In 2010, two denim veterans launched a Los Angeles label with a mission to do denim differently. Tim Kaeding came from Gap and 7 For All Mankind, Lela Becker from Citizens of Humanity, and they called the brand MOTHER, a name that by their own account can be nurturing or a cuss. That split personality is exactly what a frayed hem does to a clean pair of jeans.

MOTHER fringe jeans are where that attitude gets its best workout. Kaeding insisted every fit, wash and collection have a story, and the team picks the names together once the design is finished. More than 90% of the manufacturing still happens in LA. I like a brand that treats a hem as a character note.

Start the walk with the Relish Fringe Ankle in Jerky, a lower-rise straight leg with light blue fringe along the ankle. The Fringe Desperado Sneak in Saddle Up is the loudest pair here, with long fringe down both outer leg seams. For flare people, the Weekender Fray in Chaos Is Calling has fading at the knees, and The Doozy Fray in Heads Or Tails keeps the fray tidy and mid blue. The Half-Pipe Flood Cuff Fray and the navy Mid Rise Dazzler Ankle Fray round out the group.

In October I would pair the Weekender with a fitted knit and ankle boots, letting the frayed hem sit just over the boot. Hold the jean up against your shoe before you commit: the hem is the whole point, so it should land where you want it to show.

MOTHER sells its jeans with a hem vocabulary all its own. A frayed hem is abraded so the threads are loose from the first day, while a raw hem is cut and left unfinished so it develops character over time. A chew hem goes further, with a jagged edge made by grinders and hand tools, and a wash afterward blooms every fresh cut.

The Insider Crop Step Chew in Dancing On Coals is the loud one: a mid blue cropped bootcut with knee distressing and a jagged chewed step hem. The Chomp Heel Chew in Chew Toy is a long flare that grazes the heel, so plan on heels or a thick boot. For raw hems, the Hustler Ankle Fray comes in a light blue Sow Surreal and a black Not Guilty, both high-rise ankle flares. The Insider Ankle Step Fray in Cosmic Cowgirl is the gentler step hem, and the Half-Pipe Ankle Cuff Fray in Last Bite is a faded barrel jean with a cuffed, frayed ankle.

Vogue notes that the brand's Crop Step Fray helped reignite interest in wider-leg silhouettes, which tells you why this hem keeps coming back. The Dazzler Ankle Fray in Prairie Sand and in navy is the quiet pair, a straight leg that just finishes in a fray.

Fitting-room test: crouch and sit. A chewed hem should still clear your shoe, and a raw one will keep unraveling slightly, so stand in good light and look at where the threads end.

What I would skip: the Chomp in flats, unless you like the hem dragging on the floor.

Fringe is not only a MOTHER move, and these are the pairs I would set beside the brand's own. The AGOLDE Low Curve Fray in white is a low-rise curved wide leg, and the two Citizens of Humanity Ayla Undone Hem Crop jeans, in pale Allier and washed Sodapop, show how different an unfinished hem looks on a wide leg versus a straight crop.

The PAIGE Anessa Undone Hem in Big Sky is a mid blue high-rise wide leg that suits sneakers. For texture, the Isabel Marant Ombela has fluffy fringed edges at the cuffs of a black kick-flare crop, and the AllSaints Taylor has feathery frayed hems on a slouchy washed barrel. The Good American Vintage Low Loose is faded with raw hems, and the R13 Boyfriend in Abbey Black is faded, distressed and made in Italy.

A practical thing about fray: it keeps traveling in the wash. Turn these inside out, use a mesh bag and a cold cycle, and trim stray threads rather than pulling them. Check the hem by running a finger along it and looking for a line of stitching above the fray that keeps it in place.

Pair the black Ombela with a long coat and a loose knit for October, and let the white AGOLDE wait for a cold, clear day with chunky socks.

What I would skip: pulling threads off a new pair to make them look worn. Let the wash do it.

A flare is the natural home of a frayed hem, because the extra fabric gives the fray room to move. The FRAME Lax in Numeral Raw Fray is relaxed and blue with whiskering and a distressed raw hem, and the PAIGE Marlow Skimmer in Santorini Sky is a lighter flare with seamed belt loops and an undone hem.

For white and bright, the Veronica Beard Carly kick flare is a high-rise crop with raw cuffs, and the L'AGENCE Ruth in Blanc is a crisp white with a subtle flare and frayed cuffs. The Citizens of Humanity Goldie in Raspberry is a bright pink acid-wash kick flare, while the Good American Good Standard is a lighter indigo. The PISTOLA Lennon in Zuma is a cropped bootcut with a distressed knee, and the Re/Done Californian is bleach-baked with a 32 inch inseam.

Ankle-length flares are the ones I would wear with boots now, since a cropped hem leaves the shaft visible. Tuck a thin knit in, add a short jacket and keep the shoe simple so the hem does the talking. Test length by standing in your actual boots, because a kick flare that sits at the ankle bone reads differently from one that skims the floor.

What I would skip: white flares on a rainy day, because a raw hem picks up every puddle.

Straight and cropped jeans are where a fray looks most deliberate, since nothing else is competing with the hem. The FRAME Le Sleek Straight in Daylily Raw Fray has a light faded finish, and the FRAME Bow in Acumen New Fray is a dark relaxed crop with a raw hem and bow details. The 7 For All Mankind Cropped Alexa in Clara is a mid blue crop with a raw cut hem.

For a slimmer line, the Alice + Olivia Fierce has fringed raw hems on a light slim straight, and the AG Sydney is dark with front hem slits. The Moussy Vintage Mattapan is low-rise and light blue, with a distressed frayed hem. For a change of color, look at the PAIGE Anessa 31 inch in Vintage Canewood and the AG Hattie barrel in Chestnut, both brown with raw hems, which feel right for October.

Look at the fiber before you buy. The Hattie and the Bow are non-stretch cotton, so the hem will hold its shape, while stretch pairs like the Alexa fray in a softer way. Hold a hem to the light and check that the threads are even on both legs.

I would wear a brown crop with a cream sweater and loafers, and the Alexa with a trench and ankle boots.

What I would skip: a raw hem under a long coat that sits at the same length, since the two edges compete.

Pick the hem first, then the silhouette. If you want fringe you can see from across the street, the Fringe Desperado Sneak is the one. If you want a fray that disappears into an outfit, a Dazzler Ankle Fray in navy is the calmer choice, and the Weekender is my pick for boots.

Then check the fit in the shoe you will really wear, and decide whether you can live with a hem that keeps changing. Wash it gently, trim what bothers you and leave the rest.

Tim Kaeding and Lela Becker built a brand around the idea that jeans can have a sense of humor. A fringe hem is the joke told at ankle height, and I think it lands. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Fringe Jackets and Fringe Dress.