The Definitive Guide to the Most Comfortable Jeans, According to Vogue Editors

15 editors share their favorite denim to wear at home—here’s where to shop them.

The Definitive Guide to the Most Comfortable Jeans, According to Vogue Editors

You can’t deny the cozy allure of lounge pants, sweats, and leggings, but for the past few months, many of us here at Vogue have been longing for something that reminds us of our pre-WFH lives. We’ve found a happy medium in denim—the prefect pant that’s both practical and polished. Fashion editors are notorious for having large denim collections, so I asked a handful of my stylish colleagues to share their favorite jeans and more specifically, their most comfortable pairs.

Wearing jeans when hanging around the house isn’t for everyone (and sweatpant supporters might say that jeans aren’t designed to be comfortable) but it can be. Finding a pair that’s somewhere between stiff and sofa-friendly is just a matter of trial and error. And by culling our editor-tested and approved pairs together, we’ve done some of the work for you. Per our editors, those die-hard denim fans who gravitate to non-stretch denim won’t even need to give up their preferences for a 100% cotton pair of twill trousers. As far as fabric goes, there are plenty of chic options in a variety of washes cut from a softer and thinner denim that don’t cross into stretch denim territory.

Besides sharing their most comfortable pairs, editors also revealed a few styling tips and tricks—shopping jeans with a surprise elastic waistband, knowing when to size up, and focusing on denim that doesn’t require breaking in. Thanks to these 15 editor picks, the search for the perfect denim to wear at home (and just about anywhere) can end here. Trust us, comfortable jeans do exist, you just have to know where to find them.

Charlotte Diamond, Assistant Market Editor

While I, admittedly, don’t often wear jeans when I WFH, Everlane’s cheeky jean, which I have in two washes, is my go-to comfy pair. They look polished when I stand up, and are as comfortable as my favorite pair of sweatpants when I’m sitting down.

Everlane the ’90s cheeky straight jean

Alexandra Michler, Director, Fashion Initiatives

Although I will always prefer a dress over pants, I wear jeans almost exclusively at home now. I’ve found straight leg denim jeans give just enough structure to feel put together for a work day. I rotate between three pairs, but these ones from Khaite are my favorite. They are long enough for my legs and hit just above the waist. They’re perfect.

Khaite the Kyle straight-cut jean

Madeline Fass, Market Editor

Since we began working remotely, I have waxed poetic not just once, but twice on the site about how I am in full support of wearing jeans at home. For starters I am 100% a pants person and my jean collection takes up a large portion of my wardrobe. I’ll wear any style of jeans really, stiff vintage to baggy boyfriend jeans, but over the past few months, I’ve taken to the pairs in relaxed silhouettes and a worn-in feel. There’s Thakoon’s trouser denim, a sleek wide leg jean that disguises itself as a trouser and comes complete with an elastic waistband—you heard that right. I also love a semi-pleated style from Mother that feels super classic when it comes to a casual denim at home look, thanks to their true Americana blue wash. And lastly, this pair of dark grey Agoldes. Their baggy legs and oversize fit truly rivals sweatpants—they fit as if you intentionally sized up—and their unique criss cross closure gives them the cool, pre-styled touch I crave now that I’ve fallen victim to comfort-first fashion.

Agolde criss-cross upsized tapered jeans

Madeline Swanson, Editor

I am a Mother Denim fiend. And for at-home wear, I am totally obsessed with their elastic-waisted styles. This pair slyly hides the stretch factor in the back so they still feel super polished and can be worn with a tucked-in shirt. They are jeans that are roomy enough for all the strange contorted positions I take on while working from home, yet chic enough to wear proudly at the office when we (eventually) re-emerge. Talk about a win-win!

Mother half spring pleated greaser ankle jean

Rickie De Sole, Executive Fashion Director, Vogue.com

I’ve never worn jeans as much as I have over the past year at home. Every morning, like clockwork, I find myself slipping on a rotation of my favorite jeans with a cozy sweater and a slip-on house shoe. The JBrand Franky jean is a perennial favorite in my closet—the high rise is slimming but not over restricting. They’re comfortable enough to withstand back-to-back Zoom calls and to chase after my children. And the cropped leg is just right for my 5’3” frame.

J Brand Franky cropped high-rise bootcut jeans

Willow Lindley, Accessories Director

My love for these comfortable (without looking comfortable) Gap jeans is already well documented but I can’t help but want to keep spreading the news—especially now that they are under 40 dollars!

