3 pair - 2 straight leg, dark wash and 1 naturally faded by age. I would like to add white jeans, but haven't found the perfect pair yet.

I wear jeans daily in the fall, winter, and spring (I rarely have occasion to wear slacks to work, and pretty much never wear a dress or skirt during cold/snow season because of lack of proper tights and footwear). In the summer I still wear jeans exclusively for a lot of my outdoor activities and for work, but spend casual time in a mix of jeans and shorts/skirts.

I have 3 pair. 2 slim bootcuts from a western wear company in a similar mid blue, and a dark gap bootcut. The 2 that are the same are two different lengths, but except in the summer with sandals or very flat shoes, I can wear either because of the vented bottoms and scrunch that the slim boot style offers. None of them are fabulous, but they all will do until they are worn enough to need replacing, probably sometime near the end of 2014. At that point I might consider trying premium denim.

I have 2 pair that I only wear at home because they are nearly worn through in the butt-- also bootcuts.

A forth pair or a pair of jean-alternatives in a washable fabric (black chinos or ponte skinnies) would really make laundry easier, but I would have to vary my shoe wardrobe first because 4 pairs of bootcuts as the only style has struck me as overkill.

Let's see:
2 pair Gap SBF - one is my size, one is plus one size
1 pair Gap skinnies sized up for a regular, or slightly slouchy, fit
1 pair Gap bootcut
1 pair straight leg Old Navy Diva's
1 pair black denim Levi's 525
1 pair white J.Crew matchsticks (sized up two sizes for regular fit)
1 pair white KUT Catherine BF cropped jeans

The only pair I've ever worn to work are the Gap bootcuts. They are a dark wash and can look dressy with heels.

An aside - where's the cutoff between bootcut and straight leg - whether the hem is wider than the width at the knee?

bootcuts:
dark wash Gap sexy boot, up one size
medium faded Eddie Bauer curvy bootcut, up one size
medium wash Gap vintage flare, up one size
medium wash Old Navy sweetheart bootlegs, in a long

straight:
black Kut from the Kloth, up one size (these might be more bootcut)
dark wash Lucky Brand, sweet jean straight
dark wash Dockers, up one size
medium wash Gap mystery cut, in a long
dark wash Duluth carpenter jeans [nearly gear - for working outside etc. and hiking]
starting to be faded thrifted Lucky jeans
dark wash Eddie Bauer curvy trouser jeans [I used to wear trouser jeans *all the time* but this year I just haven't. I almost regret buying these in my new size. I also got a white pair which I did wear a fair bit in our not-really-summer summer.]

skinnies:
really dark blue jeggings, Gap
dot-pattern, Lee

This is not counting the white jeans and cropped jeans I have packed away; iirc there's about 5 pair. What I'm noticing from looking at the list is that I have way less skinnies than most of you - I used to have more but they all got too big. I still would like a pair of colored skinnies or white/cream ones but I just haven't found anything that works for me. I tend to size up for bootcuts/flares so I can wear them belted, slung a little lower on the hip. What would be interesting to know is how much I'm wearing each pair. I have the instinct that as it's gotten colder I am reaching for my bootcuts/flares more because I'm wearing bulkier tops and boots and such, whereas with thinner tops and low-profile flats I think the straightlegs look more proportional.

I guess you need enough jeans to get you to laundry day, how ever you wash and wear them. I do agree with that guideline that a drawer (or cabinet, refrigerator or purse) functions best when it is no more than 75% full. It's hard to move stuff around to see what you have in there, lol!

I currently have 4 pairs of jeans (up from only one pair last year):
black with leather knee patches
dark wash
medium faded
white

This feels like plenty to me.

I think you are so right about footwear.The BF's that can be rolled, or straights that can scrunch, go well with summer flats or oxfords or tennie's, but in the winter they are hard to mix with more substantial footwear--I keep sayin', bootcuts are for... boots! If you're not tucking skinnies into tall boots, that is. The options for mini-boot cuts helps if a lower profile is desired and I did have one pair of mini-bootcuts that worked with both boots, and scrunched over flats.

So, even a selfom-jeans-wearer like me finds that it can take several pairs in order to create even a couple of go-to denim outfits in different seasons.
But, I'm finally seeing the strategy for me, which is truly all about the footwear I expect to wear with them.

Laura, for these kinds of questions, I always feel the answer is no, you don't have too many, so long they are all in regular rotation.

