The old adage that white jeans should never be worn after Labor Day is, frankly, utterly ridiculous. Because the truth is, the best white jeans for men look great year-round. Sure, the style’s natural territory is summer, when—and this is science talking—they actually reflect sunlight, instead of absorbing it like raw blues and near-blacks do. (And unlike those more familiar shades of denim, they also exude an entirely different energy, equal parts retro-, Euro-, and rock-god-coded all at once.) But for me, white jeans truly come into their own when the weather is crummy. Few style moves stick two fingers up to a gloomy climate with more gusto than a pair of ice-whites teamed with a roomy overcoat, some apron-toe lace-ups, and a drizzle-defying scowl.
Wherever and whenever you plan to wear your white jeans, the key to nailing the look is three-fold. First, you need to pick the right pair for the look you’re aiming for, that also suits your body shape. (If stumped, consider the fit of your current favorite jeans.) Second, you need to avoid ketchup, merlot, and mud splatters like the plague (unless you’re going for the scuffed-up, worn-in, Paul-Newman-on-a-dirt-bike vibe). And third, you need to wear them with a wardrobe-load of confidence. Below, our favorite pairs to help you achieve all three.
The Best Men’s White Jeans, According to GQ
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Best White Jeans Overall: Levi’s 501 Original Fit Jeans
In the end, the best blue jeans also turned out to be the best white jeans. You’re probably already familiar with the straight-but-not-baggy fit of the 501s in classic blue, but in white (or, in this case, more of an eggshell, not white-tee-white hue), they take on a whole new dimension, draping your legs like sculpted Swiss meringue. This softness means you can easily dress these up with a linen shirt or down with a faded, lived-in vintage T-shirt—the choice is yours. As a tall man, I especially appreciate the 501 because it comes in a range of leg lengths, including a 36-inch inseam, allowing for that perfect break on the shoe. And in 2025, that subtle drape isn’t just ideal for white jeans. It’s the fit you should be aiming for with all your trousers.
Best White Jeans With Some Stretch: Todd Snyder Vintage Straight Japanese Selvedge Jean
Todd Snyder’s white jeans come interwoven with a touch of elastane for extra comfort, moving seamlessly with you throughout the day and bouncing back after every wash. The trade-off is that they’re a touch less biodegradable, but with a pair as well-cut as these, the goal is to wear them endlessly, right until they’re on their last legs, and never even think about disposal. The mid-rise also adds a sharp edge, making them a natural match for an oversized blazer and loafers. And like all Todd fabrics, they just feel that much more premium.
Best Upgrade White Jeans: Pure Blue Japan Selvedge 5-Pocket Pants
Italy, the United States, and even parts of Wales all may stake a claim as denim’s spiritual home, but any true denimhead knows the finest pairs today come from Japan. Case in point: this pair of ecru (off-white, to you and me) jeans from Pure Blue Japan, and imported by the denim savants over at Blue in Green Soho. Cut for a regular straight fit, they boast a satisfying heft—courtesy of the 14 oz cotton denim—that gives them structure without clinging to your legs. Which is exactly what you want from a more laid-back pair of white jeans. They’re not cheap, but they’ll last you for decades.
Best Bootcut White Jeans: Wrangler Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jeans
You’d need to have been living under an anti-fashion force field to miss Kendrick Lamar wearing a pair of flared Celine jeans at the Super Bowl. If his Marcos are out of your budget and you’re more of a white denim guy (which you probably are if you’ve read this far), give the style a go at Wrangler. The heritage American brand’s Cowboy Cut jeans strike a strong balance between testosterone-charged, ranch-ready style and a polished, espadrilles-in-the-Hamptons aesthetic.
Best Slim-Straight White Jeans: Sid Mashburn Slim Straight Jeans
A wider cut may be having its moment, but it’s not for everyone. If you prefer a slim-straight fit (which is especially flattering on shorter, slighter frames) Sid Mashburn is your brand. Crafted in the USA from premium Cone Mills cotton denim, these jeans come in a versatile range of sizes and pair well with other tailored pieces. Think a crisp linen grandad shirt from Brunello Cucinelli, or a woven leather belt from Drake’s.
More White Jeans We Love
Drake’s Selvedge Denim Five-Pocket Jeans
Studio Nicholson Paolo Denim Pant
Lemaire Twisted Belted Pants
Husbands Flared High-Waisted Jeans
Maison Margiela Frayed Jeans
How We Test and Review Products
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
How We Make These Picks
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there’s bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ’s testing process here.)
