From their humble origin as literal workwear through to their transformation as a symbol of 20th-century counter-culture; few items of menโs clothing illicit as many strong, varied opinions as humble denim jeans. Bearing that in mind, weโve cobbled together a list of what we like to think of as the best menโs jeans money can buy โ covering a mixture of cuts and budgets, of which (hopefully) at least one will be your new go-to.
Denim prices in Australia now being what they are, itโs imperative to buy a classic cut with a more forgiving fit. In a pinch? Itโs difficult to go wrong with something in the vein of a Leviโs 502: think medium rise, straight through the thighs and a gradual taper.
Ticked off all the basics? Then scroll through our hitlist of the best jeans for men below. And remember: itโs not all $500 selvedge from Okayama. From workaday styles to the ultimate in archival reproductions, there are pairs to spare if youโre in the market for a new pair of jeans. Letโs jump in.
RELATED: The Difference Between A $500 Versus A $5,000 Custom-Made Suit
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The 14 Best Brands For Menโs Jeans
Nudie Jeans
- Slim fit
- Mid-waist
- Tapered leg
- Slim leg opening
- Made with โcomfort stretchโ denim
Why We Rate It: A popular pick around the Boss Hunting office and a previous feature in our โBrands You Need To Knowโ series, Nudie Jeans is all about a holistic approach to denim. From the word โgo, the Swedish label encourages you to really live in your jeans; with free repairs for life and the option to recycle and trade up into newer collections.
If youโre looking for a pair of skate/hardcore-inspired denim that goes with footwear in the mould of Vans, we suggest a pair of Nudieโs carrot-shaped โlean deanโ style.
A.P.C.
- Straight leg
- Mid-waist
- Size up for a โlooserโ fit
- Made with dry selvedge denim
Why We Rate It: A now-ubiquitous fashion label renowned for its minimalistic Parisian staples, A.P.C. (โAtelier de Production et de Crรฉationโ) sits comfortably in the sweet spot between a capital-F fashion house and a cult streetwear brand.
Known for helping to popularise crunchy Japanese selvedge, we highly recommend the labelโs โNew Standardโ cut โ a straight-leg mid-rise style, which if youโre between sizes weโd recommend sizing up on.
BOSS
- Range of five versatile fits
- โComfort stretchโ slim fit styles most popular
- Denim sourced from a range of European mills
Why We Rate It: BOSS has always been primarily known for its menโs tailoring and sportswear, but in recent years, the brand has made expansive inroads into the realm of denim jeans.
A great option for men who desire a deep array of choices in their chosen denim brand, there are literally dozens of subtly differentiated styles in the BOSS lineup.
The brand is particularly adept when it comes to nailing washed colourways, with our personal favourite being this Americana-inspired mid-blue number or the โgreyโ regular fit cut (thatโs closer in tone to a twice-washed black).
Uniqlo
- Slim fit
- Straight-cut below knee
- Low rise
- Made with โstretchโ selvedge, co-developed by Kaihara Denim
Why We Rate It: Reputed for making some of the best high street basics at an affordable budget, Uniqloโs denim offering is an embarrassment of riches when you consider its sub-$100 price point. Manufactured with just the tiniest bit of โstretchโ for additional comfort, weโre big fans of these slim-fit jeans which are the product of a storied (and ongoing) partnership with Kaihara Mills โ the latter of whom have been making legendary Japanese selvedge denim since the early 1950s.
Rag & Bone
- Mid-rise
- Taper through thigh
- Narrow leg opening
- Made with 10 oz. stretch denim
Why We Rate It: Founded by a pair of British expats in New York, Rag & Bone was, for many menswear nerds, the gateway drug to expensive leather motos and raw denim. Even years on, the labelโs โFit 2โ jeans โ tailored through the seat with a narrow leg opening โ remains a certified best-seller โ made for the everyday in a versatile 10 oz. Japanese denim.
Leviโs
- Mid-rise
- Regular fit through seat and thigh
- Iconic โ5 pocketโ styling
- Made with medium indigo denim
Why We Rate It: The certified OG when it comes to American blue jeans, Leviโs has been crafting denim since 1873 โ when the eponymous founder crafted the worldโs first slice of indigo workwear. Even with multiple diffusion brands and dozens of models under its belt, when you shout โLeviโsโ most people will follow with a name-drop of the 501s.
A classic straight-leg jeans with a higher rise, itโs a great cut that caters to a surprisingly wide audience. So whether youโre part of the sport coat and button-down crowd, or prefer Converses and faded tour tees, the 501 is the kind of jeans that will never let you down.
Anglo-Italian
- Mid-to-high rise
- Moderate taper
- Denim is shuttle loomed
- Fabric dyed using AICโs own custom washing process
- Made with 13 oz. Italian selvedge
Why We Rate It: Although the conventional wisdom amongst denim heads suggests one should always endeavour to buy raw denim, London menswear stalwart Anglo-Italian runs headlong in the opposite direction with its comfortable and raffish โAICโ denim range.
Bleached in the shopโs own array of classic custom washes, this is denim fit for a Riviera-dominating Italian industrialist. Cut with a medium-to-high rise and a lower leg that tapers gently, itโs the sort of model that looks good under a tee, and yet one that I wear constantly with tailoring.
