all the right curves, moved comfortably when I did, and didn't show too much skin when crouching down.

Matt ended up buying a pair of Even Stevens by Nudie, which are not only organic, they're raw. What's that? It's the hardcore denimhead stuff: completely untreated denim that the wearer dutifully wears so that the "broken-in" look, usually replicated in factories, is unique to his (or her) body. Matt and I both listened intently as Farinelli explained how the prefect amount of whiskering at the crotch is achieved.

After doing the pull-hop-tug routine in my dressing room with a pair of Chip & Pepper Olivia jeans ($187), I called out for my regular size. These fit well -- no waist-gapping -- but felt a little too stiff for my taste. They simply weren't as comfortable as the Joe's.

Matt described these Acne Mod jeans ($375) as "outrageously comfortable." He has muscular legs, so he loved the slightly more relaxed cut through the thigh. The shape narrows out around the knee, and the resulting look is perfectly styled rumpledness. The color ("miner wash") and the cool bunchiness of the jeans make them look like they were carved out of denim-colored stone. "I feel like I'm wearing pajamas," said Matt.

I was both nervous and excited to try on my final pair -- the skinny jeans. Farinelli had described them in what you might call fashionista dirty talk: they look "messy" and "childish" at first, "but on the body, they're devastating." The Iron Army Mayumi Straight Leg ($198) comes in a few different washes, but I Iiked the way the heavy stitching on the dark denim pair stood out. Farinelli crowed "I'm three for three!" when I emerged from the dressing room and praised the way the pronounced thread on the back pockets contributed to the great "ass-shape." The jeans were indeed slim-cut but surprisingly comfortable. The sexy and sophisticated look combined with the simple, dark styling reminded me of Brigitte Bardot; suddenly I felt as if there was a huge gap in my wardrobe.

Matt's final pair was also a departure from the styling of the two he'd tried on before. The Kicking Mule Workshop 1980 came in a much more relaxed cut and a lighter wash. "It's that look you want when you don't wanna look like you tried hard but you still look hot." These would be a great "starter" pair for a guy not quite ready for a tighter-fitting or raw jean. What else would Farinelli recommend for a "starter" pair for guys? "I'd recommend APC and Nudie dry [another word for "raw"] denim because they're good quaity and a good price. For a washed jean I'd say AG, Seven for All Mankind, Meltin Pot, and Chip & Pepper. Great price points and fun washes."

You might be wondering what jeans Farinelli, the Denim Master himself, wears. In his "current rotation," he's got Ralph by Nudie in raw, Tube Steak one-rinse by Chip & Pepper ($180), Joey Hung in a black vintage rinse by Ksubi ($265), and Blue Blood's 3-year wash ($509). Farinelli can't wait for Fall, when he'll display all of the "sick" jeans, jackets, and sweaters by one of his favorite lines, Rag & Bone: "I don't think they've f*cked up a single thing."

Denim Bar
Pentagon Row
1101 South Joyce St.
Arlington, VA 22202
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m; Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

4939 Cordell Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20814
Open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m; Thursday & Friday from 10-8 p.m.
Saturdays from 10-7 p.m. & Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.