What's new

Suggestion on Jeans?

It has been about 4 years since I bought jeans and one pair is looking pretty tired, so I decided it is time to try and find another pair. I'm in no way trendy, but also don't want to look dumpy. Four years ago, the jeans were bought by a 25 year old who would never need to wear jeans in a "professional" setting. Now I periodically am in instances where I will be dressed casually with my company's senior management and would prefer to not look like a dumpy junior staffer (am the youngest person in the room by about 8-9 years) when I arrive for a meeting like that.

I was in Nordstrom last night, and I believe I was looking at these: http://www.agjeans.com/The_Protege__Hunts/pd/c/23/np/23/p/2096.html I should have snapped a pic of the tag. Fabric was nice. Made in USA. Doesn't look too loose or tight, and I liked the wash. Nothing too visible on the pockets either.

I liked this wash too from the Nordstrom site: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/ag-jean...e-wash/3211523?origin=category&resultback=755

I'm just wondering if there are any other suggestions for brands to check out. I don't love the idea of $200 jeans, but I'll pay it if that is the best choice. 7 For All Mankind was alright. Others seem to be too "youthful" for what I am looking for. I'd like to get to Brooks Brothers and check out their Made in USA Levis. I have access to more stores than Nordstrom in the DC area, so chances are I can find anything. I'm short and thin, and would have to get those AG jeans tailored down from their standard 32" length. I usually wear 30x30, but it seems "premium denim" means "regular" (32") and "tall" (36") are your only choices for length.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Whatever you get ... get dark denim with no "added fading" or other "factory added effects" ... don't have them really long so they puddle at your feet ... don't have any noticeable "designs" or embroidery ... these jeans make all the mistakes ...

proxy.php




Look like this:


proxy.php


Notice the length ... the not baggy or tight cut ... the straight leg ... the dark, unadulterated colour ...
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
FWIW, there's nothing wrong with Levi's as a brand, if you can find the jeans that fit your look (as in my post above) rather than the teenager/hipster look (nothing wrong with that look either, in it's place ... but certainly not for the OP's needs.) 501s or 505s may suit your needs ... search out a darker wash than 'normal'.
 
I completely agree with the above comments. Dark wash, straight leg, with a nice fit. No baggy, sloppy jeans with wide legs. Unless you're planning on wearing boots, I would avoid the boot cut entirely. From my experience, they just look sloppy when paired with nice shoes.

BE SURE to read the care tag on your jeans, and wash them inside out. I've read that soaking the jeans in salt water or vinegar water before the first wash helps set the dye and avoids fading. Also, if you're in an office setting and not sweating, the jeans can be worn several times before washing. The more they're washed, the quicker they fade.

If you have access to a Marshalls/TJ Maxx or Nordstrom rack, swing by and check out their selection of Lucky Jeans. While they're probably not as nice as the ones you're looking at, they can be found for $30 to $40. I BELIEVE the ones I got this spring were the 212 vintage straight, or something like that.

I also have a pair of 7 For All Mankind jeans I picked up at Goodwill that I absolutely love.
 
The Filson Cone Mills White Oak stuff might be a good choice to appear hip and conservative all at once.
Levi's has lots of Selvedge stuff you might like.

Some Kurabo cloth might fit in your environment well.

Consider what weight cloth you want as to what season you plan on wearing them. You probably don't want 16oz denim in the summer.
 
The AG Protege's that you're looking at are great jeans - I have several pairs that I wear in professional and casual environments all the time and they're perfect. As far as the length, if you buy them at Nordstrom they'll hem them for free. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with them.
 
As mentioned above I really like the look and feel of Lucky jeans. Always find them for great prices at TJ Maxx and Steinmart if you have those in your area. Some of them have a slight fade in them, but not with a big contrast. They look real good with boots, like my Tony Llamas and Ariats.
 
Levi's make some dark, non-faded, quiet jeans. Along that line, if you want to go premium, there's Naked & Famous (no pocket stitch so it's got a clean look which I like).
 
I don't care how many frowns I get... my selection for jeans is purchased at Walmart, the brand: Wrangler.

