The 18 Best Denim Brands On The Planet
From wide-leg to cropped and everything in-between, we've scoured the virtual shelves to find the very best jeans money can buy.
In case you missed the memo, let us refresh you: style circles are in the middle of a denim daze thanks to endorsements from a stable of style stalwarts (Stella, Diesel et al), which means that, should you still be waiting to find The One - pair of jeans, that is - then listen up.
The industry’s glitterati have, in recent months, made the case for mom jeans, cargo jeans, and straight-leg jeans, all but banishing their skinny counterparts to the style sidelines, but for many of us, finding the ultimate, winning pair is no small feat. You name it and the weird and wonderful world of denim has either created it or catered to it.
After all, a good, stand-out and stellar pair of jeans forms the backbone of any and every well-functioning wardrobe, but finding the right pair that sit right and hug tight in all of the right places are like gold dust to find, which is why we’ve scoured the internet’s virtual shelves to find the very best denim brands in existence.
If you’ve found that your jeans have fallen short or down — and made you feel down in the process — then consider this your go-to guide of denim brands. From this season’s silhouette of choice — why the horseshoe jean purveyed by Citizens of Humanity, of course — to a classic big ’n’ baggy, slouchy jean, these are the brands to hit-up for your next denim investment.
The Denim Brands To Know Now
Citizens of Humanity
You know the barrel-leg jeans that have been peppered all over the feeds of your favourite fashion insiders? They're the brainchild of Los Angeles-based brand Citizens of Humanity, which was launched amid the denim boom of the 2000s in 2003. In the twenty years since it launched, it's become the go-to for those in the denim know. Think wide-legged, tapered, slouchy - whichever way you like your denim, there's a style and a shape to suit you here.
Agolde
Ask any style insider worth their salt and they'll tell you in no uncertain terms that Agolde is one of the most well-crafted denim brands. Not only are its jeans some of the best-fitting, they've also been endorsed by Rihanna and Selena Gomez among a slew of other of our fashion favourites. Fashion editor's favourites are the low-rise baggy jeans, which are perfect for slow and lazy days with nifty knits and a structured coat.
Mother
In a bid to keep the craftsmanship of its denim localised, Los Angeles-based denim brand, Mother, partners with local businesses and manufacturers in the production of all of its styles. Make no mistake: these are jeans with heart that not only look the part, but give back too. For the perfect wide-legged jean, look to the Ditcher Highrises. Just take our word for it - this denim is too good to not be snapped up.
Frame
With all of the style sensibility that Scandis have become known for, Frame is a denim brand that has perfected the best-fitting jean. Founded by Swedish natives Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson in 2012, Frame has firmly established itself as a must-have purveyor of well-crafted jeans. Its Le High And Tight jeans straddle the dichotomous fence of slouchy jeans that also manage to fit snugly.
Raey
Launched in 2015, London-based label Raey is responsible for some of the slouchiest jeans that the fashion cognoscenti haven’t been immune from endorsing. The label, which is a Matches own-brand, intentionally crafts its pieces in small batches and focusses on the use of recycled fibres where possible with a view to reducing its environmental impact. Feel-good fashion needn't cost the earth, after all, and Raey's denim is proof.
Reformation
One of the fashion realm’s worst-kept secrets is Reformation, which started life as a vintage store in Los Angeles in 2009. It’s now responsible for some of the style realm’s most fashion-forward and earth-first pieces, but if your connotations of the label are that it’s a solely a go-to for floaty wedding-guest dresses, think again
Reformation debuted its denim offering in 2017 and trust us when we say that these are some seriously fantastic jeans. For the perfect fitting long-legged, slouchy fit, look no further than its Cary jeans, which the ELLE UK office can’t stop waxing lyrical about.
Good American
The brainchild of Khloé Kardashian and Emma Grede, Good American is the brand that caters to all sizes. The label launched in 2016 with a desire to offer denim that was size-inclusive to all shapes, and it’s cemented its positioning as a body-inclusive BNOC in doing so. If you're unsure exactly where to start, Good American’s 90s High-rise jeans are as close to denim perfection as you can get (trust us).