Acne Studios
- Mid-rise
- Tapered thigh
- Flared through lower leg
- Made with washed, mid-weight denim
Why We Rate It: Originally founded in 1996 as part of the wider ACNE creative collective, Stockholm label Acne Studios has since gone on to become a favourite of fashion insiders all around the globe. Founder and Creative Director Jonny Johansson first popularised the brand with his now-legendary โ100 pairsโ of red-stitched jeans (given to family and friends).
Since then, denim has remained a core pillar of the business, with styles like the tapered โ1996โ evoking the heady days of pre-millennial Scandi cool.
orSlow
- Classic fit
- Mid-rise
- Moderately tapered leg
- Made with 13.5 oz. Japanese selvedge
Why We Rate It: The brainchild of legendary workwear designer Ichiro Nakatsu, orSlow is yet another label in the canon of Japanese heritage brands dedicated to resurrecting (and improving) archival clothing.
The โ107 Ivy Leagueโ has been a bestseller since Orslowโs inception โ modelled closely by Nakatsu after a pair of vintage Leviโs 505s pulled from the designerโs personal archive. Crafted using 13 oz. โwhite lineโ selvedge, my view is that these are one of the most satisfying and sturdy ways to wear denim, thatโs guaranteed to get better with time.
Momotaro
- Mid-to-low rise
- Narrow, straight fit
- Fabric treated using Momotaroโs signature โOne Washโ
- Made with sanforized 15.7 oz. selvedge
Why We Rate It: One of the most widely known diffusion labels under the Japan Blue umbrella, Momotaro is a premium maker of denim jeans that needs little introduction.
Washed on the shores of Okayama using ocean water (seriously), and cut from the brandโs heavy-duty 15. oz sanforized denim, the โ0705SPโ model is possibly the last pair of jeans youโll ever buy โ at least, out of necessity.
Tellason
- Mid-rise
- Slim, tapered fit
- Made in California
- Made with 14.75 oz. Japanese denim
Why We Rate It: Another cult-y workwear label hailing from Americaโs West Coast, the long-time friends and founding duo behind Tellason aim to produce only the hardiest of denim jeans for men. Their jeans are created in a hefty pre-shrunk selvedge, giving you a product that is โ at least by the standards of the denim world โ relatively low-maintenance.
Suitable for those who favour a slim jean with a tapered leg.
Our Legacy
- High-rise
- Relaxed fit
- Wide, straight leg
- Made with washed Italian denim
Why We Rate It: One to consider if youโre interested in adopting a more fashion-forward approach to jeans for men, Swedish label Our Legacy has really come into its own over the years: doubling down on styling that combines the best of alt culture and a looser, more relaxed approach to building silhouettes.
The brandโs โThird Cutโ features a higher rise and is wide through the leg โ not quite descending into bellbottom territory but giving you an ounce of loosey-goosey energy that works well with printed shirts, silky tees and other pieces you may own with a vaguely maximalist aesthetic.
Outerknown
- Mid-rise
- Slim through thigh
- Tapered leg
- Made with 12 oz. indigo denim
Why We Rate It: Another prior feature from our โBrands You Need To Knowโ series, Outerknown comes courtesy of pro surfer Kelly Slater and has a major focus on sustainability. The denim and production for the brandโs jeans are socially conscious at every level, passing all the way from Milan to Vietnam at the highest possible standard. Theyโre also offered with a lifetime guarantee and the option to up-cycle โ in the unlikely circumstance that you get sick of them.
For a good balance of comfort, mobility and style, weโre happy to recommend the โAmbassadorโ โ Outerknownโs signature version of the classic slim-fit denim.
3sixteen
- Modern โslim, straightโ fit
- Slight taper through the knee
- Made with 14.5 oz. selvedge, custom-woven by Kuroki Mills
- Complimentary chainstitch hemming
Why We Rate It: With locations on both Americaโs East and West Coast, 3sixteen has been serving U.S. denim enthusiasts for the better half of a decade. Co-founder Andrew Chen โ whoโs something of a guru in the denim hunting community โ prides himself on the brandโs unique relationship with mills, suppliers and its various manufacturing partners โ something that comes across in the SL-100x, 3sixteenโs incarnation of the slim but straight-legged selvedge denim.
Available with (optional) chain stitching, the โIndigoโ SL-100x showcases the brandโs classic, navy denim. Woven in Japan exclusively for 3sixteen by Kuroki Mills, itโs everything one loves about raw selvedge (the rare fades, crispy exterior and propensity for individual character) without an agonising break-in period.
This is because the inside of the fabric โ the result of a unique denim weaving process in Okayama โ possesses an extremely soft hand, meaning that the SL-100x is easier to wear than your average store-bought selvedge.
Madewell
- โ1991 Straightโ fit is a US bestseller
- Wide range of vintage-inspired models
- Made using ring-spun denim from Turkey and Japan
Another highly regarded mid-tier brand from the US of A (that now ships to Australia), one of the programmes that has made Madewell so popular over the last few years is its denim.
Offering a slew of menโs jeans, in no less than 5 different fits, the brandโs most popular is undoubtedly its โ1991 Straightโ: a cut inspired by the sort of roomy, classically proportioned denim that will be a comfort to many elder millennials.
The โ1991โ alone is available in over half a dozen different washes: ensuring that buyers will have a pair for every occasion, whether thatโs Labour Day-appropriate โtile whiteโ or the endlessly versatile โMainshoreโ blue.
Found this primer on menโs jeans helpful? Then consider checking out some of our other style-related Buyerโs Guides below:
