I am an absolute yay on jeans!

One thing that Angie did not mention is care: I love that jeans are machine washable (I am not a stick-them-in-your-freezer purist), and while that does degrade the color over the long term, jeans looks better than other pieces as they wear and they don't need ironing. I find other fabrics simply much more finicky to care for.

Below are all of the jeans I've been wearing regularly this year. They all have a little stretch, but I'm like Angie and don't like to go too high over 2% spandex. I'm also a devotee of J Crew's high-waisted Tencel jeans, which are very soft and hold up throughout the day. (I have three dupes in rotation in my wardrobe now.)

For me, dark wash jeans are just the right balance between dressy and casual, structured and stretchy. I do wear other things, but these are wardrobe essentials for me.