Gap Sky High straight-leg jeans

Emily Farra, Senior Fashion News Writer

As an admitted denim hoarder, I’ve always found “comfortable jeans” to be pretty elusive. The jeans I love are, by design, not meant to be comfy: They’re high-rise, 100% cotton, and very snug. Eventually they break in, but I can also accept that they aren’t supposed to feel like leggings! Stretch jeans are not my thing, either; they’re too clingy, they bag out, and they never look like “real denim” to me. Citizens of Humanity’s Anina jeans are the ideal in-between: They’re made of non-stretch denim, but it’s a thinner, softer denim that is truly comfortable, even after a long day of writing on the couch.

Citizens of Humanity Annina trouser jean

Christian Allaire, Fashion and Style Writer

I’m a weirdo who wears jeans almost every day, even if I am not going anywhere. I swear I even think better in them! My go-to is a pair of black Levi’s 501s, which at this point, feel like a second skin to me. Once you break them in, they are so comfortable—promise!

Levi’s black 501 ’93 straight jeans

Mai Morsch, Associate Market Editor

My Frame Le Silvie jeans are my ultimate work from home staple. The high-waisted, straight cut is flattering and polished, but the soft and slightly stretchy denim keeps them shockingly comfortable. If I had to own just one pair of jeans, these would, without a doubt, be them.

Frame Le Sylvie slender straight Freedman jean

Chloe Malle, Contributing Editor

Ok, here’s my secret quaran-hack, my baby is 9 months old but I’m still wearing my maternity jeans. It’s the perfect work-from-home solution: comfort of a legging with the elastic waist but I still feel like I get dressed in the morning. I love the kick flare of this Current Elliott x Hatch pair.

Current Elliott x Hatch the maternity kick-flare crop

Lilah Ramzi, Features and Commerce Editor

In college, I discovered a lot about myself—including which jeans worked for me. Over ten years later, I’m still wearing basically the same exact pair of pants. Black, skinny-legged, very high waisted denim with little stretch by Acne Studios. When worn, I feel like Audrey Hepburn as a beatnik in Funny Face dancing in the cafés of Paris. Their extra-high waist means no fidgeting and re-tucking (blouses and, ahem, skin). Their extra long length means my ankles won’t get cold. And their slight stretch (1% of elastane that makes all the difference) allows me to criss-cross my legs with ease. They look somewhat dressy and can almost pass as a non-denim pair of pants—which is perfect because I seem to be in the extreme minority of people who don’t wear blue jeans.

Acne Studios Melk slim-leg jeans

Daisy Shaw-Ellis, Jewelry Director

There’s something about wearing my denim everyday that has made the work from home dressing-situation feel less like I’m giving up on myself from the waist down. This pair of Frame straight leg jeans are a tried-and-true pair that I wear often. They’re the perfect straight leg: not too slim, not too wide, and not a mom jean. The wash is a true blue that (in my opinion and in my wardrobe) works with everything. And, almost as important as all of the above, they don’t bag out after a couple of wears, a major pet peeve of mine.

Frame Le Nouveau mid-rise straight-leg jeans

Julie Tong, Senior Commerce Editor

I personally abhor wearing jeans at home, but if there’s one pair I’d slip on, it’s my straight leg Wedgie Levi’s. I own it both in blue and white and honestly wear them year round. I love that it has a slight wide-leg feel with a cropped hem which is perfect for my shorter frame. If there’s any pair you buy today, make it this one.

Levi’s Wedgie straight ankle jeans

Ciarra Zatorski, Assistant Market Editor

Transitioning from sweat sets to more socially accepted bottoms has been a daunting task to say the least. And though cozy loungewear continues to make up a majority of my daily wear, these jeans have made “dressing up” much easier in today’s leisure-centric world. Paired with a chunky knit sweater, the balloon cut offers an oversized, sofa-friendly fit while providing that denim fix we’re all longing for.

Agolde balloon high-rise tapered jeans

Laurent Valenti, Senior Beauty Editor

I’d been pining for a pair of Judi Rosen’s old school, high-waisted faded blue flares for years. They’re the stuff of peachy dreams: Sculpting and lifting your bum to the heavens as only a sturdy, extra-high-rise style can. The irony that I finally landed a pair now—a time when soft pants reign supreme—is not lost on me. It takes no less than five minutes to shimmy my way into them and they’re made of a stiff, raw denim that stands in total contrast to lounging, but I’ve relished breaking them in and fantasizing about the day I can take them out on the town. They make me feel alive.

Judi Rosen side-zip sailor jeans in vintage wash

This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Madeline Fass