We all have a favourite pair of jeans — soft, worn in just right, with the perfect amount of stretch to hug all your curves. But with prices that can range from $20 to $500, how much do you really need to spend on the perfect pair?

Stylist and fashion writer Ingrie Williams is a denim fanatic who says she can be found wearing jeans 99 percent of the time. When Williams is on the hunt for reasonably priced, good-quality denim, her go-to stores are Levi’s, The Gap, and more recently, Topshop, and the pairs she buys usually fall within the $80–120 range. Her current favourites are Levi’s straight-cut wedgie jeans, which cost her $98 plus tax, and a pair of wide-leg white jeans from H&M that cost $40.

“You should shop what your budget allows. If you can splurge on a pair of $300 jeans that you love and fits you amazingly, then I think you should do that because the cost per wear is going to be very beneficial,” says Williams. “But there’s lots of great denim on the market that is in that $100-and-under range that looks just as good.”

According to Expatistan, a global cost of living calculator, the average price of jeans in Toronto is $76, compared to $64 in Montreal and $78 in Vancouver. But Williams says it still may be worth spending more than these averages to get that long-lasting fabric and proper fit. While it may seem like a smarter financial decision to opt for the pair that’s $40 over $100, if the pricier one keeps its shape and colour longer, it’s clearly a better buy. And if you’re looking to really splurge with a $200–$400 pair, make sure to pick a classic style that will remain a staple in your wardrobe for years.

But cost and fit aren’t the only factors to consider. Jo Jin, a Toronto-based stylist, says that in some cases, jeans may be pricier if they are ethically and sustainably produced, and this would make paying a bit more worth it.

The denim industry is notorious for being unsustainable. According to a 2015 Levi’s study, 2,912 litres of water are used to produce an average pair of jeans, and many denim factories have also been caught dumping dyes and chemicals into surrounding bodies of water. But now, there are more and more brands — including Everlane, Outland, and the Quebec-made Yoga Jeans — that have adopted sustainable production practices for a few or all of their products.

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