Men's stretch leg jeans, where to buy?
April 2, 2014 5:32 AM   Subscribe

I'm looking for mens jeans that are stretchy (I'm talking the material throughout the pants, not the waist band). I remember a while back the store Express in the local mall sold dress pants that were 5% elastic (said so in the tag). They looked normal, but when squatting down, or taking a big stride, they would "give" a little around the knee, up the thigh, etc.). Anyone know of something similar for mens jeans?
posted by thankyoumuchly to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (27 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Uniqlo sells men's "Legging jeans" with a cotton/poly/spandex blend.
posted by Comrade_robot at 5:36 AM on April 2, 2014 [1 favorite]


James Jeans are 2% Lycra, which gives them a little bit of a stretch. I'm a fan of them.
posted by AaRdVarK at 5:41 AM on April 2, 2014


You don't even need to go for "legging jeans" specifically. I saw some of them when I was in Uniqlo last week and they're actually a bit weird - the material is very thin and not at all denim-like. In other words, they're leggings - but with a button and zip fly.

You probably don't want those.

Luckily, many jeans manufacturers these days include a greater or lesser amount of elastane or similar in their fabric blends as a matter of course. I suspect this is down to the ongoing mainstreaming of skinny and slim styles for men. The upshot is, such jeans shouldn't be hard to find - certainly Uniqlo's slim (not skinny) fit include it. I love Uniqlo jeans. In my opinion they're the best price/quality compromise on the highstreet. I have like 4 or 5 pairs. Give them a try!
posted by Ted Maul at 5:41 AM on April 2, 2014


I don't know what size you are, but my (tall, skinny) SO has had better luck buying women's jeans than men's. He favours an extra long, extra skinny black jean, and the store he used to get similar men's jeans from stopped selling them after they went out of fashion.

We're in the UK, and he gets his ladyjeans from Primark, but you might have luck in US women's stores if none of the menswear places are doing this kind of pants at the moment (and you can find women's sizes that fit).
posted by terretu at 5:42 AM on April 2, 2014 [1 favorite]


Duluth Trading also has jeans with some stretch in them.

What kind of jeans are you looking for? Fashion-y, work-pants-ish, dad jeans, baggy, tight, etc.? This is a pretty common item, and there are many, many companies that make denim pants. A more specific request might produce more useful responses.
posted by box at 5:42 AM on April 2, 2014




I bought several pair of Urban Star brand jeans at Costco, which look and feel like regular denim but have a little spandex in them. Most comfortable and well-fitting jeans I have ever owned.
posted by The Deej at 5:44 AM on April 2, 2014 [1 favorite]


I came to suggest Urban Star as well, cheap as hell but really are comfy as The Deej says. Avoid the black jeans, as the dye takes forever to stop leaching out and it will stain your shirts. I have a pair I've washed six times now and I still can't wear light shirts with them. The blue jeans are great though, they . I wear a 34 waist in most jeans but a 32 in the Urban Stars fits me properly, ymmv.
posted by Sternmeyer at 6:04 AM on April 2, 2014


Another vote for Uniqlo.

Cheap and decently durable. And all sorts of stretchy.
posted by popagandhi at 6:08 AM on April 2, 2014


I own a pair of Uniqlo's legging jeans. They're not straight up leggings, but they are definitely not jeans.

Try H&M's "drain" fit.
posted by griphus at 6:09 AM on April 2, 2014


I have men's Levis that do this (I didn't realize it when I bought them). They're 514s, but apparently this is true only for certain washes of that style, so read the labels!
posted by rtha at 6:09 AM on April 2, 2014


Yeah, I have a pair of levis that are stretchy as well. Still feels and looks like denim. They're great!
posted by Grither at 6:25 AM on April 2, 2014


I have Levi's Commuter Jeans that have a really nice stretch while still feeling mostly like denim. They were designed with riding a bike in mind and have great stretch when needed. They also look like regular jeans, although most cuts are a little "hipster." I like them a lot.
posted by advicepig at 6:40 AM on April 2, 2014


The excellent Canadian brand Naked & Famous has a range of stretch denim. There's an impressions thread at Reddit's rawdenim community.

Nudie jeans sometimes make jeans with elastene (Reddit feedback and pics) but I couldn't find any on their site at the moment.

The trendy French brand APC has a stretch pair of it's iconic Petit New Standards with 2% polyurethane

There are also some cycling-oriented pieces.

Levi's make the Commuter Jeans which are pretty popular and have 2% elastene.

