Recommended jeans or pants?

Submitted by TubaElf t3_y9kwe2 in BuyItForLife

Hello r/buyitforlife. I've had a problem with my jeans wearing out faster than I would like. I've mostly purchased and worn Levis athletic fit jeans over the last 7 years, and although they are comfortable the fabric wears out and develops holes at seam at the crotch after a year or so of being worn a couple times per week. Some of the jeans have been purchased from my local Levis outlet, and aome were purchased from Target (the Target Levis were branded as "Levis Denizen" and wore out noticably quicker). I don't want to buy jeans that become unwearable and unrepairable in 6-18 months.

What are your recommendations for comfortable jeans or pants that will last?

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jampapi t1_it8a2hy wrote

Patagonia has limited but solid denim selection with lifetime repairs/replacement for free.

Unbranded denim is amazing, it takes a while to break them in but you can wear them comfortably for years and years. If i only had one pair of jeans they would be these.

Also, look out for vintage Levi’s at the thrift shops, the old stuff was made better, I’ve had a couple of vintage pairs outlast brand new 501’s

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shepanator t1_it6cpn5 wrote

Nudie jeans. Their selection is a bit more limited but they are durable and come with free lifetime repairs so you know they stand behind their product

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ripsafetyapple t1_it85nqt wrote

this sounds great but from what I can tell only really applies if you live within reasonable distance of one of their repair shops/partners of which there are very few. I'm in Baltimore and the nearest one is NYC

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Sharchir t1_it7ayd5 wrote

I stopped buying jeans that aren’t 100% cotton (so, no stretch). They are definitely lasting longer

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[deleted] t1_it7wcoq wrote

For some people the opposite is true. It all has to do with the fitting. If you are slightly pulling on some parts when you are walking for instance, stretch could actually make it more durable.

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F-21 t1_itb8rrr wrote

I have Levis 100% and 99% cotton jeans. After a few years they seem to have basically the same durability, the 99% cotton ones were just more comfortable right from the start when new.

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mikeTastic23 t1_it7o2kv wrote

Comfort is subjective, so I won’t say much about that. However, coming from a man with thigh thighs and cheeks, I can say, without a doubt, that the fit is the single most important factor in pants longevity. If you are getting crotch tears/blowout, then you need a pair with a higher rise and wider thighs. Measure your best fitting pair, and add a few inches to the rise and thigh. And look at sizing charts to find a pair.

Steer clear from skinny fits, or look for pairs with wide thighs and a taper from the knee down.

In terms of brand suggestions, check r/rawdenim. Some people have suggested nudies, but tbh they’re known for using material on the thinner side, which is good if you’re looking for comfort. But none of their cuts are necessarily ones I’d say have a wider thigh, some do have a higher rise tho. My biggest gripe with them is their price. There’s a lot more brands out there at that price range that most would consider higher quality in terms of fabric and construction.

I would suggest Sugarcane 1947 cut. Iron Heart 888 cut (most bifl option but $$$), or check certain retailers and their sizing charts to compare. For retailers, check r/rawdenim buying guide.

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Pix3lPirat3 t1_it66qo1 wrote

Is it for casual wear, work, formal, or a mix of all of the’ above? As for work pants I bought a pair of Carhartts to try them out, only got a small tear from a razor sharp piece of metal. Definitely buy larger than your size, cause definitely shrinks.

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TheDoomi t1_itglgev wrote

I recommend a Finnish shop Varusteleka and their own Särmä brand jeans and work pants. They deliver over the world and they are truly amazing quality. Though not cheap they are worth the money I think.

I bought two pairs of Särmä worker pants for work and I use them daily and change for the clean pair from time to time. I am crafts/wood working teacher in primary school. I have used them for three years! I dont think they are worn at all now that I think about it. So they are quite amazing. Fully recommend. They also have women cut jeans as well.

Edit. I also recommend Särmä leather belt. Its as awesome.

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Infamous-Stoner t1_it6do3j wrote

My BIFL jeans are all either Vivienne Westwood (Anglomania collection has the best quality denim, Logomania is more about the outlandish prints) Levi's (classic jeans, not quite as durable as some of the VW jeans, but much less expensive)

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Snakeise t1_it6dwi1 wrote

NUDIE jeans - absolute best IMO. Been wearing them for over a decade

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xXx_Darush_xXx t1_itni8zk wrote

Can you say anything about the quality they offer nowadays?

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Snakeise t1_ittq9yo wrote

Great question. Tbh I find that the length and sizing varies more now than it ever has. I tend to buy the same style jeans in multiple colours and denim types but lately have noticed they aren't always fitting EXACTLY the same. Often the leg length is slightly longer when ordering short lengths (30"). All in all I am still very satisfied with nudie products.

