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I need a new pair of jeans. Need to be ethical, tough, comfy and long-lasting. And fit my chunky 'althletic' calves and thighs. A bit of stretch wouldn't go amiss. Looked at the Alpkit Sequence and Jeanius - I prefer the style of the Jeanius, but fear they be a little too snug.
Any suggestions?
Hebtroco worth checking, especially their end of line stuff. Not cheap, but good value - really hard wearing and ethically made.
Ooh I'd forgotten about them, they're a possibility. I can just about justify their prices if they'll last for a decade or so!
I would suggest -
Community Clothing - https://communityclothing.co.uk/collections/mens-jeans
Howies - https://howies.co.uk/collections/mens-jeans-trousers
Mud - https://mudjeans.eu/
Nudie - https://www.nudiejeans.com/selection/mens-jeans
(everything has got so expensive since the last time I bought jeans about 3 years ago!)
I'll be honest, I'm kinda done with Howies trousers. I've had a couple of pairs that have only lasted a couple of years if that, with buttons that have popped off within weeks. Then there's their... Let's say creative sizing.
I've been looking at Community Clothing, good to hear a recommendation for them. And I'll have a look at Mud and Nudie too.
I can also recommend Hebtroco, my wife also has a pair of community clothing jeans and really likes them . I'm wearing their socks at the moment and can recommend
Jeans are expensive because everything has gone up in price , even the crap stuff on the high st is around 40/50quid
I think the last pair of Jeans I bought were Tesco Value, in a panic after I'd thrown my lunch down the pair I was wearing.
... actually, thinking about it, that's not true.
The last time I went to buy jeans I schlepped around the Usual Suspect high street stores like Next for what felt like an eternity. Literally everywhere's entire stock was variations on skinny / super-skinny / paint-on / second skin / sub-dermal / I can't believe it's not underpants...
I don't have the physique for trendy skinny jeans, I'd look like I've just escaped from Belsen. I ended up paying Levi Tax, again.
Always Levis 501s - i must have about 30 pairs
Uniqlo selvedge are good value, I don't know how ethical or not Uniqlo are.
I really liked my Finisterre jeans but they were not that tough.
I got a pair of Hiut Denim, as a present. They are expensive but high ethical standards and free repairs for life.
My pair just got fixed and they used different colour threads to patch the various holes depending on fade. (did take a few months)
I like Edwin jeans ED-55, is a good balanced fit.
I've also just picked up a pair of Lee Luke's from TK Maxx and they're not bad at all. Bit skinny though.
Hiut because they're made down the road from me in what was Europe's biggest jean's manufacturer.
Jeans are expensive because everything has gone up in price
Yeah, I know. Just annoying because since 2019ish, everything seems to cost 50% more, my salary is up by about 10%, and now I feel skint. I've got a couple of pairs of Nudies and I really like them, but I doubt I could stomach £150 for a pair now!
I ended up paying Levi Tax, again.
You can avoid that tax by not buying from Levis or stores that seem to all have the same price.
My latest pair of 511 (fairly fitted but not skinny at all and very stretchy if buying the high elastane ones) was £32 from online retailer. I don't need to try them on before buying as have worn 511s for years and they also do in between waist sizes (although not easy to find)N meaning I can wear a 31" waist and don't need a belt which I do with 32"
It is a pain isn't it... I've had a substantial increase in pay since 2019ish to the point where I can justify buying good stuff to make it last instead of just picking up whatever's in the sales (thanks Vimes) but I can't quite stretch to the really good stuff.
First world problems and all that, but still.
Community and Alpkit are top of the list at the moment I think, mayyyybe HebTroCo.
Need to be ethical and A bit of stretch wouldn’t go amiss
These two are tough to reconcile, you may have to give up one to achieve the other.
I got a pair of Alpkit Jeanius as an alternative to my usual Levi's 511's recently. Really like them, wear nicely but 511's are a little bit skinnier than 501's so you're probably right about the fit.
