Denim is the absolute foundation of your pants rotation and the importance of stylish, well-fitting denim can’t be overstated. It’s so important, in fact, that we’ve covered it multiple times before, in our Dark Wash Jeans Essentials piece and in our Jeans Fit Guide. So, before you go any further, make sure you check those out, the basics we cover in those articles are critical in knowing what to look for in your denim.
These days jeans come in a huge range of price points and while many people can get snobby about their jeans, we believe that great denim doesn’t have to be expensive. The picks we have below offer you everything you need at an affordable price. One thing to remember, when it comes to denim colors focus on dark washes first, so dark indigo and black, and then grey and medium blue.
DSTLD – $80-$85
DSTLD offers great fit and quality for the money. They have great black and grey options and we also love their dark indigo wash, it’s a nice rich color and the subtle grey stitching blends in.
Banana Republic – $98
Banana Republic offers a range of fits and styles but we really their basic version the most. At just under $100 the quality is great and there are fits for every body type. Just a solid, all-around classic pair of denim.
Uniqlo – $49.90
We’ve always been big fans of Uniqlo’s budget-friendly style. They always do clean and versatile very well and like their awesome chinos, their jeans are no exception. They’ve got two great fits, and we love the black jeans they have in stores and online right now.
Levis $50-$60
You can’ talk great denim without talking about Levis, they still make awesome jeans. We recommend the 511 Slim Fit and the 514 Straight Fit as the two to look for. (The 513 slim straight is also a nice in-between option too.) Stick to the dark and medium wash indigo or their black and grey options. At around $50-$60 these are classic and affordable, you can’t go wrong.