Why...:


  • Excellent fit, many styles, many colours
  • Very high quality denim.
  • Pocket material is the best I've seen in any jeans, solid, withstands keys and other objects that eat other jean pockets for breakfast
  • Coin pocket, big enough for my pocket multi-tool. (this one is huge for me)
  • heck of decent price for a good pair of jeans.

I've tried many brands, just about anything, never beyond 100$ at I just don't believe in jeans costing that much are worth it.

I used to be a suit and tie person for years, but I've slacked off for a few years now as I don't do as many high profile meetings so it's been jeans of many colours, and putting on a shirt and tie (even a sport jacket) can work very well with some jeans. (blacks, greys and browns)
 
501 for entry level about 50 bucks

If you want nicer than that buy Levi's "HESHER" jeans... Great fit, classic look... Get it in raw denim... 100 bucks

If you wanna go next echelon buy tellason jeans... You won't regret spending 250 dollars on these jeans
 
LRG make an unwashed unprocessed straight leg denim jean that are just fantastic and damn near indestructible. They only run about $60, and they are as hip as they come.

I personally think that Sevens and Trues are just a tad played.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
I don't care how many frowns I get... my selection for jeans is purchased at Walmart, the brand: Wrangler.

No frowns here.

Denim's roots are in cheap working clothes for the masses ... cowboys, miners, so forth ... and there's nothing wrong with taking it back there. (If I spent $400 on a pair of jeans, I'd be afraid to "give 'em hell", which should be standard operating procedure for wearing and washing.)

Wrangler is a bit too 'cowboy' for my personal taste, but that's just YMMV.
 
I actually like Banana Republic jeans. They are dark colors, soft and comfortable and always seem to fit me well. The pairs I have had lasted and long time too.

There's a Banana Republic outlet in the Potomac Mills mall too... I think that's fairly close to you. You can usually get a good price.
 
Whatever you get ... get dark denim with no "added fading" or other "factory added effects" ... don't have them really long so they puddle at your feet ... don't have any noticeable "designs" or embroidery ... these jeans make all the mistakes ...

proxy.php




Look like this:


proxy.php


Notice the length ... the not baggy or tight cut ... the straight leg ... the dark, unadulterated colour ...

+1
 
The good thing is that there are hundreds to choose from at all prices.
I am ok with spending up to $300 on a pair, if they're Japanese and if they're Selvedge.
501s have a great cut for my body shape and I believe they last a while too.
 
Whatever you get ... get dark denim with no "added fading" or other "factory added effects" ... don't have them really long so they puddle at your feet ... don't have any noticeable "designs" or embroidery ... these jeans make all the mistakes ...
+1 ... stick to a well known brand like Levi Strauss ... don't even think about wearing Ed Hardy or D&G into a meeting with senior management. You'll wind up paying hundreds extra for an embroidered design that will be out of fashion next year, and you'll look pretty silly in the process.

With a brand like Levi or Lee, you'll always look good. Classic designs never go out of style, and you can move easily from a meeting with management to a casual lunch to an after-hours party to shopping at the mall without having to worry about "fitting in."

Like you, I'm short and thin, so getting proper fit is important. Spend a few dollars extra to get them hemmed up and altered as necessary. Make sure you have a good belt to wear, and that it is not too garish or bulky so it can multi-task in the different scenarios mentioned above.

And don't be ashamed to shop for clothing at The Goodwill Store. I've picked up some major brand-names like LL Bean, Ralph Lauren, Geoffrey Beane, etc. for around $5 a pair. These were all perfectly servicible articles of clothing and nobody will know that I didn't spend hundreds of dollars on my wardrobe. (I'm a bit anal-retentive about brand-names, so if I buy a pair of Levi jeans at Goodwill, I'll go shop for a new Levi shirt to match it. But that's just me. If you can bear the shame and embarrassment of wearing Levi jeans with a Ralph Lauren shirt, you can get 'em both at the same time with plenty of change back from a $20.)

Finally, when you do your laundry, turn the jeans inside-out before you put them in the dryer. This will help to dry them faster, Don't turn them right-side out until you're ready to wear them again, as this will preserve that "just-washed smell" if they hang in the closet for several weeks before you wear them again.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom