Suggestion Box

[depglass]

A jean has a real zipper and flat felled seams going down the legs.  Like Levi's.  These pull on tight leg almost leggings are not jeans.  

[Kachina624]

Thats your definition.  There are different styles, and while what I wear aren't Levis, they're jeans as far as I'm concerned.

[vermint]

I agree with what @Kachina624 said!

[Bookplate]

From Dictionary.com:

Jeans are a type of pants traditionally made from denim (a kind of cotton fabric).

The word most commonly refers to denim blue jeans. Jeans can be other colors, but they’re most commonly blue. The defining feature of most jeans is that they’re made out of some kind of denim or denim-like fabric. Most jeans have seams and pockets that are reinforced with rivets—small metal fasteners.

The word jeans can technically be used to refer to pants made from other materials, such as corduroy, but this isn’t common. For example, pants made out of corduroy are commonly called corduroys.

Jeans were originally worn as pants for rugged work, but they are now most commonly worn as casual attire.

Like the words pants and trousers, jeans is always used in the plural form when referring to the pants.

The word jean (without an s at the end) can be used to refer to the material and is typically used as a modifier to describe garments that are made of this material, as in jean jacket or jean shorts. 

From Merriam Webster:

Definition of jean

1: a durable twilled cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2usually jeans \ ˈjēnz  \ : pants usually made of denim or jean

[Love my grandkids]

@depglass That's your opinion only. Not mine. Not everyone's.

[Foxxee]

I may be the only one agreeing with you and not at all popular.  Jeans are made from real denim, 100% cotton or with 2% spandex, not the faux denim they are selling on QVC.

Similar to faux leather used on clothing and shoes.  It might resemble leather, but it isn't the real thing.  

Real jeans don't have elastic waists, faux zippers and pockets.  No leggings, jeggings, or crops.  They do have belt loops around the waist. They sit at the waist, not below.   

Yes, the original Levi's of yesteryear are real jeans.  

[reviewer from sc]

Agree with OP and Foxeee. Probably not a popular opinion, but it's hard to find "real" jeans today. It's why I shop ebay and other such sites (and consignment shops) for vintage clothing. Today's clothes are definitely different--in material and style. 

[frenchie]

To me any style pant made of denim material, no matter the color is a jean. Im old enough that I called them dungarees in my day. Ha!

[spumoni99]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

Thats your definition.  There are different styles, and while what I wear aren't Levis, they're jeans as far as I'm concerned.

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Agree!  Things like this are not forever static in their definition, one should go with the times.

[Kachina624]

What @depglass  is describing is the original Levi jean of 50 or 60 years ago that came in one color, one cut.  The early ones were not cut for women and we have visions of slim hipped young girls on the bed trying to pull up boy's jeans.  Those of us broader in the hips wore something else.

Denim caught on, was discovered by designers and enterprising manufacturers and the next thing you know we had different shades of blue, gray, brown, white, olive and black along with a variety of leg shapes and widths.  Flat felled seams were too stiff and heavy so they're often absent.  New fibers were added to the traditional stiff cotton denim to make it softer, silkier and lighter weight for women.  Elastic was added for comfort and convenience.

So, yes, they're different, but they're still jeans.  They've just gone through an inevitable evolution.  Thank goodness as the old ones were impossibly uncomfortable.