Don't label whore for the sake of label whoring. I DO believe in getting GOOD pieces for your wardrobe, but don't make it totally about cost. I have pairs of Stitch's, True Religion, WESC, Sevens, Levi's and Gap Jeans. I'm a collared shirt, jeans and casual shoes guy. See the way Anthony Bourdain dresses? That's how I've dressed for years. I've expanded beyond the white shirts though...HA HA! I have different washes in jeans - I have some darker washes, which I prefer because they're more versatile. I have a couple that are lighter washes, and also a pair of destroyed jeans, which I patched on the reverse side (I wear these when I really want to look like a bum...HA HA!). I have a couple of pairs in black also. Over the years, Levi's have probably been my big go to. I think a man should have a couple of pairs of expensive jeans in his closet, but they don't ALL have to be. Get what fits you right, because the different makes don't fit everyone the way they should.
In the last few years I've gone to more striped or patterned shirts to pair with jeans, and occasionally I'll even wear a french cuffed shirt with them. Sweaters work nicely too - I have some v-neck lambswool, or I'll go with cardigans. I've also started accumulating different blazers/sportcoats to pull together that dressy/casual look. And living in the Northeast, I don't like big, bulky coats, so I prefer to layer. Sweaters and jackets help me do that.
I think the make of shirts you get is more important than the jeans, in that shirts will take far more washings than jeans will. A good shirt will hold up longer.
While I like certain labels, I don't like paying label prices. Over the past few years I've joined some shopping sites which have the real deal, but severely marked down. I suggest you join these:
Gilt Groupe (
http://www.gilt.com) and its spin-off site, Park and Bond (
http://www.parkandbond.com) a full-priced site, but can help with different looks you might want to put together, then find something comparable at a lower price.
HauteLook (
http://www.hautelook.com)
Jack Threads (
http://www.jackthreads.com) this site is more casual/street
Beyond The Rack (
http://www.beyondtherack.com)
I also scour the sale pages of Gap.com, BananaRepublic.com, jcrew.com and Express.com looking for pieces that have been marked down. I rarely pay full ride for anything. You don't really have to to get nice gear.