Prewashed or raw? Slim or wide? Japanese or Scandinavian? We discuss the trustiest item in our wardrobe.

Although the very definition of Everyman, most of us have distinct preferences when it comes to what jeans we wear. You might prefer them made on a vintage shuttle loom in Japan and spend your evenings on message boards discussing exactly how to care for them. Or maybe you’re reading this in a pair of beat-up Levi’s 501s, thinking, “Ain’t broke… why fix it?” Either way, most men find themselves loyal to a certain fit, brand and colour.

Jeans are inimitably comforting; the clothing equivalent of a bowl of pasta. And they feel personal, wearing and washing to fit the body (especially if you’re a raw denim kind of guy), every scuff, tear and crease tells its own little story.

With this in mind, we asked the MR PORTER staff for what they rely on when it comes to their denims. Find out what we had to say, below, and shop what feels familiar. Better still, why not try something new?

“I know lots of people say this about their favourite pair of jeans, but I’ve tried a few brands and styles in my time, and there is no way any other jeans feel quite as lived-in the first time you put them on as Chimala’s. This pair has an incredible treatment and wash, and a wider/ looser leg, which is the cut I prefer.”

“I have a go-to style rather than a specific brand: slim-fit indigo selvedge denim with minimal wash, worn with one full turn-up – made by a denim specialist. I have learnt that Scandinavian brands tend to fit my European frame best. I remember the first pair of Nudie Jeans I bought mainly because they were much more expensive than any I’d got before and thus represented an ‘investment purchase’. I still own that first pair from 2007, but I think jeans look best after about six-to-eight months of regular weekend wear.”

“Coming from a family of tall, lean frames, the narrower and longer my jeans, the better. Regardless of their cool factor, these Saint Laurent jeans fit me perfectly. I particularly like them for the dry, non-stretch denim, meaning over time they will develop a story of lines and unique creases – a reminder of the experiences that came with each wear.”

“In New York we have a saying, ‘Once you go Jean Shop, you never go back.’ I happen to like wearing my raw denim pair with some refined Rubinacci velvet loafers and a Kingsman butchers stripe shirt. Depending what neighbourhood you wear this combo in, you’ll either get slipped a secret handshake or flipped the bird. As you can imagine, I get a lot of both.”

“When it comes to denim, don’t listen to trends. Just dress for your shape. I’d love to wear those roomy, high-waisted jeans that are having such a moment right now, but, since I have long, skinny legs and broad shoulders, I fear I would look as if I’m auditioning to be the host of a popular BBC motoring show. This is why I’ve been rocking the Acne Studios Ace model for a while, and will continue to do so, no matter how many times industry analysts try to tell me that skinny jeans are dead.”

“If I could, I would take out a biannual subscription to these – they are excellently priced, perfectly cut (not too skinny, not too baggy, but tapered at the ankle) and, because they’re based on a classic 501 design, pretty much timeless. They’re available in a range of washes, but I prefer to buy them in basic blue and destroy them myself. Surely that’s part of the fun?”

“With age and physique still (just) on my side, I can continue to enjoy denim that is closely fitted. This is perhaps helped by the forgiving stretch in these Saint Laurent jeans. I’m an impatient man, and not one who likes to ‘break’ jeans in or launder them too often, so a prewashed pair is essential. These are made from superior Italian cotton, so while the initial outlay may seem steep, they’ll pay for themselves in the long run.”