1. Saint Laurent Paris D02 Slim Fit Jeans

Yes, we know—these are not technically “skinny” jeans. They even have “slim fit” in the title. But rest assured, with a hem width of a measly 15 cm, the Saint Laurent D02 are about as thin as you can get. Initially debuted in 2012 following the appointment of former creative director Hedi Slimane, the D02 was the spiritual successor to the Dior Homme 17cm denim the designer introduced in 2000—the design that put his name on the map. Made in Italy out of the finest Japanese denim, the D02 is rockstar personified, Slimane’s skinny aesthetic and psych-rock obsession incarnate. Available in a slew of colorways, the fan favorite—as well as Slimane’s—are the simple black 5-pocket iteration, perhaps his greatest contribution throughout his SLP tenure. While Slimane may no longer work at the label, the “Hedi-era” jeans remain a Grailed favorite.

2. Levi’s 510 Skinny Jean

Levi’s clearly knows a thing or two about jeans, considering it invented the garment. While those original designs were wide and rigid, Levi’s is constantly innovating in order to iterate on contemporary trends. One such result is the 510. The denim giant’s take on the “skinny” silhouette, the 511 features a narrow thigh and leg with a taper below the knee that still evokes the “skinny” feeling without looking unseemly. While Levi’s offers countless iterations of the 510, the simple raw indigo or one wash version are our personal favorites. For those searching for quality denim at a fair price, look no further.

3. Amiri MX1

When Hedi Slimane (temporarily) stepped away from the spotlight following his departure from Saint Laurent Paris, California-based designer Mike Amiri was there to fill the void. Unlike Slimane, who focuses on psych-rock, Amiri is all glam rock and hair metal, with an aesthetic reminiscent of what Axl Rose wore in his heyday. While today the Amiri label has a wide array of denim cuts, the original MX1 jean is still its top seller. While the Amiri aesthetic is divisive—not all men are interested in stretch denim—for those who are fans there is no alternative. Somehow even skinnier than Saint Laurent, the breakthrough jean propelled Amiri to become one of the fastest selling menswear brands in the world. With pleated leather inserts and ample distressing to boot, the Amiri MX1 is not just you favorite rapper’s go to denim, but alarmingly comfortable.

4. Acne Studios Bla Konst North Jean

Before Acne Studios was the face of Scandanavian minimalism, it was founder Jonny Johansson’s denim-centric side project inspired by rock-n-roll. While that is no longer the case, in 2017 the brand attempted to recapture that spirit by launching Bla Konst. Essentially a rebrand of its entire denim division—the company’s number one seller—Bla Konst introduced a whole new range of silhouettes, including the wildly popular North jean. Replacing the now retired “Ace” silhouette, the North is a true skinny jean however features slightly more room in the thigh with a sharp taper. For those with bigger thighs looking for a skinny jean, Acne has been a best-seller for over a decade, and the North is evidence as such.

1. A.P.C. Petit Standard

When Jean Touitou founded A.P.C. in 1987, his concept was to make simple, quality clothing. While no longer novel, back then it was revolutionary. More than 30 years later the brand is considered a pioneer in minimal luxury. Central to his vision was denim, the “standard” jean in particular. While it has gone through several permutations, the latest—the Petit Standard—is now an icon. Available in a multitude of finishes and fabrications, the most revered version is the raw Indigo. At first stiff, after countless wears and washes the pant naturally fades and develops a personality all its own, individual to the wearer. Best of all, the raw jeans mold to shape of the wearer, providing you with the perfect slim silhouette, narrow throughout but still room in the thigh and leg. Though raw denim has waned in popularity, A.P.C. jeans still set the industry standard in terms of designer denim.

2. Rick Owens DRKSHDW Detroit Jeans

While mainline Rick Owens is for many unapproachable, the designer’s DRKSHDW diffusion label is worthy of a second look. Focused primarily on cotton-based wardrobe essentials—denim in particular—DRKSHDW is home to the beloved Detroit jeans. Featuring a straight, darted thigh and a heavy taper below the knee, the Detroit provides all of Owens’ avant-garde ingenuity in a relatively straightforward garment. While traditional blue jeans are available, the heavy waxed iterations are the favorites. Almost resembling leather, the jeans are black as can be and work perfectly with a good boot or high top sneakers. If you’re looking to add some edge to the wardrobe, the Detroit is a great place to start.

3. Levi’s 511 Slim Fit Jean

One of the denim giant’s most popular silhouettes, the 511 is now synonymous with slim fit jeans. Whether it is a made in Japan Levi’s Made & Crafted pair or entry level department store iteration, the shape works for nearly everyone. Slim throughout, the 511 is the idyllic slim fit, the reference for nearly everyone in the industry. Of particular note are the selvedge one wash versions, a premium product at an unrivaled price point.

4. Dior Homme 17cm “Luster” Jeans

Well before his current role at Celine and brief stint at Saint Laurent Paris, Hedi Slimane rose to prominence at the helm of Dior Homme. During his tenure (2000-2007), Slimane arguably paved the way for designer jeans through his patented 19 cm and 17 cm denim. Sourced from Japan and made in Italy, the jeans where a whopping $500 or more—unheard of at the time–and propelled Dior Homme to become the best selling designer menswear brand in the world. Particularly beloved was the 17cm, a slim-straight silhouette with wide thigh and thin throughout the leg. Beyond simply quality denim, the washes were what truly set the jeans apart, especially the “Luster” waxed treatment Slimane employed for the Fall/Winter 2003 menswear collection.

