LOS ANGELES — Many office dress codes have embraced denim. Jane Herman said choices about fit, styling and context can shape how jeans read in an office setting.

Jose Cortina, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Business, found in his research that employees who manage their clothing at work are perceived more positively by others.

Jane Herman, founder and designer of The Only Jane, said she does not support turning denim into a strict workplace dress code. “I really like a world in which everybody can wear the jeans that they want to wear. And, the very rigid rules around them? I don't know, I don't like rigidity, although I do like rigid jeans,” Herman said.

Herman said denim choices still depend on the job and workplace expectations. “If you work in a more corporate business, where there's maybe a dress code and an expectation, and it's not a place where style is the job, then you have to ask if it's appropriate at all,” she said.

Jeans come in multiple styles, including barrel jeans, boyfriend jeans, wide-leg jeans, cigarette jeans and mom jeans. Herman said no single silhouette dominates: “There are big trends like barrel jeans, but even with all the momentum behind the barrel, it's not the only jean that everybody's wearing,” she said.

Herman said she looks first at how jeans feel on the wearer. “The most important thing you can look for and try to nail when you're buying a pair of jeans is the way that they make you feel,” she said. “You want emotional, intangible things like feeling confident, and secure, and at peace with yourself,” Herman added.

For office settings, Herman said she would avoid certain finishes and details. “I'm stating the obvious, but anything with holes, that's too distressed, light-washed, has a frayed hem, too low rise, too embellished, that has distracting stitching or some kind of flashy bit on it, just eliminate,” she said.

Herman said the rest of an outfit can determine whether jeans look appropriate at work. “What you wear with your jeans is going to have a huge impact on whether your jean works or doesn't in the office,” she said.

Herman also pointed to specific designers for a more tailored look, saying, “If you're looking for something that's elevated for the workplace, a good place to start is with a designer that isn't a denim brand, like Kallmeyer, which makes a very trouser-y jean that is really polished.” She added, “Khaite is a great place to go for a very polished, grownup jean and Nili Lotan makes beautiful, beautiful jeans.”

Herman, who is based in Los Angeles and was brought up selling jeans in her father Ron Herman's stores, said she sometimes opts for casual denim herself. “I am wearing a very beat-up vintage jeans and cozy socks 'cause it's raining and I can do that.”

Herman said some cuts can be easier to navigate for work than others. “There's very little room for failure with a high-rise straight leg jean,” she said. “Some pants have pleats, some have slant pockets. Translate what you like about a pant to a jean and see if you can find the cut in your Google search.”