The most flattering jeans labels to know

A great pair of jeans is so much more than just something easy to throw on. From the cut, wash, length and rise, they can feel as personal as a hairbrush – you wouldn’t want to borrow anyone else’s because they just wouldn’t feel right. ‘Trends come and go but great jeans can become a best friend in your wardrobe,’ says Clare Surplice, the Partner & Buyer responsible for sifting through the myriad brands and curating the most flattering and covetable jeans labels.

Denim doesn’t discriminate when it comes to age or style; looks effortless with a shirt and a pair of trainers and can take you from a dressed-down Friday at work to feeling empowered for an evening out. Here are three brands to have on your radar for the most figure-flattering styles around.

Paige is named after its founder, Paige Adams-Geller, a former Miss California who enjoyed a stint as one of the denim industry’s most sought-after fit models (the rare job of a real-life ‘mannequin’ used by brands to determine fit and what their designs really look like). She honed all of her first-hand knowledge and expertise to launch her eponymous brand in her native Los Angeles in 2004. Paige has been the go-to brand of choice for many celebrities and has collaborated with the likes of British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on a capsule collection. Designed by women for women and made in LA, Paige’s styles are priced at the premium end of the jeans market. Clare rates the label for its ‘fabulous and timeless classics’, such as the super-flattering Margot Ultra High Rise Skinny Jeans, which John Lewis & Partners stocks in two shades of black and a dark indigo wash.

Los Angeles-based J Brand claims to be the label that renounced the relaxed fit of the early Noughties to bring the skinny-leg jeans to the world. While a handful of competitors may argue this statement, what’s irrefutable is how J Brand has become a byword for authentic, premium and desirable jeans since its inception 15 years ago. Passionate about sustainability, its newest collection boasts impressive features, such as styles made with 90% less water and waste reduced to almost zero. Its jeans are made to last and fit beautifully, making the cost per wear of its styles a sound investment. 

Levi’s needs little introduction. Historic and democratic, just the sequence of numbers ‘501’ is enough to conjure its timeless blue jeans and iconic red tab stitched on the back right pocket. Innovating on shapes, finishes and washes for almost 140 years, it’s one of the few brands that holds its cachet while managing to appeal cross-generationally. Whether you’re after a high-rise skinny or a balloon-leg, if you can’t find it in Levi’s then it probably doesn’t exist. ‘There is so much to love every season,’ says Clare. ‘Levi’s is the truest classic denim brand and have a huge dedication to their sustainability goals.’ New to its roster are the 314 Shaping Straight Jeans, which come in sizes 16-24 and feature innovative and smoothing body-slimming technology to contour the stomach area.