When it comes to jeans it’s Britain’s men who really do wear the trousers, new research has proven.

Brit men own almost twice as many pairs of jeans in a lifetime  (102 pairs on average) as their female counterparts (58 pairs), but this isn’t a fashion statement for designer denim.

Research by laundrycare expert Dr. Beckmann has revealed that it’s men’s dirty habbits and lack of washing that means they go through more jeans than women.

The online survey of 1,750 people* revealed that although men own more than 100 pairs of denims in a lifetime, they only wash their current pair, on average, once every month and wear them around 15 times in between washes.

Women, on the other hand, may own fewer pairs, but they wash them every two weeks (once every 6 wears) and keep jeans for an average of five years, but can hold onto favourite pairs for up to ten years – even if they don’t wear them anymore.

Men spend more than women on jeans too – at the average cost of £81, while women will spend £49. This means that in a lifetime men will spend £8,262 on jeans compared to £2,842 for women.

A hugh 79% of Brits admit they would feel “lost” without at least one pair of dependable denims in their wardrobe.

Brits in their 20s wear their jeans more often than any other age group, wearing jeans four times a week.

Steven Simpson, Dr. Beckmann spokesman, said:

It was quite a surprise that, at least when it comes to jeans, men own more pairs than women. I think, like most people, we assume it would be the other way round.

Women wash and care for their jeans more than men and as a result they can expect a pair of denims to last longer. But it is clear, as a nation, we are very much in love with our jeans and they are a trusted part of our wardrobe.

* Research carried out online on the Dr. Beckmann website – January 2010.

Tags: dr beckmann, jeans, jeans survey