Got some hebtroco governors. Pretty impressive, sensible cut, will last I'm sure . I'm a 10 year person so they look promising. The cost is a distant memory now, unlike the joy of having them
Would quite like the combat ones but a skint and b unsure of size/bagginess. Anyone care to comment?
Misread the thread title as "Jesus recommendations". Hard to go beyond Depeche Mode.
You are all wrong. The correct answer is Carhartt.
I have a couple of pairs that I've worn day-in and day-out for seven years. I wear jeans to work, so I really do mean day-in and day-out. About £80 to buy, amortised over the time works out at £11 per year - bargain!
Spoke's multifit options work for me and seem to be wearing quite well.
15% referral code available- PM me anyone (not single use afaict)
You can avoid that tax by not buying from Levis or stores that seem to all have the same price.
My latest pair of 511 (fairly fitted but not skinny at all and very stretchy if buying the high elastane ones) was £32 from online retailer. I don’t need to try them on before buying as have worn 511s for years and they also do in between waist sizes (although not easy to find)N meaning I can wear a 31″ waist and don’t need a belt which I do with 32″
That's exactly where I am. I can't beat 511 for style/value/durability/fit.
With 501s however I look right out of the 80s.
I find 511 s are pretty good in the performance rock cod dark blue colour. They are a little variable between 2 pairs in the same size though. 502s are also pretty good if you’re a little chunkier. They’re not as fitted but taper nicely. Levi’s seem to last better than a lot of cheaper brands. Have also bought a couple of spoke pairs as the size options are great for shortarses. Often have 20% off deals. I’m 50 and boring and always go for straight fitted slightly tapered dark blue whatever brand. Not skinny, not baggy, smart round the ankles, job done.
“The correct answer is Carhartt”
Correction: the answer used to be Carhartt, but then Carhartt decided to make their jeans stretchy. If I want a pair of leggings I’ll buy leggings.
Big hebtroco fan here, had 6 different pairs and styles of trews from them, and I buy on the ethics principle. Quality is A1, but there seems to be this illusion they will last forever that's simply not true in my case.
I'm a agricultural mechanic and wear my fancy spendy trews for work, as I work hard, can spend my money on what I want and importantly the fit/comfort of hebtroco is bang on for me. But the "decades long wear" in actual hard conditions, not so true.
I've some moleskin 177s that are 8 years old, doing well but they are worn once a month, but I've eaten through governor denim and moleskin, and cords in less than a year. All through wear in the crotch.
I will continue to buy them though, as ethically its proper, but this illusion of buy a pair and they last for decades isn't right. A £20 pair of Tesco jeans will last forever if you don't wear them.
As a side note my £3 vinted Armani exchange jeans are lasting well.
Uniqlo selvedge are good value, I don’t know how ethical or not Uniqlo are.<br /><br />
The denim is Japanese selvedge on the appropriately marked ones, but actually made in China. Their regular straight selvedge are pretty much identical to 501’s, without fancy stitching or labels, and are as good as you could want, my last two pairs I paid £70 for, that’s £35/pair, btw. <br />Uniqlo down is ethically sourced, and they’ve just released a new range using recycled materials, including the down.
the fashion for close fitting jeans is passing. even if you aren’t particularly bothered about fashion, you may not want your jeans to look dated if you’ve splashed out on an well made pair that you’re hoping will last you a while.
I've three sets of Hiut jeans - exceptional quality, certainly trying more than others to be ethical, and wearing in really well. I now wouldn’t by jeans from anyone else. Also, I'm lanky and Community Clothing and HebTroCo don't do a 36" inside leg any more.
I used to buy 511s and Carharrt but didn't like the introduction of elastane and skinny legs that made you look like a hippo. So, wanting good denim and no elastane I ended up with Edwin. Outageously expensive but the best jeans I've had, and I've had quite a few.
Anyone got any tips to stop jeans shrinking length-wise when washed?
Anyone got any tips to stop jeans shrinking length-wise when washed?
This is my gripe with all clothes!
"We stopped pre-washing our clothes to save water and the environment. Please allow a random percentage for shrinkage. Good luck getting the right size, sucker".
