The 6 Best Jeans for the Office
The best jeans for the office have subtle design features and avoid heavy branding, contrast topstitching, and fake distressing.
When choosing a jean for the office, play it safe by choosing jeans with neutral details and washes. The more neutral your jean design, the more versatile and acceptable it will be in different environments.
About this list
The purpose of this list is to help men connect with brands that offer suitable business casual jeans. The list covers a range of price points. This list is managed by Todd Shelton, a jean manufacturer based in East Rutherford, NJ, that offers custom-fit jeans for men. No commissions are made from links in this article.
Detail-minded men who care about fit use us
We specialize in manufacturing a wide range of fit options designed to help men solve fit problems and improve the fit of their jeans.
The 5 points of criteria for jeans for the office
We looked at five points when evaluating jeans for this list. 1) Is the back pocket design suitable for the office? 2) Is the topstitching color suitable for the office? 3) Are the jean washes suitable? 4) Is the denim fabric suitable? 5) Are the fits suitable?
The best jeans for the office are suitable for business environments, look professional, and do not draw unnecessary attention. More attention to what someone is wearing can distract from the business at hand.
Most jeans are not designed with business in mind. They’re designed as workwear or fashion. Workwear jeans use traditional jean design: contrast topstitching and back pocket branding. Fashion jeans are designed to stand out or intentionally draw attention.
For the jeans you wear in professional environments, you want the fit to be different from those you grew up wearing in casual environments. Your jean for business needs to fit more precisely, be less baggy, or be less skinny to find that commonly-accepted middle ground.
The 6 best jeans for the office for men
We searched dozens of brands for this list. Most jean brands are not designing for the office, they’re designing for casualwear, workwear, or fashion. The top reasons brands are not on this list include: topstitching color, back pocket design, and fake distressing.
If you find an error or a broken link on this page, please email us at support@toddshelton.com.
1. Todd Shelton
Recommended for: customizable fit options
Price: $285
Todd Shelton jeans meet 5 out of the five criteria: no back pocket design, low-contrast topstitching, subtle jean washes, elevated denim options, and multiple fit choices for customers. Todd Shelton is best for customers who want more control over how their jean fits.
2. Bonobos
Recommended for: stretch denim and tonal stitching
Price: $149
Bonobos jeans meet all the criteria for jeans for the office. Additionally, Bonobos offers jeans with tonal topstitching, i.e., the thread that matches the denim color, creating a modern style. Bonobos does not offer all-cotton jeans, a drawback for some customers.
3. Banana Republic
Good for: modern styling
Price: $130
Banana Republic jeans meet 4 out of the five criteria: no back pocket design, low-contrast topstitching, subtle jean washes, and elevated denim options. Banana Republic has limited inseam length options and does not offer all-cotton jeans.
4. 34 Heritage
Recommended for: classic styling
Price: $185
34 Heritage jeans meet 3 out of the five criteria: low-contrast topstitching, subtle jean washes, and elevated denim options. 34 Heritage uses a subtle back pocket design and has limited inseam length options.
5. LL Bean
Recommended for: casual, affordable
Price: $59
LL Bean jeans meet 3 out of the five criteria: no back pocket design, subtle jean washes, and multiple fit choices for customers. LL Bean uses contrasting topstitching and does not offer elevated denim options, which makes their jean lean towards the casual in business casual.
6. Levi’s
Recommended for: being widely accepted
Price: $69
Levi’s jeans meet 2 out of the five criteria: subtle jean washes and multiple fit choices for customers. But Levi’s ubiquity in the market makes their darker wash jeans a safe option for the office.
Final recommendation for jeans for the office
Jeans for the office are still jeans. They share the same 5-pocket design (the 5th pocket is the small watch pocket on the front), the shape of the front and back pockets, the yoke on the back, and the blue denim. So remember, when you’re shopping for jeans for the office, you’ll also be able to wear them where ever you would wear jeans socially. It’s just that jeans for the office are more versatile.
Todd Shelton is men’s clothing brand based in New Jersey. Founded by Tennessee native Todd Shelton, the brand’s collections offer industry-leading fits that are manufactured in the company’s NJ factory and sold exclusively online.
