Best Jeans

AB Fits

1519 Grant (at Union) and 40 Grant (at Geary), both 982-5726, www.abfits.com

In the rapid-fire world of chic jeans, fit is everything, and the gurus at AB Fits know how to fit. The dressing rooms in the North Beach location contain no mirrors, and once you walk out, everything stops. The jeans are critiqued. "Let me see the rear," a salesperson commands. Judgments are passed, recommendations made, and additional pairs miraculously appear from the skilled staff. Other shoppers nudge closer, eager to hear about jeans. Whether you know it or not, this is the kind of treatment you expect for $250 a pair. Owners Howard Gee and Christopher Louie stay on the pulse, always stocking the hippest brands (currently, that's Paige and Notify), as well as those nipping at their heels, such as Habitual, Blue Cult, Paper Denim & Cloth, and Salt. AB Fits also sells a mix of other fashions, a selection so unpredictable it screams exclusivity, such as the retro purses made of automobile car fabric we found on a recent visit.