Most people have already solved their jeans. The fit is chosen, the wash is chosen, and the pair gets worn twice a week. What actually varies is what goes above, and that is where an outfit either works or looks unconsidered. Denim is a heavy, textured fabric with a visible weave, so it takes contrast well: something fine and smooth on top reads better than another heavy cotton. A silk camisole, a fine knit or a poplin shirt all give the eye a change of surface. A thick sweatshirt over jeans gives it nothing, which is why that combination always looks like a day off.

The one denim decision worth revisiting is where the hem falls, because it changes with the shoe. A wide-leg jean that works over a boot will drag over a flat. If you wear both, a slight break is the safest compromise. Above the waist, tucking is the fastest way to change the outfit: a tucked fine knit makes jeans read as dressed, untucked reads casual, and a half tuck usually reads as neither. Where the denim is dark and clean, it will take a jacket and a heel without looking out of place, so keep one pair unfaded for that.

We stopped buying jeans and started buying the things that go with them, which improved how often the jeans got worn. The single most useful addition is something fine and plain in a light colour, because it lifts a dark denim in a way another dark layer never will. We would also say to own one pair with no distressing and no fade. It costs nothing extra and it is the pair you can wear to something that matters. If you take one thing away, it is to spend the attention above the waist, since the jeans are already doing their part.