The 38 Best Jeans Brands Every Man Needs to Know

Mott & Bow makes a mean pair of slightly more formal denim for everyday wear, including these slim-but-not-skinny dark wash beauties.

J.Crew's sister brand entered the men's denim market strategically— the label's selection of jeans avoids overwhelming while still offering an option perfect for every occasion.

The brand name, however it may read to you, is actually a reference to the overall focus on fabric. Naked & Famous's jeans aren't going to arrive pre-distressed, because the folks who designed them are denim nerds, and they want you to nerd out on the material, too. Plus, the minimal processing brings the price down. That's value, baby.

The brand set out to reinvent the five-pocket jean, using a five-needle thread at two-stitches-per-inch process to create style that was instantly recognizable. It then added a signature horseshoe design on its back pockets, adding to its allure. Now, decades later, the label still has a devout following.

Adriano Goldschmied built his entire career on selling pair after pair of perfectly cut jeans. (The Graduate, seen here, is something of a calling card for the brand.) They don't just start calling you "The Godfather of Denim" for nothing.

For some time, Bonobos was synonymous with pants. And not just any pants, but slim-fit chinos. Thankfully, the brand decided to branch out, becoming a one-stop-shop for any well-dressed dude. This, of course, includes a great selection of jeans that are so sleek and so versatile that they work for pretty much everything and everyone—including chinos fans.

A whole generation of denimheads cut its teeth on A.P.C., and there's a good reason why: The Parisian label's signature jeans are just that good. Do they take some serious wear before they're truly comfortable? Sure. But that's kind of the point: You beat the hell out of them so you can make them your own.

The entire world of Ralph Lauren is built on an idealized, incredibly stylish version of America. So, yeah, of course Polo makes pairs of perfectly executed distressed jeans that look like you've loved them for years.

Kelly Slater's label has been based on sustainability and ethical production from the jump, so it's not a shocker that the brand's very good jeans are made in a Fair Trade-certified facility from organic (Italian!) cotton. Not a shocker—but still very well appreciated.

3Sixteen launched almost two decades ago with a fairly straightforward mission: Make really good pair of jeans. To do that, the brand sources its denim from (where else?) Japan, but its manufacturing remains stateside.

Rei Kawakubo is a doyenne in fashion, one of the first designers to really look at clothes beyond performance or as mere pretty things. And with her brand, Comme des Garçons, she revolutionized womenswear with her Dada-esque designs. In 1978, she introduced a men’s line, overseen by her protege, Junya Watanabe. Under Watanabe’s eye, the collection stayed true to Kawakubo’s vision, reworking proportions and playing with fabrics, especially denim, that brought—and continues to bring—his pieces into the realm of high art.

Custom-made jeans inspired by the heyday of NYC's most stylish subcultures? Say less!

Uniqlo does a lot of things well, and jeans are no exception. The Japanese mega-retailers offers up selvage denim, for less than $50 per pair, with just a little bit of stretch for comfort (but not so much that your jeans feel weird and rubbery). What's not to love?

Hey, remember those Polo jeans? Sure you do! Here are their cousins, hailing from some imagined ranch in the American West, where guys in rugged denim don't do any real work but look great doing it. Sounds like the life, huh? Well, that's RRL for ya.

OrSlow isn't a huge brand, but that's part of the appeal. The Japanese maker is focused on a small selection of products, made well and put into the world with love. Its signature denim—seen here in a selvedge—sticks to that very effective formula, and we're all luckier for it.

The original jeans-maker is still turning out the hits. If you're not sure where to start, go for the can't-fail 501 in the rigid, shrink-to-fit wash. It doesn't get much more classic.

Paige's Transcend fabric disrupted what the denim world thought a pair of pants could feel like. These are soft (so very, very soft) and, crucially, won't dig into your stomach whatsoever when you're sitting.

In less than a decade, Frame, a brand founded by creative agency The Saturday Group (the boys behind Mr Porter), has become the go-to label for megawatt musicians, ballers, and other celeb folk. It started out by making the perfect skinny jean, one that was constructed so comfortably that even cling critics became fans.

The brand that started out selling old Levi's from a single store in San Francisco has slowly turned itself into a denim powerhouse, and another favorite around the Esquire office.

If you're looking to level up your denim game, you can't beat a black pair of Rag & Bone jeans. They'll fit just right straight out of the packaging.

If you're the kind of designer who's done collabs with Levi's and Calvin Klein—like streetwear savant Heron Preston has—it's generally a pretty good bet that you know what you're doing when it comes to denim. The rule holds true here.

