Levi's originals

Lisa Mulhall of Delray Beach, Florida, swears by Levi's jeans. "I have loved Levi's jeans since I was a teenager. Nothing fits as well or makes me feel as good," she says.

Her favourite style is the original 501 button fly - she owns 3 pairs. "They are perfect for my favourite shopping - antiquing," she says.

In the above picture, Lisa wears Levi's 552 midrise straight leg jean, which whe also loves despite their slightly pricier tag of $69.50.

It's all in the pockets

Cindy Crebsbech Boca Raton, Fla, is wearing Tag jeans that she bought for $176. "I have never liked jeans for my body, but the pockets on these give a new look," she says.

Loyal to her brand

Tiffany West of Tacoma, Wash, says the only brand of denim she will wear is 7 for All Mankind, and she owns 20 pairs of their designer jeans.

"I love their jeans. I don't own any other brand but 7's. The fit is perfect for my body shape and size. I also know that no matter what they will look good on me," she says.

Tiffany says she has not splurged on jeans since being unemployed in January, not because she can't afford them, but because she already has so many pairs. "I find it worth every penny for jeans that fit and flatter," she says.

No overalls or acid wash

Norman Hawley of Andover, Mass, purchases a new pair of jeans about every two years. Old jeans get demoted to yard work or snow shoveling, making the style eligible for purchase once again.

Although he says he is not too particular about style and allows his wife to influence his clothing choices, Norman acknowledges that he has recently retired his acid wash jeans (they are now in the yard work stage) and doesn't own jean overalls or coveralls. He is wearing Tommy jeans in this photo.

More than 'mom jeans'

"Once you finally find a brand that fits your body, you stick with it," says Carlene Iglas of Bath, NY. Carlene's favorite jeans come from Eddie Bauer and she likes them because of their durability. "They last through countless washes!"

She also likes Lee jeans, since both brands fit well and are still reasonably priced. Carlele says she usually spends about $25 on a pair of jeans and likes to shop the Eddie Bauer outlet.

Jeans for all seasons

"I don't mind spending $75-125 on jeans because they are a permanent investment in my wardrobe," says Mark Gershman of Scottsdale, Ariz, shown here in his favourite Lucky Brand jeans.

Mark says he shops for jeans when they are on sale during the winter months. He looksfor 'a great fit, nice wash, a muted pocket treatment and a good sale price."

The rough shape of the economy has made him think about the number of pairs of jeans he owns. "I really don't need another - still I look when new styles arrive," he says.

A necessary evil

I wear jeans all the time, but when I need to buy a new pair I break into the same type of sweat as I do if you told me were going bathing suit shopping," says Nicole Stith, who terms denim a 'necessary evil' in her closet.

Nicole's favourite brands include True Religion and Paige Denim, but she says the economic climate has attracted her to less expensive lines such as Banana Republic.

Nicole, of Los Gatos, CA, has one rule of thumb when shopping for denim. "If it is a trendy style you are looking for, try to find it under $60 since you probably won't be wearing it next season".

Confessions of an online shopper

Dave Daucanski of West Palm Beach, Fla, shops the Web for reduced prices on designer jeans, including his favourite brands, Chip & Pepper and Adriano Goldschmied.

He visits the Gilt Group (gilt.com) and clothesoffourback.org for discounts, but says he has spent as much as $300 on a pair of jeans.