A Beginner's Guide to Buying Jeans That Actually Last

Everyone owns jeans. Almost every clothing brand makes them, they show up at every price point, and they somehow fit into every style. But there's a big gap between grabbing whatever pair is on the rack and actually owning denim that gets better with age instead of falling apart within a year. To close that gap, we tapped into insight from Andrew Chen, founder of premium denim label 3sixteen and a partner at Self Edge, one of the most respected specialty denim retailers in the world. Chen has spent over two decades in the denim business, and his advice boils down to a simple but often overlooked idea: unlike almost everything else you own, a good pair of jeans should improve the more you wear them.

Learn to Measure Before You Shop