7 Best Light Wash Jeans For Men

man wearing light wash jeans in front of a yellow wall

Introduction

There are so many options to choose from when it comes to styling your outfit for the day. The men’s fashion game is so diverse with so many unique styles that it can get challenging to find the perfect wardrobe for you. One component of that wardrobe is your bottoms, and one of the most popular bottoms is men’s jeans. In this article, we will explore the many different types of jeans options available for men today. Then, we’ll dive into seven of the best light wash jeans on the market to help you find the perfect pair that fits you best! Let’s get started.

Straight Leg Jeans

The first type of jeans we have for you today is straight-leg jeans. In this denim classic, “the silhouette runs straight from the hips down through the legs,” says GQ. Their fit is not too tight but not too relaxed, either. According to The Denim Shop, these jeans can “be cuffed more easily than boot cut jeans” when you want to go for a different look. It can be an effective way to level up your outfit for the day. It’s important to note that the term straight cut refers to the shape of the cut of the jean, not the width of the cut itself. That means you can have both relaxed and slim-fit straight jeans. Work Wear Command says that this look has “often been hailed as a classic fit for men,” You can wear them in casual and more formal environments.

With More Denim

Here is one way to wear your straight-leg jeans, courtesy of Style Caster: with more denim! It is a stylish way to show off your straight-leg jeans by accentuating them with a denim top. Be careful, though. It could be too much if you don’t wear this combination correctly.

Nod To The Past

According to Thread.com, another effective way to style your straight jean is by giving the nod to the past. They feel that these jeans give off a 90s vibe, so it’s best to pair them with other clothes that compliment that essence. Their best advice is to “think chunkier shoes and classic tees and knits.”

Stay Loose

The final style tip for straight-leg jeans is to use “looser fitting layers.” The goal is to offer some balance between the bottom and top of your outfit.

The Slim Fit Jean

The following classic type of jeans that we’ll be looking at is the slim-fit jean. According to Macy’s, the slim jean is “slender from the hip to the ankle.” Many people get confused about the critical differences between slim and skinny jeans. Uniqlo has some valuable insights on the topic. They say that “skinny jeans sculpt to the shape of the figure” and are tight.

On the other hand, the “slim fit jeans have narrow leg openings,” but they do not flap or even flair out. Another critical difference between the two jeans is that skinny jeans are more restrictive than slim-fit jeans. Some models of slim fits have tapered leg designs, while the skinny jean is straight. DMarge states that the slim jean can follow the contour of your legs to form a lovely silhouette without strangling your lower half. This excellent fit means that you can wear skinny jeans with fitted tees to collared shirts and casual suits.

The Bootcut Jean

The final type of jeans that we’ll be looking at is another popular style: bootcut jeans. Masterclass says that “bootcut jeans flare out slightly at the ankle.” It makes them pair especially well with ankle boots. LeafTV offers an insightful history of bootcut jeans. They say that this style of jeans “became part of the working outfit for American sailors during the 20th century.” The bootcut later rose in popularity during the 1990s, after bellbottoms and skintight jeans lost their appeal.

Here are a few ways to style your bootcut jeans:

  • Try a retro outfit
  • Keep it business casual with a cardigan, blazer, or hoodie
  • Pair them with cowboy boots

Reviewing The Best Light Wash Jeans

Now that we’ve taken some time to analyze the different kinds of jeans let’s move on to the main topic of this article: reviewing light wash jeans. The goal is to find the best jeans for your unique fashion taste and style. We’ve handpicked seven of the best light wash jeans available today. We’ll give you a brief description of each one, what its unique value adds are, and analyze its ratings and reviews. Here are the seven pairs of light wash jeans that we’ll review:

  • Levi Strauss & Co. Gold Label Men’s Regular Fit Flex Jeans
  • Amazon Essentials Men’s Slim-fit Stretch Jean
  • Wrangler Authentics Men’s Classic 5-Pocket Relaxed Fit Flex Jean
  • Wrangler Men’s 13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jean
  • Wrangler Men’s 0936 Cowboy Cut Slim Fit Jean
  • Levi’s Men’s 510 Skinny Fit Jeans
  • Levi’s Men’s 512 Slim Taper Fit Jeans

Let’s get started!

Men's Regular Fit Flex Jeans
$25.96

by Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. Gold Label 

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11/29/2023 09:26 am GMT

1. Levi Strauss & Co. Gold Label Men’s Regular Fit Flex Jeans

The first pair of light wash jeans that we’ll review is by Signature, a subsidiary brand of Levi Strauss and Co. Gold Label. This light wash jean is 88% Cotton, 11% Polyester, and 1% Elastane. All materials used in its production are imported. It’s available in two fit sizes: standard and regular. It also comes in eight different color variations: roadside, medium indigo, titan, Westwood, light stonewash, rinse, sterling, and mack. As one would expect, these light wash jean also comes in various sizes, ranging from 28 width to 52 width and 30 length to 34 length. It is machine washable and offers all-day comfort and authentic denim style.

