My Hunt for Straight-Leg, Actually Opaque White Jeans
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
My annual yen for a good pair of whitejeansstarted sometime in college after I spilled a bottle of Essie Clambake on a pair of white Helmut Lang skinny jeans that I’d bought at T.J. Maxx. The jeans were quintessentially 2010 — high-waisted, very stretchy, Saran Wrap–level clingy around the ankles — and I loved them. I wore them to parties with a black American Apparel bodysuit and Jeffrey Campbell ankle boots (it was the 2010s, after all) and to class with T-shirts and button-downs. They were perfectly opaque but not too thick, which is a rare quality in white jeans, and extremely flattering. Staining and ruining the jeans was distressing — even more so because they were the only pair of “designer” jeans I owned — and meant finding a replacement. The ones that followed were a mix of thrifted and new, skinny and straight leg, always high-waisted. They usually lasted just a year or two, often due to some comically dumb event like being greased by a closing subway door. 2010 to 2026 was also a time of great jeans shakeups — from the rise of frayed crops to the return of low-rise — and so a pair that looked right one year often felt stale by the next.
Sixteen years later, I’m still on a hunt for a pair of white jeans that satisfies what those Helmut Lang ones once did. Now, my ideal pair is mid-rise with a straight leg and a full-length inseam that hits the top of my foot but doesn’t drag on the ground (I’m five-foot-eight, so I usually look for a 30- to 33-inch inseam, and for reference I wear a size 27 or 4). I want something that’s a little fitted, but not nearly as trim as those Helmut Lang ones were, and completely opaque. I don’t want anything too trendy and definitely nothing embellished. And then there are preferences I can take or leave: I generally prefer a zipper fly over buttons but, for the right pair, could go either way; I would like a bright-white wash that feels truly summery, but I’m not opposed to off-white or ivory; in theory, 100 percent cotton would be nice, but honestly I’ve appreciated some stretch in jeans lately, especially pairs that I wear to work when I’m sitting at my desk for most of the day. Most important, they should have that elusive quality of all good jeans: They should make me feel good without having to think much about my pants after I leave the house.
MyTopPicks
New! You can now save this product for later.
The slightly off-white shade of these made them especially easy to wear.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A true straight leg that was loose, but not too loose, in bright white.
New! You can now save this product for later.
I loved the sturdy, opaque denim and the 33-inch inseam.
The Runners-Up
The cropped pair that I actually liked
New! You can now save this product for later.
When I saw that these had a 29-inch inseam I was ready to write them off right away, but I was surprised when I tried them on. They run true to size, the mid-rise hit comfortably about two inches below my belly button, and the crop, which hit at the center of my ankle bone, was actually very spring-y and surprisingly flattering (normally cropped styles just look like my pants are too short). They’re 100 percent cotton with a button fly, which made them feel more casual than other pairs I tried. The first thing that came to mind with these was that they would specifically be good summer jeans, in the sense that the crop would only make sense with sandals or flats. I have a couple of beachy weekend trips planned this summer, and I could imagine wearing these to a lobster shack.
The ones that were appealingly stretchy
New! You can now save this product for later.
These were one of the first pairs I tried and I liked them immediately. They’re available in tall sizing, but I got them in regular, which has a 30.5-inch inseam. As the name suggests, they’re high-rise and have a slimmer leg, which I found read more like a straight leg. The shade is off-white, kind of like the color of a vanilla meringue. These reminded me of the Agolde Romney jeans but with a slightly longer leg, more stretch (these are 99 percent cotton, one percent spandex), and a zipper fly. The denim felt a little thinner than other pairs I tried, but I actually liked that — they were soft and easy to move in.
The ones that were actually pretty skinny
New! You can now save this product for later.
Sézane Brut Sexy
If this were a hunt about finding the closest match to those Helmut Lang jeans I ruined, these would be the winner. They have a cigarette-style skinny leg which is as close to a true skinny jean as I’ve tried in years. It wasn’t a bad thing! In fact, it made them live up to their “sexy” name — they almost felt retro or pin up-y, like they should be worn with a red and white cropped gingham top (or maybe just something from Doen). I don’t think I would wear them to the office necessarily — the rigid 100% cotton in a close-fitting style simply isn’t comfortable enough to sit in for that many hours — but I could see wearing them to a party with some heeled sandals. And one important note: definitely size up, these run a full size small.
The ones that felt dressy
New! You can now save this product for later.
These are without a doubt dinner jeans. They’re 98 percent cotton and 2 percent elastane, and the white is bright and clean looking — in general I noticed that the whiter the jeans, the dressier they looked on — with a bit of a crease down the front. They’re high-rise and every so slightly bootcut. I took my regular size and they were definitely on the tighter end, which I’ve found is how Mother Jeans usually fit (and is probably why a lot of the brand’s styles are especially butt-flattering). The stretch still made them comfortable, but if you prefer a looser fit I’d size up.
The ones that were a little preppy
New! You can now save this product for later.
J.Crew Slim Jean
These also felt a little dressy, thanks to the bright-white wash. I’m not totally sure what gave them this vibe, but they read as the preppiest pair that I tried — maybe because of the slim leg, ankle crop, and dash of stretch? I took my usual size and ordered them in the tall length, which meant the inseam was 31 inches. When I first tried them I really loved them, but I realized they’re ever so slightly sheer, which landed them in the runners-up category.
The Winner’s Circle
The off-white ones that I liked the most
New! You can now save this product for later.
It feels almost anti-climactic to call 501s the winner of a jeans hunt, but I hadn’t tried the style in years and was really impressed by the fit. The leg was close fitting but not skinny by any means, and the waistband had the slightest dip to it, which I liked. The color is not a true white — in wall paint terms, I’d say it’s closer to a “Bavarian cream” — but I didn’t mind. I found that the off-white shade made them easier to wear if I was running around and also made them more all-seasonal than the bright-white pairs I tried.
The true straight legs
New! You can now save this product for later.
These are a bright white, have a true straight leg, and are 100 percent cotton. They were basically the exact pair I was looking for and, like the Agolde Romney jeans, are made from denim that feels thick and opaque but not too stiff. I took my usual size, and the fit was truly what I was looking for: a little loose but not annoyingly so. These have a 30-inch inseam, and my only wish was that they were an inch or two longer. (But I will say: I wore these to my office while working on this hunt, and they were the pair that got the most compliments.)
The perfect — and perfectly long — pair
New! You can now save this product for later.
These were perfect. I loved the long 33-inch inseam, the slightly off-white but still bright shade of white, and the 100 percent cotton denim that felt sturdy but started to soften after a few wears. I’d never tried Buck Mason’s denim before and was really impressed — these have a somewhat vintage look but the cut feels modern and doesn’t squeeze or pinch anywhere. I could sit at my desk comfortably all day in these, and they were also the pair I wanted to wear on the weekend. I loved where they broke at the top of my loafers and honestly just felt good wearing them.
More From The Strategist
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
- The Strategist Summer 100
- I Replaced My Tretinoin With This $30 Retinal Cream
- My Hunt for Fisherman Sandals That Won’t Tear Up My Feet
The Strategistis 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 abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
