26 Famous People on Their Favorite Pairs of Jeans
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Welcome to Jeans Month on the Strategist, where we’re obsessively vetting denim — from trying on every pair at the Gap to asking dozens of stylish people about their favorite fits. For more, head to ourJeans Month hub.
In our column “What I Can’t Live Without,” we’ve interviewed hundreds of famous people about their favorite products — and here, we’re rounding up all of their favorite pairs of jeans. Over the years, denim trends have come and gone, and while we’ve seen the full range — from skinny and straight to ultrawide and barrel legged — we’ve learned that no matter the celebrity’s preferred style, when they find a pair they love, they stick with it. (One famous person even told us that he’s gone through 15 pairs of his favorite jeans.) Not surprisingly, this list includes some pricier brands like Rudy Jude and Rag & Bone — but there are plenty of less expensive picks, too, from brands like Levi’s and Wrangler. To help you scan through all the picks, we’ve organized this list by gender, and in cases where more than one celebrity has recommended the pair, we’ve included each person’s quotes.
Women’sjeans
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Jennifer Meyer
“I have a lot of jeans and I’ve gone through a lot of jeans, so I actually feel like at this point I’m a jeans connoisseur. And I’m not into jeans that are too tight anymore. This particular pair is low and baggy, but not too low; it hits me around the belly button. These Favorite Daughter ones in the light-blue wash just hit every moment. They’re cute with sneakers. They’re cute with heels. They’re cute with boots.” —July 2025
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Rujeko Hockley
“I’ll buy something I really like, and then I want to wear it all the time. I’m wearing these barrel jeans today, and I have them in two colors now. I got them in the black because my friend had them and I had to ask her where her jeans were from — they were so cute. I immediately bought them and then purchased them again in a blue wash that is more casual for wearing at home and on the weekends. I can wear the black pair to work because they can be dressed up or dressed down.”—May 2025
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Brianne Howey
“They’re my everyday go-tos. They’re incredibly comfortable, flattering. It’s a good classic straight fit, and I love the slight stretch. They’ve basically become my uniform. I have so many jeans, but the 501s are the prized pair. It’s like finding your favorite white tee. It’s a staple. You need it.” —March 2025
Tan France
“I have a pair ofmen’s 501sthat I love, but I had to take them to get them tapered. After that, I found out the women’s 501s come tapered. They fit just like the men’s, but with a little bit of ahigher waist— I love a high waist — and tapered fit. My only issue with women’s jeans is that they’re made with such tiny pockets. It sounds dumb, but why on earth are the pockets so shallow? Has it ever occurred to anyone that women want to carry things in their pockets, too?” —June 2021
Aly Michalka
“These are just classic: the fit, the semi-high waist, the color. They’re another thing that’s become like a uniform. The jeans just get better over time. The more worn they are, the better they look and feel. I probably own six or seven pairs.” —May 2021
Karen Walker
“I’m not a big fan of ripped denim, overly washed denim, or novelty denim in any way. I just like a 501 in dark Indigo without any tears or special washes. They’ll last me ten years. So, every six months, I buy a pair of sneakers, but every ten years, I buy a pair of 501s.” —July 2019
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Zooey Deschanel
“There’s just not any better jeans than Levi’s. They have a million cuts. I almost always am wearing dark-wash straight-leg jeans, and Levi’s just makes good ones. They’re not overpriced, they’re just good jeans, and I like that.” —November 2024
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Jessel Taank
“I’m a T-shirt and jeans gal, so I pair these with my Daydreamer shirts. I wear them all the time, day to night, with heels, boots, sneakers. The boyfriend jeans specifically are so comfortable. After washing them, they get even softer. I’ve had mine for years, and I’m still obsessed.” —January 2024
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Abby Elliott
“They are so comfortable and flattering. They have a vintage look and feel, but they’re really well made. My favorite is the traditional denim pair, but I have them in ivory as well. They’re designed by a woman in Maine who my mom follows on Instagram. My mom initially sent me her page because she likes the name Rudy and I was pregnant with my daughter at the time. I was like, ‘I like that name too, but I don’t want to copy a woman you follow on Instagram.’ So basically my mom introduced me to her and I’ve become obsessed with her jeans and lifestyle.” —June 2023
Editor’s note: Rudy Jude sells its styles on apreorder-only basis,and the Utility jeans are currently unavailable.
