Denim used to be the uniform of the working man. Now, man oh man, do we work for our denim. Factor in all the varieties of wash and cut, multiply by the ever proliferating number of brands on the market, and somewhere in the product—a number so large it makes a basic calculator balk—you will find, theoretically, the perfect pair of jeans. Faced with math that stymieing, it's really best to just trust your butt. Or, if you prefer, trust Gwyneth's butt: The Paltrow posterior was so comfortably flattered by the pair of wide-leg Agatha jeans (above) by Found Denim she picked up at New York City's Otte that she made the trek back to the store the very next day to grab a pair of the brand's high-rise skinny Juliet style. "The next thing we knew, she was wearing the Agatha jeans in a picture with Madonna. Madonna!" says Lana Cretz, one of L.A.-based Found's three principals. "Pretty much the best product placement ever," adds Sara Watson, who designs the year-old line with Cretz. The two denim fanatics became fast friends while working at AG, and launched Found with art director Steve Zeitzoff for fall '07. In the seasons since, the brand's nouvelle vague take on classic Americana aesthetics has racked up a multitude of fans, both famous and not. "We really invest in the details," Watson says. "Like, we'll spend a long time developing washes, like the Dakota we did for Spring, which is specifically faded to look a little cloudy. Or we'll work on getting the exactly right shade of dark gray." "We have wide legs, and we have skinny legs," Cretz continues. "And we've got a pair we just introduced that's a little boyfriend-y, but nothing's too faddish, you know? I think women are getting used to the idea that they can wear lots of styles of denim, not just one. What they really want is lots of jeans that just look good."