A  reader wrote me a query recently: Something I have been struggling with lately is buying a good pair of jeans.  I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy, but some of my stand by jeans are now wearing out and when I look at American Eagle type places they all have those pre-fab holey jeans, and I refuse to into an Abercrombie & Fitch.  Thoughts? Thanks for the question CC.

The world of jeans is so vast it’s scary. I don’t blame you or anyone else on the planet unable to find their go-to jeans brand on a regular basis. I have a couple things to say before I make a few recommendations:

1. Every man has a different shape and size. A lot of jeans won’t fit you and that’s normal. Try a couple pairs on in different stores and you’ll see differences in brands.

2. Go for a dark wash (coloring). It’s classic, slimming and can be casual or dressed up a bit.  A light wash might make you look like a cast member of Saved By The Bell…so, don’t do it, Preppy.

3. There are TONS of super expensive jeans…I say you can find awesome quality jeans at a reasonable price. Consider paying $40-80 for a good pair of jeans that you’ll have for many years (instead of $20 jeans that you’ll have for one year).

4. Find a sale on the jeans you like–$60 can become $40 with coupons or seasonal discounts.

A few I like:

Levi’s Loose Straight 569® Jeans in Blue Steel $40

(previously mentioned in the blog post on Details Magazine Alternatives)

Gap’s Selvage Authentic Fit Dark Rinse $88 (Other Authentic Fits go for only $50 too)

(also: I wouldn’t usually recommend cuffs like this photo)