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Slim dark jeans for men - my go-to picks

It occurred to me the other day, that I’ve never actually done a post about jeans before. As it’s most men’s default item in their wardrobe I decided it was time I did!

I have a few brands and styles that I buy time and time again with different clients, who then go on to rebuy themselves.

For now, I’m sticking to the more classic styles for most of my clients, which means a dark wash, slim jean - the sort you can wear to work and look smart. I know things have loosened up a lot with jeans and maybe in a year or two, we’ll be going for the wider and looser styles once they’ve become more mainstream and become the new classic.

Nudie ‘Lean Dean’

My clients have bought tons of Nudie jeans over the years on our personal shopping trips - I love them because they’re a good fit, reasonably priced and they do free repairs for life too! These are my go-to ones - slim but not skinny.

I’ve also been buying the Nudie Easy Alvin cords with clients which are slightly looser but a really nice shape.

‘Lean Dean’ slim tapered jeans in 16 Dips Dry - Nudie at Jeanstore - £125

Frame ‘L’Homme Slim’

This is another pair that I’ve bought with a few of my personal shopping clients recently. Slim but not too skinny if you have large calves (from cycling etc) - they’re a nice clean (ie: not too much uneven fading) jean, that can be worn with a blazer for work and a sweater for weekends.

‘L’Homme Slim’ comfort stretch denim jeans in Gleam - Frame denim - £220

7 For All Mankind ‘Slimmy Taper’

And these I’ve been buying for a good few years! Most of them are very stretchy and soft so they’re super comfortable, and once you get used to that, it’s hard to go back to non stretch denim……even if the denim diehards don’t approve of stretch in your jeans, the regular guys who aren’t prepared to suffer and be uncomfortable, love it!

There’s Slimmy and Slimmy Taper - they vary slightly as Taper is more tapered on the calf, though I’ve actually not found too much difference when trying them with clients.

They can vary between the finishes though - so ideally you’d try them on in-store or perhaps order a couple of styles online.

‘Slimmy Taper’ mid rise stretch denim jeans in blue/black - 7 For All Mankind at Selfridges - £200

Uniqlo ‘selvedge stretch’

And if you’d like a super affordable pair which look great but are a bit stiffer, then try these out. Even my super trendy Japanese hairdresser (Taka at Sano hair - he cuts men’s hair too) approves of these and wears them.

They have the coveted “selvedge” which refers to the way they’re woven, and is recognised by the white with red stitching that you see on the inside seam. They’re often worn with a turn up to show it off, and are reputed to fade very well.

Even if you don’t have an ounce of denim snobbery in you, and wouldn’t be seen dead in turn-ups, they’re a great slim straight fit and excellent value.

Selvedge stretch slim fit jeans in navy - Uniqlo - £39.90

New ‘Lou’

A lesser known brand but one I’ve bought plenty of when personal shopping with my male clients in Liberty (one of my favourite stores for menswear).

This is called Typecast Black but actually looks like a dark blue to me - just the sort of thing I’m always looking for to cover that ‘smart jean” request I commonly get from clients. If that’s what you’re looking for too, then I’d definitely recommend checking them out.

Men’s ‘Lou’ slim jeans in Typecast Black - Neuw at Accent Clothing - £160

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