I Only Wear Straight-Leg Jeans—These Are the 5 Brands I Trust

I’ve shared before that I’m a picky denim
shopper. Hey, what can I say? I just know what I like in my
jean selection, and I tend to stick with it. If you looked at my
denim stack right now, you’d see one common theme: All my pairs
have a straight-leg fit.

I love good straight-leg
jeans because they’re stylistically universal. Dress them up;
dress them down; wear them with a T-shirt or your favorite
going-out top. The outfit ideas are endless. Plus, they go
with pretty much all of the shoe styles I care about,
from ankle boots to
heels to sneakers. So
luckily for me, the rest of the fashion world has been
favoring straight-fit denim over super-snug styles. (Though, I
have a feeling classic skinny jeans will never really go
away.) Therefore, the internet and my favorite denim brands are
filled with some truly amazing straight-leg-jean options, from
tailored to roomier fits, in every wash.

Speaking of my favorite brands, below, I’m sharing the six best
straight-leg-jean brands that have perfected the art of this
classic style. Ahead, see which ones I trust, how I’m wearing my
favorite fits, and shop each pair.

All
my fellow Who What Wear editors are obsessed with Agolde’s famed
Pinch Waist jeans for their high rise, so I had to test them out
for myself. I loved the tailored fit, and even though I wore them
here with a tee and ankle boots, they’re exactly the kind of
denim that can easily be dressed up with heels and a nice top.

Nineties vibes
are strong with this aptly named pair. They fit a tad looser and
lower on the hips than the above pair, giving them a cool
lived-in feel.

Not
only do these ribcage-grazing jeans feel amazing, but they have a
sculpting effect that makes them look great, too. Plus, the button
fly gives them a vintage-inspired appeal. I’m wearing the
ankle-length here, but I want to try the full-length version next
since long-hemmed jeans are trending right now.

Fact:
Black jeans are a staple for fall and winter, and this pair from J
Brand checks so many boxes. I love the straight-leg, high-rise
fit, and the hem falls perfectly over ankle boots, as exhibited
above.

With
a slimmer fit throughout the leg, this pair from Reformation is
more akin to skinny jeans. It has an ultra-high rise, so if you
like to tuck your tops in, this pair will speak to you.

What
I immediately liked about this pair was how light it felt on.
After testing out a lot of the rigid denim featured above, this
lightweight fabric felt like a breath of fresh air. As far as the
fit goes, it nails that fine line of being relaxed without looking
sloppy.

For
insanely comfy stretch jeans, these sure do look a lot like
thicker, rigid denim, which is not something I can say of other
stretchy jeans I’ve tried. (They might have even converted me into
a stretch denim–wearing person—only time will tell.) As for the
fit, I liked the longer hem, which laid nicely over a pair
of heeled boots. Longer jeans are eclipsing cropped pairs right
now, so that element made them feel quite on trend.