I've Never Spent More Than $100 on Jeans—These Are My Favorite Styles
Here's a secret: I don't like spending a lot of money on jeans. It's true that my entire denim collection includes the usual suspects, such as Mother, Agolde, and Hudson, but since I'm a fashion editor, the reality is that a majority of my pricier pairs are gifted. It's one of the advantages of the job, but despite the privilege of trying on some truly amazing jeans, it hasn't done much to change my penchant for cheap pairs.
I still maintain that a $200 pair of jeans can absolutely be worth the money in the right circumstances, but little comes close to the allure of saving a few bucks. After analyzing the styles and pairs that I reach for the most, I found that the bulk of them are what I'd call moderately affordable—typically under $100 on retail and, on a good day (aka a sale), under $60. Each pair is as trendy, high-quality, and comfortable as those double the price. Ahead, I'm outlining all of my favorite jeans that fall into this category of cheap and amazing. Just a warning: I'm a curvy girl who loves a crop top, so they're all high-waisted pairs. Keep scrolling to check out my top recs.
I love Warp + Weft jeans. I think more people need to know about them.
I love how this pair toes the line between classic and distressed. It's truly the best everyday pair for spring.
I'm not gonna lie. BDG makes some of my favorite pairs of high-waisted jeans.
I own way too many pairs of wide-leg jeans, but what can I say? They're so reliably chic.
Yep, I'm reaffirming my love for Warp + Weft. Most of the brand's denim goes up to a size 24.
I tried these last year and haven't taken them off since.
I'm testing the waters of flared jeans, and I plan on starting with this pair.
When I want denim with an interesting twist, I go with Free People.
Raw-hem jeans always look great with heels. This silhouette leans more toward the sailor shape.
I'm a fan of BlankNYC for how generously cut its jeans are.
I know Levi's has a fervent fan base, but I have a hard time finding styles that don't constrict my hips. I've found the Wedgie silhouette to be the best for pear and hourglass shapes.
If you're a fan of classic true-blue jeans, check these out.
After my recent try-on of the brand, I quickly added Nasty Gal to my list of destinations for cheap jeans.
Sometimes, you want a no-frill pair, and these deliver.
These have good in the name for a reason—they're just about perfect.
It pays to stick with the classics like heritage brand Wrangler.
This is the pair I'm wearing in the photo above. The slight amount of stretch offers comfort without losing its shape.
I usually avoid skinny jeans, but these mold to my shape beautifully.
This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.
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