The perfect pair of jeans are the holy grail of fashion. When it comes to buying jeans on the highstreet though, you don’t necessarily get what you pay for. A hefty price or a designer label is not always a guarantee of quality or fit. Personally, the pair I have come to love the most are ones that I picked up for a little over €20 about two years ago at a pop-up shop. I’ve worn them at least once a week ever since. When shopping for jeans here are my top three tips:

1) A sign of quality construction is a high stitch-per-inch count. On the highstreet anything above six or seven stitches per inch is generally good. Just have a close-up peep at the seams. The higher the stitch count, the stronger, more durable and less likely to split they will be.

2) I always advise clients that a good rule of thumb is to avoid jeans if the wash looks contrived or fake as this is the most obvious tell-tale sign of doing it on the cheap. If unsure, opt for a deep, indigo colour. This is the original colour denim was produced in and will always wear better, and appear richer, than other faddy dyes.

3) Look for jeans with a mix of lycra /elastane in them. One to two percent is generally sufficient. This magic mix helps maintain the shape and they’ll conform so much nicer to your body even after multiple washes.

Highlights from the highstreet that get my thumbs up are:

Topshop
Topshop stock an incredible selection of styles of every shape and colour. What’s more, they tend to receive a large quantity of each size so you’re likely to find your perfect fit whether you’re an 8 or an 18. Wear after wear, wash after wash, they keep their shape. The Baxter and Jamie styles are two favourites.

River Island
River Island jeans fit really, really well. Many hipster-cut jeans give rise to the dreaded ‘builders-bum’ phenemenon. River Island’s snug-fit cuts somehow manage to get rid of this little problem. These precision cuts also keep crotch and bum areas from sagging. A good all-round buy.

Penney’s
You’re unlikely to find cheaper on the highstreet and if it’s trend-led styles you’re after then Penny’s is always a very affordable fashion fix. Be aware they are often not very durable and the colour can tend to fade too quickly for my liking. But if you’re happy in that knowledge then why not!

Reiss
At the more expensive end of the highstreet, Reiss produce some really classic cut jeans with amazing fit. With fantastic detailing, they tend to have petite pockets on the bum which gives the appearance of a smaller behind! That said, if you want to avoid drawing any attention to your derriere stay away from pockets and detailing on the rear.

By Darren Kennedy

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