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xXx_Darush_xXx t1_ittrlvj wrote

Awesome! I'm trying to get into raw denim and nudie is pretty much the only brand I can try on in a store. Thanks for the answer!

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Snakeise t1_itttfqe wrote

Good luck! I'm a big fan of the thin Finn and the steady Eddie 2. Everything else is a touch too tight for me.

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C_A_N_G t1_it6t7i6 wrote

TCB 505’s are currently my favorite.

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HumbleGaijin t1_it7lcmb wrote

Diamond Gusset.

I have 5 pairs I bought four years ago with no major issues.

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MousaDembele16 t1_it9aajj wrote

Nudi jeans are very liable to give out at the crotch. I'd suggest Kato. They're Japanese material but made in America. Big fan.

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SnooCapers8101 t1_it9eu9u wrote

I've worn wrangler 13mwz jeans my entire life. The fit is a bit odd at first if you're used to low rise, but they are extremely comfortable. Durable as all hell, and they are cheap as hell when you look around for a deal. I've worked in them, dressed them up, and laid around in them. The best jeans on the market.

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ddstaffo t1_itx08ba wrote

I 2nd this. Stay away from other wrangler denim, but the 13mwz's that you find at western wear/farm stores is awesome. Used to wear shrink to fit levi 501's but got tired of the crotches constantly wearing out after 3 years or so. wranglers are way cheaper and last way longer. Not as stylish, but this isn't a style subreddit. The denim will wear nicely and fade over time like 501's, but a little different hue of blue.

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I_am_the_real_Spoon t1_it9hajc wrote

I like Duluth Trading Company jeans. Not sure yet if they'll truly be BIFL, but they wash up looking as good as when I bought them and all DTC clothes are designed to be tough, so I think they might!

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sfdude2222 t1_it9jdom wrote

I destroy the pockets and crotch. They last a couple years for me.

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I_am_the_real_Spoon t1_it9pcig wrote

I'm female. Not sure how much that impacts where / how they wear, but the ones I've been wearing for 3+ years still look great and I work with dogs.

Interesting how different of experiences people have with the different clothing brands.

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sfdude2222 t1_it9rjvc wrote

They also have different versions. I think the ones I bought were the flex version which is slightly stretchy. I think different versions may wear better.

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jpi1088 t1_itaj7n0 wrote

501s are the best Levi’s.

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Disastrous-Group3390 t1_itidbzo wrote

Used to be better than they are now (up until about 10(?) years ago they used a different US made denim and made them in the US).

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jpi1088 t1_itif0pz wrote

Seems like all brands these days are like this. I am so willing to pay for quality. Shame.

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Muncie4 t1_it73b8k wrote

Zero jeans or pants. You cannot ask about comfort online as that's a personal metric. I could also recommend black licorice as a tasty treat and since its a personal metric, you'll hate on my because you think the black licorice taste sucks.

This is BIFL where longevity rules. If you want comfort, you need to wear pajama pants 24/7.

The question you want to ask is what are the hardiest jeans? Those are jeans of the heaviest denim you can find/afford. Denim comes in weights by weight of a yard of fabric. Heavyweight jeans are 16 ounces and up. Get some. And don't fall for marketing as there's a deep pool of hipster bullshit with heavyweight jeans.

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dothething132 t1_ita1ygb wrote

Why not just get a 20 or 30 pair every time. Lately I am founding amazon brand. Athletic brand has been ok. But slim fit was the worst. The wranglers has been the best. But all of them are are giving pockets that are hard to get your hand in and out of. My old favorite was a boot cut old navy jeans.

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F-21 t1_itb8mhp wrote

Carhartt is great. I wanna try Patagonia jeans, I am sure they're great and they have an awesome warranty unlike most clothes.

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Hemayat t1_ithrjqi wrote

You could also look at the Levi's "Premium" line. They are a bit pricier but well worth it.

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Dormont t1_itnscj5 wrote

Japanese selvedge denim takes a while to break in. I would recommend doing some research before buying. I wore through many Levi's. I bought a pair of Momotaros and had them altered by my tailor. About 3x as thick as Levi's and get more comfy with wear. Be warned though, it's a deep dive when you go with Japanese denim.

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Mediocre-Affect5779 t1_iu06hvi wrote

My husband and i swear by Mavi Jeans. Its a Turkish brand, you can buy them online worldwide but i tend to buy them in Turkey where they are very cheap, about 20Euro. Lots of different wash and fit, usually contain some lycra. Both ours have lasted 3+ years so far with moderate wear, they keep their colour and shape beautifully. Thats a lot longer than my ethical organic jeans, which is all washed out and beginning ro wear thin round the bum

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