Levi's
Levi’s is obviously the label that requires no introduction but for the uninitiated, Levi’s is still at the top of its denim game, most recently with the release of its Emma Chamberlain collaboration. Its vintage 501s might be the go-to silhouette for the fashion crowd, but its reimagined 501s are almost better (if that were even possible).
Hush
Hush is the brainchild of Australia native, Mandy Watkins, who established the brand in 2004 after her first experience of a northern hemisphere winter. As such, it’s Hush’s denim that stands out. It’s simultaneously soft, sculpting and structured, everything that good denim ought to be.
DL1961
DL1961 is a family-owned denim brand based in New York City, which has its roots in Pakistan, where the Ahmed family who owns it originally hail from. Its jeans are buttery in a way you didn’t realise you desired for denim to be and sculpting in all of the right ways. Even better are the label’s eco-credentials, which include taking customer’s old jeans and plastic bottles and recycling them into new denim designs.
Weekday
One of the gems of the H&M group’s family is Weekday, which is a well-kept secret for denim among style insiders. In fact, Weekday’s jeans are so lusted-after that they landed themselves a spot in Lyst’s Q3 round-up of fashion’s most popular brands and products. The label’s Astro Loose Baggy jeans were Q3’s eighth hottest product, making them the only pair to be featured in the top 10. What’re you waiting for?
Topshop
When ASOS bought Topshop from the administrators of Philip Green's collapsed Arcadia group in 2021, the fashion world responded accordingly — shares in the conglomerate slumped, similarly to how expectations of the former diamond in the high street’s crown would fare. In just two years though, Topshop’s denim offering has been returned to its former glory and its high-waisted jeans are as good as they were when Topshop first launched them a decade ago.
Ganni
The Danish fashion world’s worst-kept secret is responsible for some of the denim arena’s most carefully-considered and well-crafted denim, too. Its balloon-shaped jeans have peppered Instagram feeds since the brand’s denim debut in 2018 and for good reason: these are jeans that do all of the talking on your behalf with none of the effort.
Nili Lotan
Israeli-born New Yorker Nili Lotan debuted her eponymous brand twenty years ago with the premise of crafting the six basic pieces that, in her mind, every wardrobe needs — three trousers, a top and two jackets. She has since extended her offering into denim, with straight-legged jeans that knock almost all others straight (pun intended) out of the park.
The Frankie Shop
Since its inception in Paris in 2014, The Frankie Shop has become one of the quietest - but most impactful - disruptors of the fashion realm. Fashion's love-in with power shoulder vests? You've got The Frankie Shop to thank for that. The recent ubiquity of bulky beige blazers? The Frankie Shop is responsible. This year, though, has been the year that its denim has elbowed its way to the fore. Its Hayla Contrast Denim Pants - which are foldable, two-tone jeans - have racked up a total of 17,000 views on TikTok and struggle to stay in stock for obvious reasons.
Acne Studios
Acne Studios was founded in 1996 Jonny Johansson in Stockholm as part of a creative collective named ACNE that focused on graphic design, film, production and advertising. In the intervening years it’s established itself as a name to know in style circles — Kylie Jenner is the face of its most recent campaign — and a doyenne of well-made, stylish denim.
Toteme
Toteme was founded in 2014 by Swedish couple Elin Kling and Karl Lindman and, almost a decade since its inception, the brand has now firmly been ordained as a go-to for the pared-back minimalism for which the pair's home country is revered. Among its co-ordinating two-pieces and killer coats - both of which are Instagram catnip - is its denim offering, which is responsible for the kind of jeans that you buy once and wear forever.
Rouje
Founded by Parisian Jeanne Damas in 2016, Rouje has firmly established itself a go-to for snug-fitting, well-made denim that doesn’t cost the earth. In fact, Damas’ love of denim runs so deep that, after deciding to launch Rouje, jeans were the first thing she designed.
Fast forward eight years, and, in case you’re keen on trying before you buy, Rouje now has stores in New York, London and Paris with more openings planned on the horizon. What’re you waiting for?
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