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Meghann Fahy
“I love Reformation, because its clothes are sustainable and I don’t feel guilty shopping there. The quality is so good. Even though it’s on the more expensive side, the clothes really last. It feels like a healthy investment for my wardrobe and the environment. The jeans never stretch out too much or lose their shape.” —May 2023
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Levi’s 501 Skinny Women’s Jeans
Emma Chamberlain
“Growing up, my dad wore Levi’s. I don’t always take his advice, but when I do, it’s never a mistake. Nothing fits me or hugs my body better than 501s. My dad inspired me to get into 501s and then vintage jeans, to the point that I became a denim collector. I mainly collect vintage Levi’s and probably have 50 pairs. Each one is so unique.” —November 2020
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Plum Sykes
“Madewell is owned by J.Crew. To me, it’s the new J.Crew, now that Jenna Lyons left, because what I love about Madewell is that you walk in and you know what it is — it’s American casual beach chic with French Left Bank. The jeans are perfect because they have a very, very high waist, and are very well-fitted, very flattering, and much cheaper than J Brand. You can wear them to the office with a blazer and look put together and professional, but just the slightest bit French.” —May 2017
Men’sjeans
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Damian Kulash
“I have a uniform: It’s jeans and T-shirts, sometimes a button-down, especially if I’m in New York. I used to get the dark wash and wear them in the hard-living way, and it did make absolutely perfect jeans, but you have to suffer through a bunch of time doing that. Those sorts of affectations are not available to me as a parent anymore. But I have one pair of the hard dark-wash ones that I wear when I feel like I need to be fancier than the zhlub and not quite suit-level.”—April 2025
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Luka Sabbat
“Vintage Levi’s have my favorite wash. They’re not too light, they’re not too dark, and they usually age perfectly. I say ‘usually’ because that’s not the case for every single pair, obviously. But I just find myself buying this type of Levi’s more than others. But what’s great about jeans that are pre-worn is that they already have the softness. Call me a princess, but I don’t want to do all the work. I don’t want to wait 20 years. Give them to me done already.” —May 2024
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Adam Scott
“I think this is the first time Alex Mill has made jeans, but they’ve really zeroed in on what makes the perfect jeans. These have a really high rise, but the leg is tapered. It’s not super-wide. They look like you’ve been wearing them for 15 years — they have that feel.” —May 2024
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JJ Johnson
“For me, it’s all about the waist, the thigh, the butt kind of moment — how the jeans sit on my body right. They’re not supertight to your leg or super-baggy. I have eight in different colors, and they’re colored denim, so if you’re a trouser guy and you sometimes wear jeans, or if you’re a jeans guy and sometimes wear trousers, the Paige jeans makes it look like it’s that in-between, so you could dress it up, dress it down.” —March 2024
Roman Mars
“It wasn’t until I was about 40 that they started making stretchy men’s jeans that are cut like women’s jeans. I was delighted by this, so when I found these Paige Jeans — which feel good and fit my body — I got multiples of them.” —October 2020
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Paul Feig
“I don’t wear a lot of jeans because as an older gentleman you take the risk of looking like you’re wearing dad jeans. But I find Levi’s bootcut jeans really avoid that because they’re a slim fit through the waist and leg but then it flares out slightly. There’s something nice about having a little bit of a flare with a cowboy boot.” —December 2022
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Sam Sanders
“I’m that guy who will buy one pair of black jeans, never wash them, wear them every day until they fall apart. If they get a little stinky, I put them in the freezer or spray them down with white vinegar. If I need to spot clean them, I will, but I don’t wash my jeans. And the pair of black jeans that really worked best for me are these 511 slim fit. They work with fancy shoes, they work with sandals, they work with T-shirts or tank tops, they work with button-ups. And they fit right: I don’t ever want jeans cinching my ankle. I want them to feel fitted through the leg. I’ve been wearing these for at least ten years and gone through at least 15 pairs, if not more.” —July 2022
Jacques Torres
“I think I look good in jeans, so jeans are my everyday piece of clothing. I wear them at work. Even on TV, I wear these jeans. These give a little bit, so if I gain a couple of pounds, I don’t have to change my jeans. Look, we all have our little secrets, no? Bad jeans are like bad knives to me. If you feel like your jeans are a prison and you don’t feel good in them, then you should change your jeans. There is no reason to wear bad jeans, just like there is no reason to put up with a bad knife.” —November 2021
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Sean Paul
“I don’t really like tight jeans. These are slim fit, but they got some play — they have an elasticity. What I like about G-Star is that it has an almost military feel to it. I still wear some older pairs. Sometimes I’ll cut them and wear them as jean shorts around the house because Jamaica is hot.” —August 2021
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Kwame Onwuachi
“When I walk into my local H&M, I know exactly where to go because these jeans are always in the same spot. I’ve been wearing them in the kitchen for at least ten years. They go with everything, are slim, and last a long time. They just fit legs really nicely and stop right at the shoe, so they don’t bunch or anything.” —April 2021
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Rumaan Alam
“When I tried on these jeans I realized that I loved the way they fit, I loved the feel of the denim on my hand. When I’m not working in an office, these are the only pants I wear. I have them in black — I used to be anti–black jeans for a long time, and then I realized that if you wear black jeans and a black blazer, you look like you’re wearing a suit, but you feel more comfortable. You can create the illusion of being dressed up.” —October 2020
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Michael Zegen
“My style is pretty much just a T-shirt and jeans. That’s it. I keep it simple. These Rag & Bone jeans fit perfectly. I have five pairs. They’re not magic or anything, but they fit really, really well. And they’re comfy.” —July 2020
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Alexander Chee
“I discovered my first pair of these jeans when I was going to go on Seth Meyers, and I had a TV-producer friend who came to Barneys with me and pulled all these clothes with a Barneys shopper. I didn’t know what to expect with jeans because I am bear-size. So these AG jeans they actually do make for people who are size 36 and above, but it doesn’t look like you’re compromising. So I got my first pair then and got them tailored in time for the show. And now I have them in three different colors.” —July 2018
Editor’s note: Chee owned an older version of the jeans that is no longer available. We’ve linked to the updated version.
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Lee Child
“I have a 30-inch waist and 38-inch leg, and there’s virtually no chance of getting that size in the store. I’ve tried several brands, and Wrangler’s Slim Fit is just the pair that fits the best. I’m not really a fashionista, but I like the slim ones in the dark wash they call Root Beer or the lighter one called Storm Blue. I always buy six of everything because when I find something I like I panic they’ll discontinue them, so I have 12 pairs of these jeans.” —January 2018
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