Most men own a pair of black jeans that have quietly stopped working. The colour has faded to something uncertain, the fit has softened in the wrong places, and they sit in the wardrobe doing nothing. That is the real problem with black jeans. They require more attention to get right than their reputation suggests.

When you do get them right, they are one of the most useful things you own. They move between casual and smart occasions with less effort than almost anything else in that price bracket. The right pair reads differently to dark blue denim, which matters more than it sounds. They sit better under a blazer, work harder at night, and photograph well without trying.

We have been looking specifically at pairs that hold their colour through repeated washing, cut cleanly through the thigh without being restrictive, and taper in a way that works with both a clean trainer and a leather Chelsea. These are the ones worth replacing your old pair with.