6/14/13

Dapper Test Lab: The Hunt for the Perfect White Jeans for Summer


Captain Dapper went on a quest for the perfect white jeans. 

Nothing says summer like white denim. In fact, if you subscribe to fashion rules, summer is the only time for white jeans. After labor day, as they say, white is a no-no. 

When I started shopping around for my own pair of white jeans, I started looking online first. I don't know about you but I have a terrible time pulling the trigger for online clothing purchases. Will it fit? Will I like the cut? I had narrowed it down to three finalists — Gap, J. Crew and Levi's.


And then I did what any sensible Captain Dapper would do — I went to a mall, bought one pair of white jeans from each brand, brought them all home, photographed myself in them and then made a decision. Being Captain Dapper is a lot of work!


Gap 1969 Slim Cut Jeans — $69.95
I like the cut of these jeans - slim legs but still enough wiggle room at the waist (I might be carrying a little extra around my middle from the winter months). The cotton is soft and seems thick. I like that you can't see the pockets through the jeans, which can be a probably with lightweight white pants. Zip fly.

J. Crew 484 Selvedge Jean — $155
For being a slim cut, these jeans still felt a little roomy on me. 29" is the smallest waist size and, while they fit, I'm looking for a slimmer cut. I imagine after wearing them for awhile on a hot day they would start to get baggy and look sloppy. As you can tell in the top photo, they're slightly off-white. Still, I love the texture of these jeans, very soft but still thick and durable. Button fly.

Levi's 511 Slim Fit — Picked up at a local Macy's on sale for $39.99
These jeans have the slimmest fit of all three. The legs taper slightly for an even slimmer look. The waist fits perfectly. The denim is medium weight — thick enough that the pockets aren't visible but thin enough to be comfortable on a hot summer day. Zip fly.

And the winner is ...


The Levi's 511 Slim Fit Jeans! I'll admit it — the price factored prominently in my decision. At $39.99, I could buy three pairs, as opposed to one of the J. Crew pair for $155. I don't want to spend a great deal on these white jeans because, well, they're white jeans. My time frame for wearing them is pretty short and, as a total klutz, I'm not even sure I'll get to wear them more than once or twice before I stain them. I also liked the fit of the Levi's the best — a great skinny fit that's still comfortable.

I might also keep the Gap jeans, actually. I also liked the fit of them and, you know, when I stain the Levi's I'll have a back-up. The J. Crew, unfortunately, will have to go back. All is not lost, for J. Crew, though. I have my eye on this fun Wallace & Barnes Weekender bag.

Images: Jason Loper

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