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As the Strategist’s denim correspondent, I look at jeans a lot. Take it from me: If you wait long enough, you can get almost any pair you want on sale. To help you find the best discounted pairs out there, I flipped through my mental Rolodex of the jeans we’ve written about on the Strategist before, then sifted through the internet’s sales bins. Here, you’ll find the Madewell pair a stylist has recommended to more than 150 clients, and the Wranglers a Strategist senior editor convinced no less than four of her friends to buy for themselves. After hunting down our tried-and-true pairs, I also found some seemingly worth-it wild cards from names like Citizens of Humanity and B Sides that I’ve oft heard recommended and that rarely go on sale. I’ll be updating this guide regularly, so keep checking back for more. And if you’re a big deal freak, sign up for our daily Strategist Sales Alert while you’re at it.
Straight-leg
The jeans we’ve written the most about, Levi’s Wedgies, are at an almost Prime Day price. You know what to do.
A 501 (the original true-blue jean) you don’t have to search a thrift bin to find.
Jeans from Abercrombie’s Curve Love line are made with more room in the hips and thighs for less chance of waist-gapping. “If there’s one thing Abercrombie does well, it’s jeans,” says the Plus Bus co-owner Marcy Guevara-Prete, adding that the company has gotten well versed in “how to accentuate curves.”
Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo’s “ultimate denim dream” is to look like Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon inThelma & Louise, and Everlane’s butt-hugging Cheekys get her pretty darn close to speeding in a Thunderbird.
And the Cheekys are even cheaper in a hourglass-figure-flattering cut, designed for those with narrower waists.
Made for those who are leggier (and those who want to look leggier).
L’Agence jeans are a favorite of petites. As a fellow petite (I’m five-foot-two), I can say that the 27-inch inseam on these straight-legs should be short enough for those on the shorter side.
There’s a following around Agolde’s Rileys that includes a few New York staffers. Former New York photo editor Stella Blackmon says they’re “like an ode to the jeans my mom loved when I was growing up.” Surprisingly, I found a pair in Revolve’s sale section.
You might remember these as the jeans a stylist has recommended to over 150 clients.
The difference between the Perfect Vintage and the ’90s cuts from Madewell is in the backside. The higher back rise on the ’90s means a cheekier behind.
If the thought of breaking in Imogene + Willie’s non-stretch denim feels daunting, you should go for these jeans instead — they’re made from premium stretch denim that will feel broken in right from the beginning.
Slim and loose
I’m easing my way out of only wearing high-waisted jeans, and these mid-rise jeans are part of the process.
These slim-cut & Other Stories jeans look easy to dress up for a more casual holiday party.
As seen in Mya Gelber’s hunt for the perfect pair of dark-wash jeans.
“I feel like ’90s Shania Twain in these jeans,” says artist Melly Wirtes. Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens is a devotee, too — and her ode to the pair convinced Earl Earl newsletter writer Laurel Pantin to get them herself.
Wide-leg and
I once asked the Strategist-staff Slack channel the question of “Where are everyone’s wide-legs from?” and the resounding answer was B Sides. Its sale selection is small (and most sizes sell out fast), but its Easy Jean is still fully stocked at the moment.
A barrel-leg for those who are equal parts barrel-leg curious and barrel-leg skeptical.
The not-too-wide wide-legs you’ve been searching high and low for.
In contention for the coolest jeans on this list, scoring points for the cuffed hems and martingale belt buckle.
You won’t see Favorite Daughter jeans on sale very often — and especially not for over half-off.
“Paired with a vintage T-shirt, they look extra ’70s,” says content creator Carrie Carrollo of the Sailor Jeans. In floral form, they’re old Glastonbury (in a great way).
Bootcut and flare
A bootcut that’s not too hee-haw (though the cropped hem means you can still show off your cowboy boots).
Strategist readers’ favorite flares are these Kick Out Crop jeans — the brand’s new version of its discontinued Cali Demi Cut. They now come patch-pocketed, too.
Levi’s 315s are the reigning best bootcut in our plus-size jeans guide, with models Felicity Hayward and Yasmin Geurts loyal wearers of the style.
Skinny
Levi’s skinniest skinny jeans come with a lot of stretch, and writer Diana McCorry says these keep their shape when you stand up.
If you think the 720s are too tight-fitting, try the 311s. They’ll be similarly shaping but more forgiving.
You’ll find the Bombshells all across our archives for their different inseam lengths: They come in 25-inch (“extra-short”), 27-inch (“short”), 29-inch (“regular”), 31-inch (“tall”), and 33-inch (“extra-tall”) inseams. (Phew!)
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
