Best New Men Jeans 2011

Best New Men Jeans 2011

7 for all Mankind

The been-there, done-that shade of blue is complemented by hand-sanded seams, knees, and pockets. These jeans are hard living incarnate, even when they've hardly lived at all.

J Brand

Whiskers, for the uninitiated, are those whitish, wrinkle-like creases that tend to fall in the laps and thighs of jeans. J Brand hand-applies its whisker details to create just the right balance of white on blue.

Spurr

To get this shade of medium blue — modeled, Simon Spurr says, on a pair of jeans he wore in the 1970s — he starts with raw dark denim and washes it until it's a hush of its former self.

True Religion

True Religion's Two Timer Dark wash possesses both the dark-blue look of raw unwashed denim and a worn finish that comes from hand sanding.

Agave Silver

Rather than a pure cotton weave, these jeans have a stretchy blend that gives leeway around the thighs and waist. Feel free to exhale.

Nudie

Made in Italy with heavyweight, yellow-tinted Turkish denim, this pair of jeans from the Swedish brand proves Americans don't have sole purchase on creating great denim.

H&M

To achieve a shade they describe as "cloud," H&M's resident colorists take light-blue denim and wash it until it's faded and, yes, a little cloudy. Then they wash it some more until it's the palest shade of blue this side of white