There’s no article of clothing more American than blue jeans. Initially an inexpensive garment created for factory workers (and soon embraced by cowboys), the “waist overall” is now a universal wardrobe staple that can easily cost two or three hundred bucks. Among the Texas outfitters featured here, that price reflects premium materials, creative cuts and stitching, and small-scale, labor-intensive production—all part of a commitment to long-lasting, impeccably crafted denim pants, in styles that vary from old-school work wear to lean rock-and-roll silhouettes.
1. Most of the pieces from Austin-based Traveller Denim, founded by Selenia Rios and Erik Untersee, are custom-made, but ready-to-wear options are also available. This fall their line of selvage denim items is expanding to include jackets, work shirts, and women’s styles.
From $225; travellerdenim.com
2. Whether bespoke or off-the-rack, every pair of skinny jeans from Houstonite-by-way-of-Belgium Diane Izzedin has these signature elements: 2 percent elastin for the perfect amount of give and thick Number 10 gold zippers for an industrial vibe.
From $250; vodboutique.com
3. Austin’s Richard Cole gets a third of the fabric for his Paleo Denim men’s jeans from Plains Cotton Cooperative, in Lubbock. Cole works in limited batches and does all the sewing himself; he’s currently taking pre-orders for his next batch, due in January.
From $235; paleodenim.com