It is rated 4.6 stars out of 5 stars from 25,493 global ratings. That breaks down to 75% five-star reviews, 15% four-star reviews. 5% three-star reviews, 2% two-star reviews, and 3% one-star reviews. One customer felt these were “nice jeans” and that they “loved the fit, color, fabric, [and] price.” Another consumer was not so pleased with their purchase. They bought four pairs of these light wash jeans, all of which “developed a hole at the corner of the back pocket.” It rendered the jeans unwearable. Finally, this happy customer said these jeans were “very comfortable” and fit true to size.

Men's Slim-Fit Stretch Jean

by Amazon Essentials 

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2. Amazon Essentials Men’s Slim-Fit Stretch Jean

The next pair of jeans we have for you come courtesy of Amazon Essentials, and they are slim-fit stretch light wash jeans. They are 99% cotton and 1% elastane, both of which are imported materials in this case. These jeans have a whopping 19 color options and 65 size options. The colors available are a light wash, medium blue, light khaki brown, black, medium wash, olive, dark blue vintage, sage green, rinsed, dark indigo, vintage wash, over-dye blue, dark wash, washed black, dip-dye blue, indigo washed, bright white, light blue vintage, and dark khaki brown. The size options range from 28 width to 42 width and 28 length to 34 length. These classic 5-pocket slim-fit jeans are crafted with a bit of stretch for additional comfort and help maintain their shape over time.

It is rated 4.3 stars out of 5 stars from 19,819 global ratings. That breaks down to 65% five-star reviews, 17% four-star reviews. 8% three-star reviews, 4% two-star reviews, and 6% one-star reviews. Joshua Grasso, who bought the dark wash color of these jeans, said they were “great, affordable jeans” and were pleased with the variety in size options. Another customer felt that Amazon Essentials “hit a home run” with these “fantastic jeans.” However, not all the reviews were positive. This displeased consumer felt these light wash jeans were “garbage,” wishing he could give the pair a zero star rating. He was particularly unhappy with the “terrible quality” and the inconsistent sizing. He bought three pairs in the same size that all fit differently.

Authentics Men's Classic 5-Pocket Relaxed Fit Flex Jean
$31.18

by Wrangler 

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11/29/2023 09:11 am GMT

3. Wrangler Authentics Men’s 5-Pocket Relaxed Fit Flex Jean

This pair of light wash jeans were by Wrangler, a leading American jeans manufacturer. They are 99% cotton and 1% spandex, both imported materials. It has 11 different color options and an unreal 84 different size options. Those colors are stonewash, black, bleached denim, dark stonewash, dark, light stonewash, midnight, military blue, slate, vintage blue-grey, and khaki. The size variations range from 28 width to 60 width and 30 length to 36 length. This pair of jeans are machine washable. It features a relaxed fit style that rests naturally at the waist and makes for incredibly comfortable wear. Wrangler claims these jeans have durable materials built to last for years. It offers a five-pocket styling: a watch pocket, two front scoop pockets, and three back patch pockets.

Let’s get into the ratings and reviews for this pair of Wrangler light wash jeans. It is rated an average of 4.6 stars out of 5 stars from 41,984 global ratings. It breaks down to 76% five-star reviews, 15% four-star reviews. 5% three-star reviews, 2% two-star reviews, and 3% one-star reviews. One customer who bought the military blue pair of these jeans was delighted with their purchase. They said these are “sharp-looking” jeans with a “great fit.” Another customer was not so happy with them. The pair they bought seemed to come with uneven dye, which left lines or whiskers on the upper portion of the jeans. They said they had never seen such an uneven color on jeans and disliked this pair.

Men's 13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jean
$46.07

by Wrangler 

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11/29/2023 09:02 am GMT

4. Wrangler Men’s 13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jean

The next piece of denim that we’ll be reviewing is also a pair of jeans made by Wrangler: the 13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jean. Unlike any jeans we’ve seen, this pair is 100% imported cotton, with effective zipper closure. One similarity they share with the jeans we’ve reviewed thus far is that this pair is also machine washable. They feature an original fit style that has functionality in mind. It’s catered towards cowboys, as Wrangler states that these jeans have comfort for long days in the saddle. These jeans have the most diverse size options we have seen thus far, with 127 different choices. These range from 27 width to 54 width and 30 length to 44 length. They are also available in 12 different colors: gold buckle bleach, dark stone, rigid indigo, black chocolate, pre-washed indigo, white, shadow black, antique wash, stonewashed, indigo, grey, and tan.

