Hello my friends! Happy Cyber Monday or… regular Monday if you’re not shopping today? Ha! Today I wanted to focus on one of my favorite subjects: denim! You guys know how much I love my jeans (I have all the denim guides to prove it 😉 ), but after sharing all the jeans with you guys I thought it would be helpful to zero in on only the very best jeans from my denim collection.
I mean, to be fair, I love all of my jeans because I’m very selective in what I allow into my closet, but there are 3 pairs that I reach for more than the others and those are the pairs I want to focus on today.
But before I share them with you, I thought I would share some tips on what to look for when you’re building your own denim collection. Quite honestly, you do not need as many pairs as I have (I don’t need as many pairs as I have ha!) because jeans are hearty, you can wear them many times without having to wash them, and they are incredibly versatile.
Honestly? You need 3, maybe 4 pairs of jeans… even if all you wear is jeans.
And when I’m thinking of adding a new pair to my closet, these are the things I ask myself before purchasing:
1 | Will this wash go with my overall color palette?
2 | Will this style work with the shoes that I own?
3 | Are they comfortable enough that I’ll want to wear them all day?
4 | Will they stretch out? Or are they rigid enough to hold their shape?
5 | Is the quality high enough that they’ll last a long time?
Wash/color of denim is actually very important. If you have a bunch of rich jewel tones or earthy shades in your closet then a light wash denim probably won’t be as versatile as a saturated mid wash or dark wash pair would be. Or if your closet is mainly pastels, you may prefer a lighter wash. And if you’re unsure whether or not a wash will work with your color palette try looking on Pinterest for inspiration. But if you’re still in doubt, I’d recommend going for a mid wash blue. Sometimes darker washes don’t work as well in warmer months, and lighter washes don’t work as well in cooler months so a more neutral mid wash will be the most versatile.
Style is another important factor to consider. What kind of shoes do you own? Will that straight leg pair look good with your closet full of booties? Or will the skinny pair look okay with all of the flats or sneakers you wear? And honestly this is a personal choice. I would suggest wearing the pair of shoes you reach for the most when trying on jeans so you don’t wind up with a pair that doesn’t work with your shoe collection.
Some people love 100% cotton jeans. Some love a good jegging. It’s really down to personal preference and if you’ve never tried a variety of jeans you may not realize how different they can feel. I personally like to have a good mix, but the only caveat is that they all have to be comfortable… and my test? Do I want to take these off mid day or am I okay wearing them all day? If I want to take them off after only a few hours then they don’t have a place in my closet.
I am ALL for a good, stretchy pair of jeans but I have no patience for jeans I have to pull up all day because they stretch out while I’m wearing them… and this isn’t necessarily a matter of quality. I’ve had designer jeans that were the worst at retaining their shape, and I’ve had really inexpensive jeans that held their shape just fine. What you need to look for in stretchy jeans is material that’s thick enough that it can hold it’s shape. If the material is thin AND stretchy it most likely will fall down (100% cotton that is thin will not have this problem by the way, which is why vintage denim is so good).
Do not confuse quality for price tag. I had a pair of Roxy jeans that lasted me 15 years. I also had a pair of AG jeans that were wrecked after a year. Look for substantial material (thin material will rip and rub holes), 1-2% elastane max (or 100% denim), seams that are even and straight, and avoid distressed denim as much as you can (I know its a look, but those holes inevitably get larger). I would also suggest avoiding raw hems as they do tend to wear out a lot faster.
OKAY. Those are my tips.
Now for the fun part. If I could only keep 3 pairs of jeans in my wardrobe these are the three I would pick:
1 | Everlane 90’s Cheeky Jean in Washed Black
Other Pieces Shown:
Affiliate Links. Some items Gifted.
These are my #1 most worn pair of jeans. They tick all of the boxes I mentioned above: comfortable, a versatile wash, stretchy yet rigid enough to hold their shape, made well, and they work with all of my shoes AND my color palette. I find a washed black to be an especially versatile color. It works with both brown and black, but it’s not as severe as a black pair of jeans so they work with my casual lifestyle. If you want a more thorough review you can check out my Everlane Denim Guide here.
2 | Toteme Twisted Seam Jeans in Blue Wash
Other Pieces Shown:
Affiliate Links. Some items gifted.
So these jeans were a bit of a splurge (I got them secondhand, and they were still a splurge), but they were worth every penny. They are a non stretch pair of jeans, but because of the quality of the denim they are VERY comfortable. I find that with non stretch denim quality is super important. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t find the quality of Levi’s to be high enough for their jeans to be comfy (except for the vintage versions). These definitely are. I also love that they aren’t super high waisted. I’d been wanting a pair of more mid rise denim (these are just a bit higher than mid rise) to create more of a relaxed vibe with my outfits, but the waist is cut in such a way that they still sit very comfortably at the hip. I also love the cut of the leg, and the length is perfect for wearing both flats and boots. Again, these check all of the boxes.
One note on the fit of these: they run VERY small. I sized up two sizes to get my perfect fit.
Because these are an investment, I’ll include my blue wash runner up here, which is much more affordable:
3 | Madewell Dad Jean in Bradburn Wash (Black)
Other Pieces Shown:
Affiliate Links. Some items gifted.
I’m very sad to say that these jeans are sold out in this wash, but they do have them still in a washed black and a really pretty deep blue wash. These jeans are everything I want in a jean, super comfortable (stretchy, but thicker denim!), a black wash so very versatile, and a really nice straight cut that’s not too long or too short. They go with literally everything in my closet, and the relaxed vibe makes them great for warmer weather outfits as well. If you want a more in depth review of these jeans I have one in my Madewell Denim Guide.
I did want to give one quick honorable mention to the Everlane Authentic Stretch Skinny Jeans. These days I’m not a huge fan of skinny jeans in my own personal style, but I know a lot of people are still, and these skinny jeans are the best skinny jeans ever! If you’re looking for a good pair of skinny jeans definitely try these. I have an in depth review in my Everlane Denim Guide.
Well that’s all I’ve got for you guys today! I hope this post was really helpful. Denim can be a bit tricky… there are just SO many styles to pick from and it’s hard to narrow it down from the over saturated selection available. I can highly recommend each of the pairs I mentioned here, but if you’re curious about any other pairs you’ve seen me wear feel free to ask me about them in the comments!
Until next time,
