Foo - Help me find a new pair of jeans

OK,

I have been wearing the same pair of jeans for awhile now. Some sort of boot cut from GAP. I am in need of updating my wardrobe as far as jeans go, and I have no idea how to sort my way thru the plethora of brands that are now on the market.

Here's what I want -- something current and fashionable, while not being on the outer limits of trendy. My build is generally slim, though I do like a 36 waist or else my belly pushes against my belt too hard when sitting down. So, I don't want pants that are too baggy on the legs. But I also don't want them too loose, either.

I am willing to spend a decent amount, just not something ridiculous like $200.

Brands or styles you would recommend?

do what i do.

find a cute girl in the store, hold up two pairs of jeans and say "hey i havent done this in ages. you look really fashionable could you help me out."

flirt with her. if you are lucky you come out well dressed by someone whos knows what girls are looking for and maybe even a date.

There is a thing.

It's called shopping.

You go to a place called a STORE.

If they have PANTS you try them on.

If they FIT you buy them.

Got an LL Bean outlet in the area?

There is a thing.

It's called shopping.

You go to a place called a STORE.

If they have PANTS you try them on.

If they FIT you buy them.

Got an LL Bean outlet in the area?

Ha!

There is a thing.

It's called research and soliciting opinoins from others.

There is another thing. It's called a mall. It is very large and has lots of stores.

There is another thing. It's called time. It would take hours to try on every pair of jeans in every store.

So by asking the question, I am doing research that will hopefully guide me in my selection and not have my randomly picking and comparing brands.

However, if I were a woman, I would probably prefer your suggested approach. :D

There are several different sorts of jean now. I find that annoying.
Not that it's a problem for me, Beans stopped making the jeans I used to get.
I don't know of anyone that makes jeans that fit me now.

And I did try a bunch on.

There's no substitute for trying the stuff on and seeing whether the stuff fits right. Different brands and styles fit different people better. Ideally, shop under the watchful eye of several people who are there to give their expert opinions. They can make sure the fabric drapes just right on you, the style fits with how you usually dress, the cut of the jeans accentuates your looks, etc.

I bought new jeans for the first time in a long while 1.5 years ago and dragged a high school friend (I'm 10 years out of high school, but I trust her fashion sense) along for the task, and she decided to drag along her sister and coworker for extra opinions. It was a lot of work (tried over a dozen brands, favorites were tried in 1 inch size increments to make sure I was getting the right size) and it was a bit embarrassing having three girls gawk at me all day and repeatedly comment on my behind, but the jeans look great on me, and the two we picked out are both something I would wear reasonably often and yet different enough to give me a lot of flexibility in how I dress.

My current pairs are levi's 527 low boot cut. They ended up being a much better fit than BR or GAP boot cuts. I am definitely not complaining about he price, some 1/3 of the boutique jeans. my 2 cents.

I bought a bunch of old navy jeans when my friend worked there. They are comfortable, though not terribly durable.

OK,

I am willing to spend a decent amount, just not something ridiculous like $200.



$200 for jeans? Do people really wear $200 jeans? Wow.

I'm back. That was easier than I thought. I figured since the last pair I bought that I actually still wear was from GAP, that store would be a good place to start. One thing I really like is these stores of gone very high-service, with knowledgeable people who waited on me hand and foot to keep bringing me alternate styles and sizes and help me narrow the choices.

One thing I noticed off the bat that I am VERY happy about -- no more damn holes! Last time I browsed for jeans everything was ripped and torn practically in two, and I felt dumb as a 30-something wearing something that hole-ly. The helper told me the trend is (thankfully) finally shifting back the other way.

Oddly, the first pair I picked up was a winner. Fairly basic straight leg, but wasn't too baggy on my lean legs and not too tight on my belly when seated. Then they also brought me a premium pair of skinny-cut jeans with some fancy denim I cannot pronounce, but the guy 'splained these are better quality denim and other brands with this type are in the $hundreds. The skinny cut fits my shape even better, but still gives my waist a little slack.

Hmmm...this is strange. The skinny cut jeans I got are called Williamsburg. I don't understand the reference and don't care too much. What has me perplexed is when I Googled them I found countless sites where people were dissin' the jeans, for no reason that I understand. They seem to fit and look good, and that's all I should be concerned about, but I am curious why the fashion sites are putting them down. Any young hipsters that can shed light on this? Are Gap jeans of this type not "cool?"