Because as we age, our bodies change even if we maintain a “normal” weight. A little pot belly of fat accumulates, and then if the person wears the pants they used to wear, the waistband falls and the pants fall off.
I wear this everyday and I am not that young. But in my everyday environment, nobody cares what you wear.
There is a coworker (actually a middle-aged manager) who comes to work wearing suit without wearing shoes (without socks either, really bare footed.) I guess he has a good reason for that, but I do not know and do not care what it is.
Also, in the past, I have met many young coworkers who ride their bike to work almost everyday. I actually have more problems with these because they once in a while just hang their sweaty “tight biking gears” in their cubical and it smells bad. But companies in this industry need such young (and often unmarried) workers who really do not care what they wear. – Actually, one of my coworkers actually complimented me on my new pair of sneaks the other day. (It seems every man in my office area who is not a manager wears a pair of sneaks – one of them wears “red” one (I guess this is the current fashion?)
I am a hopeless case. It seems DS’s GF starts to help him select what to wear now. Hopefully, she is better than anyone from our family.
Someone please tell my husband that faded jeans and white athletic shoes have been out for 20 years! He won’t listen to me :o I have been successful in only one denim battle. He dropped some weight a few years ago, and I threw a fit when he thought it was okay to sport his old relaxed fit, super-faded, droopy, baggy high-waisted dad jeans to work on casual day. I’m happy when he wears Levi classics that fit well. Good luck, Earl.
About 5 yrs ago my D and I went to Macy’s and brought home a variety of more stylish jeans. Over the years I have branched him out to more hip khakis and corduroy pants.
I’d start at Macy’s and try on a variety of Levi styles.
“There is a coworker (actually a middle-aged manager) who comes to work wearing suit without wearing shoes (without socks either, really bare footed.) I guess he has a good reason for that, but I do not know and do not care what it is.”
There was a guy in Syracuse who never wore shoes - even in the winter. His name was Charlie and was called Barefoot Charlie by everyone.
^ My wife could not wear any shoes that are fully covered for a long period of time. She said she could not live in an area which may be cold in some seasons. I should tell my wife that a barefoot person can still survive in Syracuse and she will be surprised.
I feel truly blessed. Mr. B. hates shopping and cooking, so he defers to me in those departments. I buy him a pair of slack, he puts them on without complaints. I cook him a steak or make him a salad, he just shovels it in. 
Re: Levis. Are you talking about the ungodly heavy, sandpaper-rough denim that is good enough for convertible tops and needs years of breaking in? That stuff is out.
"OMG, that right there was a huge step in the right direction. I snapped at my husband a couple of days ago when he had on a shiny new pair of white sneaks (New Balance). These shoes look like they should be in a geriatric unit somewhere.
My husband also wears the 80’s jeans with belt, tucked in Polo.
I’m no style icon myself but c’mon."
That’s how my H dresses. Levi’s jeans, polo shirt, New Balance. Very basic. Oh well! Just makes me look even better in comparison! I’ve tried, but it’s of no avail. He is what he is.
Buy your own jeans. I draw the line when DHs jeans get holes in them. He is an LLBean jeans fan. Tons of different blues…and sizes.
Buy your own clothes and wear what you want. I do NOT tell Mr. Garland what to wear. Neither of us is a fashionista, and we think each other looks fine.
I think the shrink to fit 501s are classic. My husband loves them except a year or so ago he noticed they are baggier than all the prior decades so the old ones hang on in his wardrobe and lately he’s been buying Cinch classic green label.
My H wears jeans to work most days. I did point out to him that he has a problem common to many middle-aged men - no butt (where did it go?). So he went out and found better fitting jeans that don’t sag in the bum. I think they’re from the Gap. He has a few polo shirts for weekends that I hate, but I figure that I probably have clothes that he hates too so we’re even.
Yes. She is buying you jeans that weather with little lines that go across your body . Not up and down.
Yes. I would complain that they are woman jeans too.
Grab an old pair and show here how you love the look of the wear of the material that goes up and down. Like your old awesome Levi’s.
Then grab a pair of the jeans she buys you that wear across and tell her you don’t like that. I think these jeans have some stretch material woven in and I think that is what you are seeing. I hate it too. It looks cheap.
My link keeps locking up for the right material…
This should work. Right material but needs to be darker. https://www.google.com/search?q=image+older+men+in+jeans&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari#imgrc=O6sQFF0rSZg-DM%3A
Darker jeans are classier. Jeans are not as baggy as before. But you can still get that look you want with the right denim.
My husband has found good enough jeans at the Gap. He’s a scientist, and wears jeans to work almost daily. He has started to wear more stylish jeans lately. He is short, so jeans for him are particularly hard to find. He’s also cheap, so would not even consider $150 jeans. When we met, he mostly shopped at Target, and I mostly shopped at Nordstrom. I have “converted” him in many areas - he now drinks better coffee and better wine, and wears better shoes (but we are talking he’s moved from Payless to Asics/Rockport, nothing too extravagant). But when it comes to clothes, he is not interested in high fashion.
If she doesn’t like Levis I don’t see her liking L.L. Bean or Wranglers. You could start with a dark wash Levis with a 1% lycra content. Then get yourself some sneaks that aren’t white. Puma and Asics make a nice, retro sneak that will still be functional and comfortable. Then you can add a pair of “dress” jeans that can be worn with dress shoes and a sportcoat for an evening casual look. Think of the payoff 
:-*
After reading this thread, I really looked at the so-called designer jeans and I think I see what the OP is talking about when he talks about the lines/wales he’s seeing. If he doesn’t like THAT style, then there are plenty of others that don’t have that thin fabric verticle lines he doesnt’ like.
A sample of casual sneaker options that aren’t white:
https://www.nordstromrack.com/brands/ASICS/Men/Shoes?page=1
https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/1438155/joe-s-jeans-jacks-slip-on-sneaker?color=NAVY#
https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/1369160/puma-st-runner-sneaker?color=BLUE#
If you wear jeans like the first pair in @sax’s link you will not look like a woman.
I thought this was going to be a thread about Kaitlan Jenner.
My son, who is fairly conservative, just added jeans to his wardrobe. He is happy with these and I can sometimes find them for less in the J Crew Factory stores. They have started cracking down on layering discounts on top of discounts but still not bad at $32.
They seem to run a bit long as he orders 34 length vs the 36 he orders in Old Navy khakis.
https://factory.jcrew.com/mens-clothing/pants/denim/PRDOVR~C9892/C9892.jsp