All posts tagged: jeans

Luxury to high street jeans: can you tell the difference? | Jeans

Luxury to high street jeans: can you tell the difference? | Jeans

Published by Sam Flores

Denim mania is surging across the fashion spectrum. At one end is the luxury brand Alaia with an Aegean blue, comfortable yet flattering £800 pair. At the other is JW Anderson’s collaboration with the high street brand Uniqlo and a £34.90 price tag. Both are proving wildly popular. Alaia’s line has only just launched, so there are no sales figures yet, but demand for its Japanese denim is such that customers are advised to reserve certain styles in store or call ahead before visiting. At Uniqlo, the straight cut are said to be the most popular, on the front row of the most recent fashion weeks, and routinely sell out online. Blame the resurgence of 90s minimalism. The question is, can you tell the difference? The Alaia jeans sit perfectly but Uniqlo’s slide on nicely first time too. The main difference is that after some wear, the latter have begun to lose shape in key areas. Amy Leverton, who runs the denim consultancy firm Denim Dudes, says comparisons are tricky given the manufacturing methods differ. …

The Levi’s 501 Gets Its Biggest Makeover in Decades

The Levi’s 501 Gets Its Biggest Makeover in Decades

Published by Jenni Sidey

Enter the 501 Loose, a genuinely novel riff on the most important silhouette in denim history. What, exactly, makes it different from its predecessors? It’s all in the name—a roomier, looser cut through the seat, thigh, and leg opening. As you might expect, the 501 Loose was heavily inspired by Levi’s own archive, though its substantial 14 oz. denim nods to the brand’s contemporary Japanese-made offerings as well. And though the 501 Loose iterates on the OG 501—and newer silhouettes like the 501 Relaxed—the marketing power Levi’s itself is throwing behind it should tell you just how seriously the company is treating the debut. “The launch of the 501 Loose marks an exceptional moment in the silhouette’s iconic history,” said Janine Chilton-Faust, Global VP of Men’s Design at Levi’s. “We’ve maintained every element that makes a 501 so beloved while offering a more relaxed aesthetic that creates space for a new generation to discover why this jean has remained so culturally relevant.” (As a die-hard baggy denim gal, I, for one, am just as thrilled.) …

4 Menswear Brands That Will Define Spring 2026

4 Menswear Brands That Will Define Spring 2026

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s All Gucci, Baby Nearly a year into his run as artistic director of Gucci, Demna has softened his sardonic bite to offer up a raffish twist on the house’s signature Italian glamour. His debut collection arrives jam-packed with freshly reimagined spins on classic Gucci tropes: Think pristine leather jackets and pavement-skimming bootcut jeans, embellished throughout with the brand’s iconic horsebit hardware. On TRAORE: Jacket, $7,900, jeans, $1,400, and shoes, $1,090, by Gucci. T-shirt, $53 (for pack of three), by Calvin Klein. Neck scarf, his own. Belt, $155, by Maximum Henry. On BOULUD: Jacket, $4,000, pants, $1,700, belt, $620, and shoes, $1,090, by Gucci. T-shirt, $154, by Zimmerli. Socks, $30, by Falke. 1. Nothing wrong with that Brando-esque Perfecto of yours, but if Demna’s instincts are any indication, the leather jacket of the moment is the café racer—a sleeker silhouette with deep ties to British motorcycle culture. 2. A jazzily tied neckerchief is an easy way to temper a brooding leather jacket and badass jeans with a touch of Gallic flair. 3. The flash of …

Uniqlo’s New Jeans Are the Best Entry-Level Selvedge I’ve Tried

Uniqlo’s New $60 Jeans Are the Best Entry-Level Selvedge I’ve Tried

Published by Jenni Sidey

I’m not sure of the exact number, but I have a lot of jeans. Last I counted, I had at least 30 pairs before I got distracted by something more important. My obsession goes back at least 15 years, when I tried on my first pair of raw denim from A.P.C. Since then, my collection has ballooned by the dozens and contains everything from vintage Levi’s redlines that date as far back as the 1950s to Japanese selvedge denim from the likes of Oni, Samurai, and Studio D’artisan. I have a couple of pairs from revered one-man denim geniuses like Roy Slaper and Glenn Liburd. I have oddball pairs from high-fashion labels like Doublet as well as niche brands like Tender and Lil’ Denim Jeans. I’ve collected more raw denim jeans than I have time to wear, let alone fade, and still, the most popular question people ask me as the token Denim Guy in my circle is ‘what jeans should I get?’ That answer changes depending on the person, but also the market. Right …