Now let’s look at the ratings for this pair of light wash jeans. They have rated an average of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars from 28,377 global ratings. It breaks down to 75% five-star reviews, 13% four-star reviews. 5% three-star reviews, 3% two-star reviews, and 5% one-star reviews. What about the reviews? One consumer said they got the “best bang for [their] buck” with these jeans. Another said they are “amazingly comfortable” jeans that fit extremely well.”

Men's 0936 Cowboy Cut Slim Fit Jean
$49.05

by Wrangler 

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11/29/2023 08:56 am GMT

5. Wrangler Men’s 0936 Cowboy Cut Slim Fit Jean

This pair of light wash jeans are, yet again, another one by Wrangler. They have a massive reach within the jeans niche! It’s the 0936 Cowboy Cut Slim Fit Jean. This pair of jeans uses 100% imported cotton as its core material. Unlike the last cowboy jeans from Wrangler, which were original fit, this pair is a slim fit style. Wrangler says they made these jeans with function and comfort in mind, tailored explicitly towards authentic cowboys. They also state that this pair of jeans are worn by world champions and is a tried and true classic. The size ranges from 28 length to 44 length, and 30 length to 38 length. That means there are a whopping 86 size options available to select. This pair of light wash jeans are also available in 15 different color options: gold buckle bleach, rigid indigo, pre-washed indigo, shadow black, rough stone, dark stonewash, stonewashed, black chocolate, white, black whiskey, charcoal grey, night-fire, trail dust, pre-washed tan, and antique wash. It should be machine washed with like colors only and tumble dried on low.

It is rated 4.4 stars out of 5 stars from 12,679 global ratings. That breaks down to 72% five-star reviews, 12% four-star reviews. 7% three-star reviews, 3% two-star reviews, and 7% one-star reviews. One happy consumer said that these jeans “fit great” and “look great too.” Another customer was not pleased, stating that they were “disappointed” with these Wrangler jeans. They felt these jeans were inconsistent with sizing, as two identical pairs fit them differently.

Men's 510 Skinny Fit Jeans
$39.99

by Levi's 

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11/29/2023 08:51 am GMT

6. Levi’s Men’s 510 Skinny Fit Jeans

The next jeans we’ll be reviewing are by Levi’s, one of the most popular jean brands of all time. These are the 510 Skinny Fit Jeans. This pair of light wash jeans are 70% cotton, 28% lyocell, and 2% elastane. Each of those materials is imported. This piece of denim sits naturally at the waist and is skinny through the seat, thigh, and legs. It features advanced stretch technology engineered to deliver maximum flex and optimum comfort. These jeans come in an unbelievable 27 different color options – too many for us to list out here. The size ranges from 26 length to 42 length, and 29 length to 34 length. They are also machine washable.

Now let’s look at the ratings for this pair of light wash jeans. They have rated an average of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars from 6,384 global ratings. It breaks down to 75% five-star reviews, 12% four-star reviews. 6% three-star reviews, 2% two-star reviews, and 5% one-star reviews. How about the reviews? This happy customer said that these jeans have a “great style” and are now his “favorite pair” of pants. Another pleased consumer said these jeans have “perfect stitching” and a “perfect dye job.”

Men's 512 Slim Taper Fit Jeans
$41.70

by Levi's 

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11/29/2023 08:46 am GMT

7. Levi’s Men’s 512 Slim Taper Fit Jeans

The last pair of light wash jeans we will review today is another one by Levi’s: the 512 Slim Taper Fit Jeans. These jeans are 79% cotton, 20% polyester, and 1% elastane; this is a relatively common ratio of imported materials in jeans. Unlike the last pair we looked at, these jeans feature a slim taper fit style. That means they are slim through the seat and thigh, have tapered legs, and sit just below your waist. They are machine washable, as well. These jeans come in 40 different color options and have 38 size options. They also feature the same advanced stretch technology to bring you mobility and comfort when you wear them.

These jeans are rated 4.6 stars out of 5 stars from 8,456 global ratings. The breakdown is 77% five-star reviews, 12% four-star reviews, 5% three-star reviews, 2% two-star reviews, and 4% one-star reviews. One customer said these are the “perfect pair of jeans” that “fit great.” Another happy buyer said they are a “massive fan” of the stretch technology and that these are “pretty great jeans.”

Conclusion

There we go! Now you know some of the most popular styles of jeans, and you have style tips on how to wear them best. Finding the perfect pair of light wash jeans for you can be a challenging task. It takes time, research, and experimentation to finally land on the right pair of jeans. We hope this article offered some valuable insight on which pair of light wash jeans is genuinely the best.

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