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This week marks the first anniversary of this column and I, for one, have been amazed by how much ground there is to cover when it comes to work attire.

At times, the topics have even been sexually or politically charged, from cleavage and first-date dress codes to Arnold Schwarzenegger's shoes and Barack Obama's shirts.

Call me sentimental, but when deciding what to write this week, I couldn't resist looking back to Suitable's inaugural topic, which explored whether skinny jeans can be worn to work (answer: yes, depending on where you work and how you wear them).

It seems fitting to revisit jeans in a more general way because, if given the choice, that's what most of us would probably wear day in, day out.

The problem is that not all jeans are created equal and, as even the most stubborn denim devotee will concede, jeans can never have the same oomph as a business suit.

“If you're billing a client, let's say you're a senior lawyer, you still wear a suit, no matter the dress code policy,” says Toronto-based image consultant Sarah Collins who lists corporate, banking and consulting industries as red flags for blue jeans. “You always want to dress equal to or one notch above the people you are meeting.”

That said, she notes that people have more options than ever as far as finding a pair of jeans that do double duty at work and on weekends.

Women who blew their fun money last year on stovepipe jeans may be disheartened to hear that wider legs are au courant. The upside is that this trouser style is not only more flattering, it looks more professional.

“It's not your regular jean,” says Sarrah Sheiner, a brand manager for Hudson Jeans in Canada, a brand that is coveted by women who have no problem forking over $200 if it creates the illusion of long legs and a good butt. Recently, Hudson introduced stretch poplin pants in black, beige and white that look like jeans but feel dressier.

Ms. Sheiner says that while “the pendulum is swinging” in terms of what people can get away with at the office, jeans with holes or tears, whiskering (crease lines), contrast stitching and studs still don't fly. She gives the thumbs up to jeans at work “as long as they're clean and not too low-waisted,” she says from Montreal.

Colour is another important consideration. Is it really necessary to point out that stonewash jeans should not come out of the closet Monday through Friday, if at all? By comparison, indigo blue will raise nary an eyebrow.

“If you're going to buy one jean, make it dark,” says Francesco Fiore, men's buyer for Over the Rainbow, long considered Toronto's pre-eminent destination for denim.

He admits that some guys balk at prices (expect to pay no less than $70; a really good pair will set you back approximately $220), but that a stretch boot cut or straight leg style from 7 For All Mankind or Earnest Sewn guarantees a thumbs-up from colleagues on casual Fridays (not to mention girlfriends or wives).

As for fit, Mr. Fiore advises men to avoid a waistline that goes over the gut. Better to look for a narrow leg to emphasize leanness.

Ms. Collins agrees. “You're still better to go with a low rise and show off a small tush rather than a high waist. Men should not be tucking in their tummies,” she says, stressing that belts can do wonders for creating a waistline. “The eye is drawn southbound.”

Women, meanwhile, should remember to balance lean with loose. A trouser jean looks particularly sharp with a narrow, fitted blazer. “If you hide beneath an oversized top, you look like a potato sack. There's no chic there,” she says.

Neither does she mince words about capri jeans, which women have a tendency to wear once the weather gets warmer. “I don't care whether they're in style or not. If you work in an office tower, no capris.”

Incidentally, Vancouverites have a reputation for being more relaxed about office attire. I've heard that jeans are a default uniform. But upon making a few calls, this impression seems to be incorrect.

Annabel Hawksworth who runs a namesake public relations firm, says that she only makes an exception for jeans on Fridays. “It depends on the industry, but everyone in luxury fashion and hospitality looks beautiful and immaculate,” she says from her office in downtown Vancouver.

She says she paid attention to the professional types while at lunch one day last week and noticed only one person at the restaurant wearing jeans.

I'm curious to know whether your workplace is a sea of blue and whether jeans float your business-wear boat.