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When Brooke Shields filmed her infamous Calvin Klein jeans ad in 1980, she was only 16 years old. The ads were controversial at the time because of her age, her proximity to perfection, and the overt sexualization captured on camera. Forty-five years later, most of us would like to think that advertising has progressed, even if we’re living in another excess-happy Boom Boom era. So the fact that another American denim brand would remake—pretty much verbatim—these ads, let alone with a blond-haired, blue-eyed actress cooing about “good genes,” is a surprise.
Or maybe it’s not. Perhaps Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign, which kickstarted a thousand thinkpieces when it dropped last week, was a big old troll—a diabolical marketing ploy aimed at amassing pageviews and a few million dollars in jean sales. If so, it worked: The ads caught the president’s attention, and the company’s stock is up tenfold. The discourse about American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney is raging on, with viewpoints that range from absolutely disgusted to “Who cares?”
So what can you actually do about this? Well, for starters, you can get off YouTube and shop smarter. Sweeney spon-con hell aside, there’s actually never been a better time to invest in American-made denim brands. The labels below aren’t about perfection or rage bait—they’re about great style, no matter who you are or what you look like.
Some are size-inclusive, many are locally made, and all of them empower their consumers to look and feel their best, whatever that means to them. There are independent labels like The Only Jane and 6397 that offer the coolest cuts of vintage-inspired denim, along with bigger brands like Good American and Universal Standard that have perfect washes and fits for all.
Read on for our list of cool, covetable American denim brands that you can feel good about supporting.
The Sally Jean
Former fashion writer and editor (and alum of Gap and Theory) Jane Herman launched her independent label The Only Jane in 2020. Her jeans are all made in local factories in L.A. and they run up to a size 31.
$410.00 at theonlyjane.com
Annina Straight Leg Jeans
Citizens of Humanity offers denim made with regenerative cotton and eco-indigo dyes. The label also has its own magazine, “Humanity,” which focuses on its Regenerative Cotton Program and other sustainability initiatives around the world.
$238.00 at nordstrom.com
Cropped Roomy Jeans
Stella Ishii’s New York City-based label has long been the IYKYK jean brand for cool creatives. Ishii designs looser cuts and fits meant for a range of body types.
$325.00 at bergdorfgoodman.com
Everyday Relaxed Jeans
Another New York-based denim label that is redefining the way we wear American denim. Their 100% cotton styles are meant to be, according to their site, “ripped, faded, patched, and handed down.” Sizes run from a 23 – 32, denoted in their online denim style guide.
$280.00 at bergdorfgoodman.com
The Insider Bootcut Jeans
Launched in 2010 buy Lela Becker and Tim Kaeding, Mother denim has an effortless, covetable approach to California-cool jeans. A lot of their styles have a nice bit of stretch and range in size from 23 – 24.
$258.00 at nordstrom.com
Good Relaxed Barrel Jeans
Affordable and size-inclusive, Good American has become a go-to denim brand for millions.
$71.55 at nordstrom.com
501® ’90s Relaxed Straight Leg Jeans
Levi’s will always be tride-and-true–America’s original denim label that remains a constant in the conversation while striving to evolve further into the future of fashion.
$98.00 at nordstrom.com
Le Slim Palazzo Jeans
Though they’ve expanded their roster to include more ready-to-wear, Frame will always be known for its jeans—comfortable, cool, easy to wear, and diverse in cuts and shapes.
$268.00 at saksfifthavenue.com
London Straight-Leg Jeans
Another locally made L.A. label, Slvrlake has some of the best fitting jeans around. They’ve also mastered the vintage-inspired wash.
$289.00 at bergdorfgoodman.com
Charlie Sailor Jeans
Alexandra Waldman and Polina Veksler founded Universal Standard in 2015. Since then, they’ve been building a conscious, truly size-inclusive label that includes both ready-to-wear and denim at perfect prices.
$148.00 at nordstrom.com
Lasso Slim Cropped Jeans
Named for the B Side of a record where “the deep cuts live,” this denim label has become a cult-favorite of cool fashion girls.
$385.00 at bergdorfgoodman.com
Kacey Cuffed Straight Jean
Based in L.A., Pistola denim was founded by Grace Na in 2013. The label offers accessible price points and a range of styles defined by one of Pistola’s tag lines: “Clothing for women going places.”
$188.00 at pistoladenim.com
The 90s Jeans
Covetable, eco-minded label Re/Done offers vintage-inspired denim, some of which is made via upcycling.
$295.00 at bergdorfgoodman.com
DT Metallic Gold Script 501 Selvedge
Founded by Tremaine Emory in 2019, Denim Tears focuses its storytelling on the African Diaspora. Emory’s “Wreath” jeans have become a collectable fashion item over the last few years and soon, he’ll open a store in Tokyo–his first outside the U.S.
$255.00 at denimtears.com
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