The Best Men's Jeans for Casual, Everyday Wear
From classics like Levi's, Wrangler and Lee to newcomers like Everlane, Outerknown, and Pass~Port.
Courtesy
A quality pair of jeans can be your go-to trousers for almost any occasion, from work to a date to a night out. They can also be found at just about any price and in an array of styles and washes. However, the sheer endlessness of available options can make searching for a new pair feel like a full-time job but don't freak out. We've figured out the best brands to buy from for you.
While die-hard denimheads embrace a fuller, workwear-influenced shape that references the 1950s, many guys are opting for a slimmer, more classic silhouette — sometimes with a bit of stretch. Never should they fit like yoga tights, but jeans with a cut that’s just a little closer to the body and streamlined through the leg remain an important part of every man's wardrobe. On the opposite end, wide-leg jeans are just as in. Again, you shouldn't take the trend to an extreme, but relaxed-fitting jeans have never been more flattering.
Jeans are versatile — they can be worn raw or washed and faded; there are cheap pairs; pairs made from hemp; expensive reproductions from Japan; and so on and so forth. "Denim has transcended all social classes and levels of fashion," says Kiya Babzani, the cofounder of Self Edge, the world’s leading selvedge denim retailer, which started, fittingly, in the Mission District of San Francisco.
How to Buy Better Jeans
When buying good jeans, your focus should rest on two things: fabric then fit. High-quality jeans are often made from selvedge denim, a fabric that ages over time in a way that reflects the lifestyle and habits of the wearer. Even if you choose a pre-washed pair, though, they'll fade and rub and shred in their own way, too, but less obviously.
Raw denim typically develops two distinct types of fades: whiskers, which are long creases found around the waist and crotch area, and honeycombs, which are fades behind the knees that look like honeycombs. Though a new pair of jeans made from raw selvedge denim can take up to a year to break in, the results are unique, and well-made denim will continue to age in a graceful manner for many years. "You don’t know how good a jean is until it’s worn in," Babzani says.
Like I said, most jeans are offered in different washes and can even come pre-distressed. But according to Todd Barket, owner of now-shuttered Unionmade in San Francisco, these jeans “can feel inauthentic sometimes, like the work has been done for you.” Over time, selvedge jeans become an expression of yourself, and transforming them with constant wear is a dedicated hobby for some folks. For others, jeans are just clothes — a casual alternative to chinos.
Try Them on
"Always buy jeans in person. Go into a retail store, try them on and feel them. You’ll be able to get the fit right and compare the fabric. Any manufacturer can make any fit of jean, but the fabric is what makes one brand stand out from another," Babzani says.
Focus on How They Fit
"If you’re buying quality denim, start with the fit. You want your jeans to feel good and suit your body. When buying unwashed, raw denim, make sure the fit is a little tight because they will stretch after a few wears," Barket says.
4 Things to Consider Before Buying
Wash
Denim traditionally starts out as a deep, dark, inky-blue fabric dyed with indigo. The magic happens once the fabric is stitched into jeans, the five-pocket style, and gets washed in massive — and increasingly eco-friendly — washing machines. Sometimes stuff is tossed in to achieve sand- or stone-washed effects, all in an effort to make a pair feel softer and broken in. Other effects include using high-tech lasers to burn designs into the fabric and jeans literally being torn and repaired to mimic the scars and blemishes of a well-lived life.
- Dark Wash: Though even the darkest wash jeans are still decidedly casual, these pairs have what it takes to make it in a serious setting. Pair it with a crisp white shirt, a lightweight sweater and a blazer for work.
- Light Wash: Go a little lighter for date night. Keep it clean, but feel free to go for whiskering — those thin, faded lines across the front that look like you’ve been standing and sitting in this pair forever—or some light faded effects across the seat and thighs.
Distressing
Some abrasion here and there, usually a bit paler, more faded. More emphasis on points of wear like the butt, thighs, and pockets. Great for a tailgate or other similarly casual settings. Most brands make their own distressed jeans nowadays. They can either be made this way using lasers, as mentioned above, or more manual methods like stone- or acid-washing.
Stretch
Twill refers to the way denim is woven (this method causes those diagonal lines you can see if you look very closely), and this method is what makes denim so tough and so stiff. In an attempt to keep up with the increasing demand for clothes that work hard and look good, most modern denim makers now sneak a little stretch fiber into their jeans for comfort and flexibility.
Stretch also helps keep jeans from getting saggy, so they look great all day. Most companies limit the mix to one or two percent of overall material makeup, using fibers like lycra or elastane. Others are adding performance fibers to denim, like Coolmax, for moisture and temperature management. (These fibers help keep you cool if you wear jeans in the summer.) While our recommendations include some of these materials, many are 100 percent cotton.
Care
While some serious denim aficionados insist on never washing your jeans, the reality is that most guys should wash their jeans. The experts at Denimhunters, a subscription-based denim learning platform, have found that if you don’t wash raw denim, the fiber may become brittle and break prematurely.
Here’s some tips for keeping jeans fresh but not stripping them of their color too quickly:
- Wear your jeans regularly to break them in.
- Wash your jeans on a cold-water cycle, inside out, with a mild detergent like Woolite Dark, Tide Natural or Dr. Bronner’s. Yes, even raw denim.
- Avoid using a dryer to preserve fibers and size. Instead, air dry jeans by hanging them or lying flat.
- Repeat the wear, wash and dry cycle as needed.
- Office or sedentary lifestyle? You can get away with washing your denim once every two to three months.
- Ask for darning services at your local tailor to repair small holes and tears. This process recreates the original fabric using only needle and thread.
Remember that dirt kills fibers. Wash those jeans and air dry to preserve them well.
Alex Goldberg, head of merchandising at Buck Mason, recommends keeping it simple: "There's a lot of schools of thought out there on the internet. I keep things straightforward and avoid getting too precious. Cold wash infrequently and hang to air dry. And please don't put them in the freezer.
Learn more about breaking in and caring for raw denim, according to experts.
Buying Raw Denim
There’s an overwhelming amount of information concerning the proper way to handle raw denim and it’s an easy way to get boggled down in the message board minute. The truth is: there are no hard rules with raw denim. "What makes raw denim so special is that the end result – and process – is uniquely yours," says Jason Pecarich, founder of Seattle-based store Division Road. "There is no right or wrong way to wear your jeans."
We advise sticking to midweight denim, around 13 to 15 ounces, as Pecarich says it "will still feel substantial, have longevity and give you that stiff raw denim feel and can help prevent overstretching." Don’t rely too heavily on size charts, either — your body is unique and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to fit. Pecarich says it comes down to "having a fit where you like the silhouette with the understanding that a certain level of tightness is not possible without added stretch components in the fabric."
Unsanforized and shrink-to-fit may further confuse things, but if you’re up for the challenge, Pecarich says you should shrink your denim just enough to fit your hand in the waistline tightly. To shrink, cold soak your jeans in a tub or sink for 30 to 45 minutes, lightly agitate the water with your hand to help remove the starch inside the fabric, then hang dry until they’re damp. You can also opt for the washer and use the rinse cycle with no spin. At that point, put them on, go about your day, and let the jeans finish drying on your body. "This will help control the shrink and the denim will form closer to your body type," Pecarich says. If you need them to shrink a bit more, let them hang dry longer.
