I've owned jeans from many different makers at many different prices, but Levi's remains the king of quality. These 502 Regular Taper tanager jeans rank among my favorites because they stretch in all directions, making them extremely comfortable. The tapered fit is a nice compromise between the traditional fit (too baggy) and skinny jeans (too tight).  Important for me is that these jeans are just wide enough at the ankle for me to slip them over cowboy boots, something you can't do with skinny jeans.

The only drawback to Levi's over the years has been shrinking. These 502 Tanager jeans are said to shrink 5% with washing. Since I have a 32-inch waist, I got 34-inch waist jeans. Shrinking of 5% reduced that to 32.4 inches, which is pretty much ideal for me. I have bought pre-shrunk jeans in the past, but I can't find any evidence that Levi's still makes them. If you search the Levi's website for "preshrunk," all you see are vintage jeans, over 40 years old, priced over $200.

Levi's big selling-point is durability, and their jeans last so long that you likely will get rid of them only because you've gained or lost weight over the years and they no longer fit. I'm sure the popular "stressed" or torn look that other jean makers have been selling for decades started because people wore their Levi's so long and, even after they started getting thread-bare in the thighs and knees, they still looked cool.

Priced around $49, these Levi's aren't the cheapest, but they're far from the most expensive jeans you can buy (Secret Circus sells a single pair of jeans for more than $500,000). I also like the Mavi jeans, which look good and fit well, but they can cost twice as much as Levi's.