1. Uniqlo U Tapered Jean

Designed by artistic director Christophe Lemaire, Uniqlo U is the Japanese label’s contemporary fashion line merging runway ready designs with the label’s proprietary fabric technology. One of the greatest results it its tapered jeans. While Uniqlo’s denim program is already excellent—try finding Japanese selvedge denim at a similar price point anywhere else—the tapered jean takes things up a notch. Featuring a wide thigh with a strong taper and a slight crop, the jean strikes the perfect middle ground between trousers and denim. Buy them in black, you won’t regret it.

2. Ami Carrot Fit Jean

Designed by Alexandre Mattiussi, Ami is Parisian cool personified. While best known for its outerwear, the label’s trademark “carrot” fit—a semi-wide thigh with an extremely aggressive taper—trousers helped make the label a fashion favorite. Over the past few seasons, Ami introduced a jean in its trademark fit, now one of the best options for anyone in search of tapered jeans. In both a light wash or white, these are perfect for pairing with boots or sneakers.

3. Balenciaga Cropped Jeans

When designer Demna Gvasalia took over creative control at Balenciaga, few knew what to expect. The incendiary former head of the Vetements collective, Gvasalia is a provocateur with a penchant for controversy eager to point out the ludicrous nature of high fashion. Yet, his work at Balenciaga is surprisingly tame in comparison. His succinct menswear collections, while at times outlandish, always include simple wardrobe basics, one of which is denim. From the first collection featuring straight leg black jeans featuring a red painted racing stripe, each Balenciaga season since has a standout jean. For this season, the tapered cropped jeans are it. Perfectly inline with fashion’s current grandad trend, the cropped and wide-on-top slim-on-bottom jeans feature a subtle flare at the hem and devoid of branding are innocuous while simultaneously making a statement. For those looking for a fashion forward designer jean, this is the pant to buy this season.

4. Junya Watanabe x Levi’s 503 Relaxed Fit Jean

Japanese stalwart Junya Wantanabe’s long standing partnership with Levi’s produces some of the best designer denim each and every season. Combining designer Watanbe’s obsession with workwear and Levi’s centuries-long history of denim production, each season the two offer premium designs with subtle tweaks to produce the most premium jeans possible. Of the myriad designs, the customized 503 is a standout. While traditionally a relaxed fit, Junya subtly reworked the legs to create a tapered twist effect, a perfect hybrid between a true taper and straight leg pants. In every fabrication, these fit incredibly well and are one of the best jeans to come out this year.

1. RRL Straight Selvedge Jean

When it comes to American made denim, few can compete with RRL. A combination of vintage Americana reproduction and southwestern motifs, the line—named after Lauren’s RRL ranch in Colorado—has legions of followers across the globe, in large part due to its denim program. Though the brand’s slim jean is more popular, the straight-leg cut is perfect for those looking for a more traditional silhouette. Made of 14oz selvedge and treated with the utmost care, RRL jeans stand the test of time—a silhouette that both you and your great-grandfather can get behind. As men start embracing wider bottoms, RRL is sure to have a resurgence.

2. Helmut Lang Painter Jeans

When Helmut Lang launched his jean line in the ‘90s, the designer aimed to replicate the utilitarian garments he was obsessed with, in this case the Levi’s 501 in particular. The result was a straight leg denim that while counterintuitive to the prevailing fashion trends during the early ‘00s was a smash success, the most notable of which was the infamous Painter denim. A reflection of Lang’s artistic predilections, the jeans were splattered with a rubber based white paint that was both seemingly random and machine washable—a notable technological feat. Since Grailed launched, the Helmut Lang Painter jeans have been a staff favorite, a billboard for those interested in ‘90s archive fashion.

3. Kapital Century Denim

Due to its recent surge in popularity, you may think that Kapital is new to the denim scene. In fact, since the early 1980s, the Okayama based brand has produced some of the most complex and labor intensive denim in not just its native Japan, but the entire industry. The most prominent example is its proprietary Century denim. Made with denim dipped in various shades of indigo and other dyes, each jeans feature rope dyed yarn running perpendicular to the denim via sashiko stitching. The jeans are intended to be worn day-in and day-out, developing an incredible fade that not only discolors, but alters the jeans entirely. While the brand does offer a “slim” version, for those interested in the aesthetic, the original straight leg cut—if worn properly—eventually transforms into something both arcane and beautiful. If you are willing to put in the work, Century denim is some of the most beautiful in the world.

4. Visvim Social Sculpture Denim

The face of Japanese Americana, you would assume Visvim makes incredible denim—and you would be right. Its hallmark Social Sculpture series sits at the heart of the label, a collection of jeans and denim jackets that apply age-old artisanal techniques in new and invigorating ways to produce denim simultaneously authentic and innovative. While there are a number of great Social Sculpture denim options, our personal favorite is the “one wash.” Although they are essentially raw (including all the perks that come with it), the jeans have been washed and treated so they are soft and malleable rather than tough and stiff. A perfect option when buying used pairs in particular, these jeans will be the comfiest pants in your closet, and will age exactly the way they’re supposed to.