The early aughts saw a boom of denim labels springing forth from Los Angeles. It was definitely a moment, one that saw burgeoning labels reach the highest heights in business. Regrettably, over the last few years, many have filed for Chapter 11. This, however, does not apply to Citizens of Humanity. Since 2003, the brand has kept its operations relatively small, creating timeless styles out of quality materials, avoiding anything flash-in-the-pan. Perhaps that’s the secret for staying in the game.

We've said it before: Jerry Lorenzo just can't miss.

J.Crew needs no introduction; the company has been around for decades, growing from a catalog business to a brick-and-mortar behemoth to an e-commerce giant. Throughout this evolution, the brand continuously offered styles that are made to last a lifetime, which includes a vast selection of jeans in all cuts and washes. Alongside its cashmere and Ludlow suits, the brand’s denim deserves a place on the list of its greatest hits.

It was 2013 when Mike Amiri launched his eponymous label, wanting to capture the rock ‘n’ roll vibe of his native Los Angeles. He started with super-tight denim that he distressed in cool ways, instantly capturing the attention of celebs and industry insiders. Holes, rips, and tears became the Amiri's signature—one that he maintains throughout the changing trends in fashion.

What comes between you and your Calvins? Nothing. This famous sentiment was first cooed by Brooke Shields in a commercial for Calvin Klein jeans in the early ’80s, reputedly ushering in designer denim. It’s a category that is commonplace now, yes, but back then, the thought of spending coin on something that was perceived as utilitarian was controversial (and the sexually suggestive ads starring a 15-year-old didn’t help matters). Several decades later, the brand is still going strong, offering an assortment of denim that upholds the sleeks cuts and smart details that first put the label on the map.

The Swedes are noted for their clean, minimalist designs. Subverting this standard is Our Legacy, a brand founded by Cristopher Nying and Jockum Hallin that takes inspiration from vintage pieces, especially the wild and wonderful textures and adornments of the grunge era. But it doesn’t dive too deep into all things teen spirit; the label stays true to its Scandi roots by keeping its silhouettes streamlined.

If you're a fan of Virgil Abloh & co.'s work, but aren't necessarily fiending for any more gigantic graphics, the (relatively) subdued ones on Off-White's jeans should be right up your alley.

At this point, calling Kapital a denim brand is a gross disservice to everything else one of the most influential Japanese labels in the market makes today. But Kapital started out painstakingly recreating the perfect pair of vintage jeans, and the brand still sells some of the best denim styles around.

Unless you've got the ultimate plug (share the wealth, man!), you're not going to score anything from the design mind of Hiroki Nakamura on the cheap. But that's not the point of Visvim, anyways. The point is exceptionally well-made, small-batch product with an artistic bent and the best materials in the business. These jeans are a shining example.

If authentic Western jeans is what you’re after, the buck stops at Wrangler. For more than a century, the brand has been offering denim to ranchers, workmen, rodeo stars—basically, cowboys and wannabes. The brand has certainly branched into categories beyond denim, but it's the rugged, boot-ready Cowboy Cut jean that continues to reign supreme.

One of the OG players in the Scandinavian denim movement (it's real, and it's spectacular), Acne Studios got its start making really good denim before expanding into a full-fledged fashion brand. The options are on the pricier side, but thanks to their high-end construction and materials, they'll last you for years.

Lee makes a lot of stuff for a lot of folks, but for the devoted denimhead, the 101 line is the place to look. The collection includes classics like the 101Z jean, done up in fabrics—like this absolutely monster 21-ounce selvage from Japan's Kuroki Mill—that pay homage the golden age of denim. If you're a bit obsessive about provenance and history, Lee's got you covered.

Big and baggy hold no place in Saint Laurent’s vernacular. From Yves Saint Laurent and Tom Ford to Stephano Pilatti and Hedi Slimane, the designers of the French luxury brand have consistently kept the collection streamlined and tightly fitted. Now under the creative reigns of Anthony Vaccarello, the brand continues to offer skinny silhouettes—emphasizing denim more so than ever before—that nod to Mods and punks.

Should it really come as a surprise that Everlane—a brand predicated on making well-priced, well-made, and easy-to-wear iterations of all your favorite wardrobe staples—also makes some very good jeans? No, probably not.

Workwear is always having "a bit of a moment" in some way or another, so it's always a good time to get yourself a pair of Carhartt's famous double-knee pants. Even better if they're jeans.

Flared pants has emerged as the style of the moment, and much of the credit should be given to Josué Thomas, the founder of Gallery Dept. Back in 2017, Thomas launched the label as a way to rework vintage pieces, especially denim, and make them current. He started, of course, with flared jeans, breathing new life into the cut by distressing the hem and added patchwork and paint splatters. The hip-hop community, in particular, took notice, catapulting the niche, L.A.-based brand into the mainstream.