Recently I decided I wanted to know how much of my stuff gets regular wear. On October 9 I made a list of everything in my closet (excluding gear) and I've kept daily track of things since then. I have 12 pairs of jeans. So, in the last month and a half, I can see that I've worn every single pair at least once. Many have been worn three times. My dark wash straight legs "win" at six wears. 12 pairs may sound like a lot, but I'm a MOTG and a full-time art school student. Jeans are in heavy rotation! I feel like I could even add a pair or two and they would definitely get worn.

You could try something similar, to see which pairs you're wearing, and how often. But if you're a "jeans gal" then 13 pairs is probably not too many.

I currently own 18 pairs of jeans/trousers. I am not a skirt or dress gal and sport jeans most of the time. Every now and then I will wear a pair of trousers just to mix things up. Recently I've realized that 5 pairs per season works for me (third week recap of challenge is here). I haven't figured out yet how many different seasons worth of jeans I need. I'm guessing 2, because I do like a white pair in spring/summer months and I notice in winter months I sport more skinnies so I can tuck them with tall boots.

I wear jeans 100 percent of the time!

I have:

I Chimala denim ankle jeans (wide straight leg) (light wash)
1 APC petit new standard raw denim (straight slim cut) (very dark)
1 APC petit standard washed denim (virtually a skinny) (medium wash)
1 NSF Beck jean (loose and slight slouch) (light and distressed)
1 J Brand black denim ace boyfriend (tapered and slouchy)

There is also a bag in the back of the top of my closet with about 7 pairs…including cut offs……mostly Levi's and APC's...that are a size too small but can't part with yet. I did a weight gain this spring! I've regretted having gotten rid of some of my favorites in the past due to the same situation. But I did give away five pairs of too small ones…to three different people...this fall! So except for the Chimalas, I have purchased all the other four since May/June.

I am VERY happy with just these five. They really meet all my denim needs and shoe situations too. If I have fewer, I can invest some more money in them, even though the last two I got at 40 percent off and one of the APC's came used from the thrift store. One thing I have learned is not to wash my denim too frequently…some I have never washed. They last a whole lot longer!

On the question of too many…it's pretty individual, isn't it? And depends a lot on lifestyle and means too…and closet space! And even though I'm happy with what I have, you know if I see one I love, I'll be adding it to my collection!

Runcarla…your remark about looking for the right white jean made me think of this article I read recently on Tonne Goodman: http://jeanstories.com/the-sto.....aight-leg/

Thanks Judy! Neat article (and I'll have to check out those brands.) below, my inspiration pic.

Oh that's a good inspiration pick, Runcarla!

Jeans are like fashion comfort food for me. Currently I have five pairs. 2 boyfriend jeans which are exact duplicates, 2 skinny jeans (one ankle length and one full length), and one pair of what I call trouser jeans.

I currently own 2.5 pairs of pants that fit (0.5 is red skinny jeans that aren't comfy for sprawling and crawling on the floor any more), so my numbers are way skewed. One pair of dress pants I also wear at home and my maternity jeans which adjust back to a postpartum waist. Heh!

When jeans were daily wear, I had about 7 pairs. Mostly variations on blue with difference degrees of fade though. Not a great deal of variety in silhouette: straight or bootcut. Couple of heights. It avoided the laundry bottleneck because I don't wear more than twice before washing... I'm a messy being.

I was just shopping for jeans yesterday and thinking...

1 pair dark was skinny (Levi's)
1 pair medium wash skinny (Banana Republic, on sale for $20)
1 pair dark wash boot cut (Levi's again)
2 pair boyfriend jeans from loft (medium wash and white)

That's it. I purged a few pair recently.

Yesterday I found a pair of medium wash straight leg (Lucky) and dark wash also straight leg (NYDJ) at The Rack.

My office allows jeans on Fridays, but I alternate wearing cords, cargo skinnys, etc.

I wear denim a lot and in my mind I thought I had many pairs, but when it gets right down to it, I have only four pairs of denim in heavy rotation (along with my skinny black Paige cargos):

- grey skinny Kut from the Kloth
- dark wash JCrew matchstick (straight)
- white JCrew matchstick
- medium-dark Gap BF

And I just picked up a pair of bootcuts (Citizens) from consignment that I will wear occasionally -- but they were not an ideal purchase, because although they fit everywhere they are only long enough for flat boots.

Hmmm. Maybe I need more?????

I have only 3 pairs. I'd like more, but I rarely prioritize jeans buying because I only get to wear them a few times a week. The rest of the time, I'm in work clothing or bumming around the house in yoga pants/lounge wear.

I wear jeans almost all the time, but at the moment I don't really have enough. Recently I seem to have bought jeans that aren't very durable, and I have managed to put holes in my "nice" pair of shorter-length jeans.

