Last year my son came home from preschool every day for a week with holes torn in the knees. Suddenly, almost his entire pants wardrobe was ruined in five days! Only one pair remained wearable after that week when he learned to skid on the blacktop: Gap’s loose fit lined crinkle jeans. These jeans, with a flannel plaid lining on the inside, have been worn for a year and a half—almost unheard of in the preschool years! The bottom of the pants legs flip up, revealing the cute flannel pattern. As he got taller, and my son is terribly tall for a five-year-old, I flipped them down.

The knees did get ripped out last year—but the holes reveal the orange, gray and olive checked flannel underneath—so they look like they were meant to be ripped! Gap also has these pants with a light blue, grey and white flannel lining as well. I advise buying these jeans long, as you can use the adjustable waist band to tighten for smaller waists and fold them a bit higher at the bottom. Ease the waistband and lower the bottom flap as he grows.

Although these jeans can’t be worn in the summer months in many hot states, they are still a bargain for their longevity and I currently found them online for sale at $24.99—quite a bit cheaper than some of the other Gap jeans lines.