15 Best Black Jeans for Men in 2026, According to GQ Editors

15 Best Black Jeans for Men in 2026, According to GQ Editors

Published by Jenni Sidey

HAVEN Station Pant HAVEN’s moda operandi is surgical precision that splices time-tested heritage elements with modern-day techniques and materials, and the execution is nearly invisible. The Canadian label’s Station Pant features Japanese selvedge denim woven with luscious and rare Suvin gold cotton that’s washed and distressed with a delicate touch. On top of that, the jeans are cut with a discreet gusset for comfort and range of motion, a welted coin pocket, and adjustable side tabs. Lemaire Belted Jeans Lemaire’s belted jeans have become a marker of chic, minimalist taste with a rugged edge. The signature twisted barrel leg shape is complemented by the hefty and crispy denim that gives the already-distinct silhouette an elegant drape. How We Test and Review Products Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and …

How 3 GQ Editors Are Wearing Acne Studios This Spring

How 3 GQ Editors Are Wearing Acne Studios This Spring

Published by Jenni Sidey

For the last three decades, Acne Studios has occupied a rarified space in menswear, a growing cranny where restraint meets right-now cool. Since its inception 30 years ago in Stockholm, the reliable fashion-crowd favorite has won over countless diehards, who flock to the Swedish label for its kooky riffs on the classics and consistently excellent jeans. So in this installment of How We Wear It, we tapped three GQ editors to put their own spin on the brand’s latest assortment, a quasi-wardrobe brimming with tongue-in-cheek designs rendered in exacting silhouettes and left-field fabrics—plus a heap of top-shelf denim. Here’s how they’re wearing it. Samuel Hine, Global Fashion Correspondent GQ GQ Acne Studios turns 30 this year. What most people might not know is that the Stockholm-based label was actually launched back in 1996 as a multidisciplinary creative studio-slash-advertising agency, not a fashion brand. And then founder Jonny Johansson had the bright idea to make 100 pairs of raw denim jeans to give away as gifts. They caught on, and all of a sudden Acne was …

5 jeans and heel outfit ideas that are perfect for spring 2026

5 jeans and heel outfit ideas that are perfect for spring 2026

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sometimes, a tried-and-tested formula is a classic for a reason. Enter jeans and heels, a combo that stars have been sporting since Marilyn Monroe stepped out in capri denim and a cheeky peeptoe heel. But that’s no reason why the pairing can’t have a refresh as we enter a new season, and as a recent jeans-and-heels convert I’ve been scouring the street style set for the best inspiration for a bang-up-to-date spin on the classic combo. © Getty ImagesThe power of a monochrome palette and some cracking jeans and heels Denim and heels have long been a sartorial power couple, but for spring 2026, the pairing feels sharper and cleaner, and the secret? Contrast. Casual denim meets elevated footwear, while structured jeans marry relaxed flats.  Celebrities continue to champion the look, with Bella Hadid leading the charge in an incredible flared Canadian tuxedo teamed with caged red heels. Perfection. © Getty Images for Miss SixtyBella Hadid in Miss Sixty For spring 2026, I’m looking to colour and texture to make the combo feel fresh and …

Sweet Jesus, a Truckload of Levi’s Jeans Is on Massive Sale Right Now

Sweet Jesus, a Truckload of Levi’s Jeans Is on Massive Sale Right Now

Published by Jenni Sidey

Three years ago, the Levi’s 501 turned 150, a landmark anniversary for the most iconic silhouette in denim. Over the decades, the 501 became catnip for a particular type of brooding all-American archetype—Brando in The Wild One, Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, Springsteen on the cover of Born in the U.S.A—but one year after its sesquicentennial, it still feels startlingly relevant, the standard by which all other jeans are judged. And thanks to Amazon’s don’t-call-it-Prime-Day Big Spring Sale, the Levi’s 501 is close to half off at this very moment—sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the wash that piques your interest. Inventory is moving quick, which only reaffirms what we already knew: when it comes to denim, the 501 is still king. Levi’s 501 Original Fit Jeans The 501’s enduring legacy mostly boils down to two factors: its just-right fit and unbeatable price. The mid-rise offers your thighs plenty of breathing room, but it stays straight through the leg, a Goldilocks combo ripe for the freaking; size up for a little slouch, or stick …

The Jeans You’re Going to See Everywhere This Spring Aren’t Skinny or Baggy

The Jeans You’re Going to See Everywhere This Spring Aren’t Skinny or Baggy

Published by Jenni Sidey

I went with the denim pair because it reads a little dressier than your average five-pocket jean, but feels as comfortable as a heavyweight chino. They clock in at 13.25 oz., which makes them a solid year-round option. And because of the relaxed fit, they even work on chilly summer evenings—no cling, no calf suffocation, just airflow—another perk of never going back to skinny jeans (and I mean never). They run true to size. They fit baggy through the leg with a slight taper at the ankle, but nothing aggressive or 2016-coded. The hand pockets are welted, the back pockets are flapped, and they skip the built-in belt you see on some Lemaire-inspired pairs. I’d much rather wear my own leather belt anyway. While they live somewhere between jeans and my favorite trousers, the fit is really what’s keeping these in heavy rotation, to the point where laundry day has become more of a suggestion than a requirement. I’ve worn them with a flannel and hoodies, sure, but the real magic is how they play …