Finding the Best Places to Buy Jeans
Finding the right pair of jeans is all about shopping at stores that match your style and sizing. Start by figuring out the details of your preferred jeans — like the cut, wash and rise. Then, make sure that the retailer you want to check out offers a variety of sizing options. This way, you can try on several different sizes in your preferred style to achieve the right fit.
We made sure to include retailers that have inclusive sizing, including petite and tall lengths, expandable waists and plus-sized options. Though no store is perfect, a few offer enough variety to make your shopping experience enjoyable and stress free.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Places to Buy Jeans
Style
Jeans come in all sorts of styles, from skinny to bootcut, high-rise to low-rise and distressed to business casual. While many stores carry a wide variety of jean types, each one has a different “vibe.” As a result, understanding your style before you shop and finding the stores that match your style will help you achieve your desired looks far more quickly.
So, how do you know which stores cater to which styles? We compared denim products at each online and in-person retailer in our recommendations and got a sense of the different trends and designs. Then we categorized each recommendation to make it easier to find what you need.
Sizing
Unlike other U.S. clothing, jean sizes are measured in inches and consist of two numbers: the waistband and the inseam. (The inseam is the length from the crotch to the bottom hem.) This might sound like a foolproof system, but it’s far from it.
Instead, jeans with a 30-inch waistband could fit you perfectly in one brand and be too loose in another. This is because jean sizing varies from store to store and across different brands, even though sizing is provided in the standard inch. Certain fabrics have more give than others, and the cut (straight, boot cut, wide leg and more) influences how the pants fit around your legs. Plus, every silhouette (low, mid and high rise) will sit differently at the waist.
As a result, jeans are a lot of trial and error. We can’t guarantee that you’ll find the perfect pair of jeans on the first go, but our goal is to mitigate the hassle and help you discover the right denim quickly.
Stretch
If you like jeans that hug you at the waist or slide on easily, you’ll want to look for fabrics that have more stretch. The stretch comes from a small percentage of elastane, spandex or another stretchy material in the fabric blend — a departure from traditional, 100% cotton denim.
Note that stretch jeans tend to lose their shape after just one wear (getting too loose and baggy in the wrong areas), and you have to wash them to bring back the original shape. Frequent washes break down pants more quickly, so as a result, stretch jeans tend not to last as long as traditional jeans. However, high-end stretch jeans have come a long way and may last you longer than you think.
Return Policy
The return policy for a jeans store can make or break your shopping experience. We therefore examined return policies carefully and pointed out the ones that are less than ideal. To give you an example: A standard, fair return policy is one that allows you 30 days to make a return and provides free return shipping. Some brands are more generous with their policies while others are more strict.
Price
Most jeans on the market fall between $20 and $300, and the average cost is around $50. For a decent pair of jeans that won’t rip or lose their shape in the first wash, you can expect to spend at least $20. Knowing how much you want to spend can help you determine the right store (so you don’t fall in love with a pair that’s way outside your budget).
What Are the Different Types of Places to Buy Jeans?
Online
An online jeans retailer is one that sells jeans exclusively online (not in stores). While these stores might sound impractical because of how many try-ons you need to perform to find the right pair, they’re becoming increasingly popular. Without the overhead costs of brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers can often sell a wider variety of jeans with a wider range of sizes and fits.
Of course, online returns are not easy. The ideal retailer will offer free return shipping and a try-on window so you don’t have to return items immediately. However, many online retailers have strict return policies that can significantly raise the overall price and hassle.
In Person
Though most jean retailers are either online or hybrid (a mix of online and in person), there are a few stores that still sell their jeans in-person only. These include boutiques, consignment shops and specialty denim retailers. While in-person shopping allows you to try on all your picks in one fell swoop, it can be difficult and time-consuming to find enough decent pairs to try on.
Online and In Person
These days, most retailers are hybrids, meaning they have online and in-person shopping options. These are usually big retailers that can afford to give you the best of both worlds — you can shop from the comfort of your own home or try on jeans in person. Plus, you usually have more flexibility in returns (return items via mail or at the brick-and-mortar store).
However, hybrid stores have their downsides. The online inventory is usually different from the in-store inventory, so it can be hard to select a pair of jeans online that you want to try on in store first. In addition, shipping can take longer if the retailer experiences an influx of orders.
