Alternatives to Seven jeans?

February 16, 2008 6:31 AM

Male, not wanting to shell out $200 for another pair of Seven's, seeks lower-priced alternative to their Standard cut.

So, a friend introduced me to higher-end designer jeans. Seven's standard (straight leg) cut fits me perfectly (so she says; my wife agrees). I now have $400 worth of jeans in two pairs, which is probably more than I've ever spent on all the jeans I've purchased to date.

I know that, in some cases, you're paying for the better fit, but are there any lower-priced alternatives to Sevens in "Standard" cut (not A-pocket or any of the others) out there for men that have similar fit characteristics (not too baggy, lower rise, etc.) that folks could recommend based on actually having owned, seen, or worn a pair (as opposed to having googled for the answer)?

posted by aberrant to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

I found a few pairs of Seven's that fit me great but were just a little too long at Filene's Basement (a chain store that specializes in selling the overstock of designer brands at steep discounts) so I bought them and had a tailor hem them. The jeans were $50 + $20 for the tailoring, so if you can find a nearby discount store that stock's them, that might be a cost effective solution.
posted by justkevin at 7:05 AM on February 16, 2008

Find jeans at outlet stores and other resellers: Marshalls/TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, etc.
I just saw seven's at nordstrom rack for $99.

I also like Marc Ecko's Cut & Sew jeans.
posted by senseigmg at 7:11 AM on February 16, 2008

they're cheaper on eBay where more than a few power sellers don't sell fakes, check out their feedbacks and google their usernames, the good ones are always mentioned in the denim communities).

have you checked out Nudies? the Average Joe fit and the Regular Ralf fit are close to what you're accustomed to with the Sevens, check out their website fit guide here
posted by matteo at 7:40 AM on February 16, 2008

lucky brand has well-cut jeans like that for both men and women and for slightly less than seven, their website has a a great cut/fit guide. i see them on ebay a lot, make sure always get the smallest size that you can just about button or zip because their sizes run one or two large and their jeans always end up a little looser then they are new from the store or fresh from the laundry.
posted by lia at 7:59 AM on February 16, 2008

I'm not sure if brand name is an issue for you but I use to wear Diesel until I went broke, now I wear Levis 511s. The fit is great and for $30 at Sears, you can't beat it.
posted by hammerthyme at 8:14 AM on February 16, 2008

The Gap sells okay-cut jeans (straight leg, pretty low rise, though longer than Sevens). They're $60. I don't think that they're indistinguishable from Sevens by any stretch... you won't trick people at a bar-club-lounge-full-of-beds. But, since you have a wife, this is probably less of an issue for you.
posted by zpousman at 9:10 AM on February 16, 2008

thanks for all the answers so far - I'm not really looking for a source of cheap/discounted Sevens, and the Nudies / Luckys are a bit more than I want to spend for "kicking back" jeans (the goal here is that I don't want to care too much whether they get ripped/stained/whatever, but they have to look good - at least initially - & fit well).

Gap seems closest, but even their standard fit jeans are too baggy on me. Any opinions on their Low Rise or Slim Straight fits?
posted by aberrant at 10:11 AM on February 16, 2008

I also got tired of paying almost $200 for jeans that fit me well.

This may or may not help you, but if you live near New York City, I found Uniqlo to be an excellent inexpensive substitute. For about $40, I get jeans (their slim fit straight) that are 90% as good as the Sevens or Citizens of Humanity I used to wear.
posted by upplepop at 10:59 AM on February 16, 2008

Shop in consignment / thrift stores. Hip ones will probably have Sevens. I'm female, so I'm not sure if this is also true for males, but premium jeans fiends will get rid of jeans in perfectly good shape if they are no longer the brand of the moment.
posted by bad grammar at 5:01 PM on February 16, 2008

Levis 514 Slim Straight stretch?
posted by nicwolff at 11:40 AM on February 17, 2008

Followup - the Uniqlo looked great, so I mail ordered a couple pairs - the leg was way too slim though. Found what I needed in the Gap slim straight line - low rise, good fit, though the denim is a bit rough. Still, closest to fit as I've found in the price range. Thanks for all the suggestions.
posted by aberrant at 5:14 PM on March 2, 2008