Now in Halls of Power: Jeans

Jeans used to be the uniform of teen rebels but they're now the pants of choice for world leaders and top execs trying to signal that they're serious but modern. "Dad jeans" and stonewashed denim are still no-nos in the halls of power, but crisp, pressed "power jeans" paired with pricey shoes are now sported by bigwigs from Dmitry Medvedev to execs who wouldn't normally think of dressing down, writes Wall Street Journal style columnist Christina Binkley.

Jeans are a "no-brainer" in the media and manufacturing industries, according to one career adviser, although dressy pants are still de rigeur in the world of finance. Power jeans have long been the style in the tech world, where Steve Jobs' turtleneck-and-jeans look became "synonymous with innovation in the '90s," writes Binkley. Jobs, says one Levis exec, "is the Marlon Brando of his time." (More jeans stories.)