Aaawrgghh
I've had jeans that shrink a bit on the first wash and some that just keep on shrinking. Then I thought I'd cheat the system and buy jeans that were too long. These never shrank.
Unsure of their ethics, but I like my Spoke jeans. Available in a lot of sizes/shapes
HebTroCo are nice but I agree on the not overly long lasting front. I have a few items from them and the jeans (about three years old) are well worn around the crotch and arse with the fly buttons on the way out. Still way better than the majority of other clothes I own. Nothing lasts forever if worn a lot.
I got some Spoke jeans a year ago and I'm not that impressed with them. They do fit well (36-34-C) but I'm not convinced the fabric is better than Wrangler etc.
FWIW I have some Edwin ED55s and they're okay. I don't know why people rave about them
What did you get OP?
I’ve been more or less living in a pair of alpkit sequence’s for the last month. I was hoping they were going to be more discounted in the Black Friday sales so I could pick up some more.
Have tried Alpkit, Howies, Next, Levi's. Levi's head and shoulders above for fit and feel. Not too heavily worn so not sure on that front, but likely better than Howie's and Next.
Primark. £12
I have owned hebtroco, Edwin, naked and famous, unbranded, and iron heart selvedge jeans. I prefer Hebtroco out of that lot, 14oz is more wearable as well than some of the daft 20oz plus weights. For the guy who said the don’t do 36 inside legs, yes they do! All the jeans are 2 inches longer, they tell you that. Now if they would only launch a selvedge chino…Brant! Brant! Brant!
Funny how people's experiences of the same brands vary so much.
Carhartt stuff i've bought in the last 20 years has been crap compared to the older stuff.
Howies regular cut jeans fit me like a glove ... but a leg glove... in a good way. And they last ages.
However, all legwear wears out where my thighs rub, which is annoying.
Carhartt do organic jeans which are decent. Better priced than most too.
Timberland organic are nice but can wear out pretty quick.
Howies organic jeans are good also but I like a tapered leg and the last time I looked, they'd stopped making them.
3rd Rock do since nice trousers for climbing etc.
Not tried the jeans and they might have a bit too much stretch but worth a look.
I ended up with a couple of pairs of Alpkit. Sequence I think? The regular fit ones. I'm very happy, they're super comfy, fit my shape perfectly and I like a bit of stretch. The extra pocket is handy for a phone too.
So far the crotch in my Alpkit sequence has survived well. I blame utility cycling on all my other pairs of jeans fails there long before being otherwise worn out. The Alpkit jeans look like they might actually make it to looking reasonably old.
I like Hawksmill. Same sort of quality as Hebtroco I’d say but Hawksmill do a 33 waist so they win for me.
Edwin are generally pretty good but not as hard wearing as I’d like.
Weirdly I don't own any Rapha cycling clothing, but have a pair of their indigo jeans that roll up and have the reflective logo on the inside of the leg, bought second hand on ebay and now worn as my sole pair of jeans for about 7 years and they have worn brilliantly
I tried Vulpine jeans from Sport pursuit and the fit was awful. Tried Bolger jeans which have a flannel inside - much better
Howies remain my favourite
Tempted by Community Clothing company ones next
30% off at Howies right now.
spoke referral for a new customer discount
Ethically I think they're pretty good - most of their fabrics, and the clothes, are made in Europe so shorter transport distances and, should be, properly paid and treated workers. The fits are good if you've got cyclists thighs.
theres a load of different denim weights. The 14oz Japanese ones I've got feel like they'll last forever.
(however, they've all got stretch in and that's not supposed to be great - not sure how long it lasts and complicates recycling of fabric)
RE: Carhartt
There are effectvely 2 Carhartts.
Carhartt - the actual workwear mainly sold in the US (plus Amazon and a few workwear places in the UK).
Carhartt WIP - the European the pseudo-workwear/fashion brand mainly sold outside of North America (though they now have a store in NYC).
511s from the Levi’s outlet store for me.