Cadence make a raw stretch jean with 2% elastene.
posted by Magnakai at 6:40 AM on April 2, 2014 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thank you all for the great answers. To clarify a little:

I'm looking for jeans wear in a corporate/professional environment (I wear a button up dress shirt on top and nice leather dress shoes on the the bottom :).

Skinny jeans are somewhat frowned upon by the bosses.
posted by thankyoumuchly at 6:56 AM on April 2, 2014


Pick your favorite brand and Google something like men's stretch jeans brandname.
posted by pracowity at 7:03 AM on April 2, 2014


Try Levi 559 and Marmot Pipelines

Both are used by rock climbers because they are stretchy and durable.
posted by davidvanb at 7:04 AM on April 2, 2014


Depending on your body shape, I would recommend some slim (not skinny), perhaps slightly tapered jeans. Avoid baggy relaxed jeans unless necessary, it'll actually look a lot less formal than some slim (again, not skin-tight skinny) jeans which are flattering and inconspicuous.

Take a look at the Levis 511 Commuters and the Naked & Famous Weird Guy cut.

Btw, higher end jeans tend to come with relatively longer legs, and are either cuffed (rolled) or hemmed to fit.
posted by Magnakai at 7:08 AM on April 2, 2014


I can vouch for Lucky Brand 181's. They are 2% elastan. I own two pairs. They're mid-rise, which should look appropriate for a business casual setting.
posted by Fleebnork at 7:12 AM on April 2, 2014


Which goes against Magnakai's advice, being relaxed fit, but I have a much rounder backside than the average guy, so I need the room. Lucky sells various cuts, so you can probably find something that works for you.
posted by Fleebnork at 7:14 AM on April 2, 2014


I don't mean to sound too draconian. To be honest, if you're wearing jeans at work, you're already at the casual end of business casual.
posted by Magnakai at 7:31 AM on April 2, 2014


If you happen to have big thighs like me, Levis 508 (the "regular taper fit") fits pretty well and all the ones I've seen have 2% elastane. I can do a full depth squat in them with no trouble.
posted by Aquinas at 7:40 AM on April 2, 2014


In a corporate environment that is OK with jeans, you'll probably end up looking at somewhat more expensive denim. I have had good luck with J Brand that spans the gamut from 'raw' denim to stretch denim. Similarly, i've had some good luck with Paige Denim that makes some trouser/chino-ish style denim and also traditional jeans that span the gamut. I was surprised, i thought these brands made exclusively women's jeans, but they've done right by me and they have a pleasant amount of stretch (check the labels, though)

Others i know swear by AG Jeans (i'm a bit iffy on the texture, i haven't found a cut that did it for me and i find the back pocket design a bit gauche). Same with 7 for All Mankind which i end up finding to be more Statement-Jeans than work-friendly.

The above three you can find at nordstrom (and nordstrom rack) and sometimes gilt where you'll find them ~50% off. nordstrom rack is a bit of a mixed bag, but it'll give you a sense of the brands at a lower price-point. i'm not made of money but i can be a hawk for sales.

I recently bought a pair of Outlier climbers. The fabric is amazingly stretchy, lightweight they look fairly Technical in terms of clothing, but they also have a nice cut and don't read as 'jeans'. They're comfy and good if you bike to work, they're also a bit water resistant and dry quickly. But they're also not cheap, so it's harder to pull the trigger. They're like high-tech equivalent of my paige normandie jeans.
posted by nsfmc at 8:04 AM on April 2, 2014


Look for Levi's with 2% Elasetene.

The "Zach" Mavi Jeans at Nordstrom (or Nordstrom Rack) are strechy and look great at work (dark, straight leg). The Matt has a more relaxed fit.
posted by bensherman at 8:29 AM on April 2, 2014


If you've had luck with Express, these Slouchy Slim Jeans from there are made with a cotton/spandex blend.
posted by jabes at 10:15 AM on April 2, 2014


As someone who also works in a business environment, I am 100% certain that you want to check out Lee's Modern Series Jeans. I own two pair and they are the most comfortable jeans I own. They are also not ridiculously priced. Sign up for free shipping and 15% off.
posted by John Kennedy Toole Box at 11:09 AM on April 2, 2014


I just bought a pair of swrve biking jeans, and they have 2% spandex as well. They do have articulated knees that are a little non-standard, but so far I like them.
posted by thewumpusisdead at 11:14 AM on April 2, 2014


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