Rough inventory:
- 2 bootcuts in different washes, both hemmed for a heel
- 1 black pull-on skinny jeans, which are a bit meh but will do in a pinch
- 1 pair bootcuts in a length suitable for flats, but they have faded in strange ways and stretch out after an hour or so and look very sloppy
- 1 pair "frankenjeans" which I made by combining two pairs of holey jeans (strictly for wearing around the house)
- 1 pair white bootcuts, mainly for summer

I would like some straight legs that look ok with flats or sneakers, and maybe some cords, though I'm not sure what color would be best. And although I've been a die-hard bootcut fan I'm actually starting to get tired of the ankle flapping. Perhaps a slightly narrower ankle would do the trick. I'm still not sold on skinny jeans -- they just look wrong on me.

I also have some burgundy flares, black bootcuts with sparkles on the butt, wide legs, grey bootcuts and a pair of dark wash trouser jeans. All of these have some fit problem or other -- too big, a bit short, wrong rise, comically enormous flares. They were all either (cheap) eBay gambles or were slow to show their faults, so if I get ambitious I might be able to do some alterations.

Years ago, I once had over 20 pairs (denim lover!) but over the years, I've had such a hard time finding flattering denim on me. My current count is still probably high..

1 Straight leg Levis (doubles as skinnies)
1 Boot cut - Ann Taylor
1 Boot cut - Lands' End
1 Flare - Levis
1 Wide leg Trouser - Ann Taylor
1 boyfriend crop - Old Navy (perpetually baggy on me, always need a belt)
1 Skinny Jean - Old Navy (Also perpetually baggy, so unflattering, donating soon!)
1 Banana Republic Flare - Favorite jeans, but are wearing really thin. Must retire immediately.
1 Gap 1969 Boot Cut - Small in the thighs, but I still maintain one day they'll fit (they won't ever fit me... they have what I call "Gap Small Thigh Syndrome").

In my perfect denim wardrobe, I'd have 3 rinses of each flattering fit. Faded, Blue and Dark indigo. In real life, I'm lucky to find the very few pairs that I own that fit me! I want so badly to have a pair of locally made raw selvedge denim, but finding a pair to fit curvy just ain't happening.

I have 13 pairs. Five of them are in regular rotation and get worn at least once a week each. Eight of them are colored, Long and Lean or white jeans that aren't getting as much love right now due to the season. I may need to purge my purple and red pairs. I haven't worn them in over a year. I'm also thinking about duplicating one pair of medium wash skinnies and upgrading my black pair because the old ones are getting worn.

Let's see...

Straight-legged denim jeans include:
2 brown print
3 dark blue
2 medium gray
1 black

Straight-legged cotton sateen pants, styled like jeans, include:
2 khaki
1 dark brown

Mini bootcut jeans include:
1 dark forest green

Bootcut jeans include:
1 dark gray
2 blue
1 dark brown

The bootcut jeans only get worn on the weekends because they're not long enough to wear with the higher-heeled boots and shoes I wear to work.

I used to not wear nearly so many jeans, but I work in a cold office where the attire is casual, so I've accumulated more. I just make sure to wear dressier tops, accessories and shoes/boots so that my overall look is still business-like and professional.

After our helpful discussion here, I've pulled out a few of my snugger straight-leg jeans and put them away for the spring. This leaves me with about 10 jeans, which fills my jean drawer about three-quarters full when they're all clean, perfect for rummaging and it lowers my anxiety about too much stuff. I'm assuming I'll swap the straight-legs for some of the bootcuts once it gets warmer and I stop wearing boots so much of the time.

And as a result of this thread, I went shopping last week with my birthday money, and tried on many pairs of jeans. I did buy one pair but after wearing them around the house today for a while I think that I am going to take them back and get the ones I tried on in another store.

The ones in my normal size were just far too big, so I bought a size smaller, but they didn't stretch out like I was expecting and were just a smidge too tight in the waist. The annoying thing is that this pair is much nicer quality denim than the ones at the other store, but the fit was better in the other pair. Sigh. I wish manufacturers would stop using that crappy thin denim.

Hum... I could not live without jeans. Currently I have:

4 pairs of Lauren Ralph Lauren straight leg corduroy jeans (2 black, 2 navy) - for anything dressier than lounging or local errands during the winter when it's really cold
2 pairs of Chico's medium blue boyfriend jeans - around the house and local errands... the ones I reach for first thing in the morning
2 pairs of straight leg Chico's jeans (1 black and one navy) - looking to replace these before spring, hopefully with better quality
2 pairs of white Kut form the Kloth jeans - for summer. My all-time favorites!