Who is your favourite denim maker...

differences are measured in part by the following: -longevity -holding dye -styling/cut i've been loyal to levis. 501s or 550 (?). but, there seems to be a move-at least in marketing-to emphasize quality, so other brands, which previously may not have lasted as long, could very well be up to snuff. also, i tend to think that dyes last longer in some high end jeans/denim. however, i have no factual basis for that last assertion.

I really like the Levi's Premium line, but I've found that the jeans with the resin wash (Coveted?) don't hold up particularly well. I guess that the resin treatment makes the cloth brittle and easily abraded, if that makes any sense. Diesels last a lifetime. I've had a pair of the old Kratt "flattened" jeans for a few years of heavy use, and they have held up better than nearly any other jeans (and I wear jeans nearly exclusively, and have tried nearly every brand). Lucky's hold up pretty well too, though not as well as Diesel Jeans. The washes are not as sophisticated either. I don't really like Buffalo jeans, neither the cuts nor the washes have ever jumped out at me. Why don't you try Paper Denim, Seven, Von Dutch, Joe's Jeans, or DDC labs. They are all about the same price range as Diesels, and only slightly more expensive that Levi's Premium. Paper denims have great cuts and washes, and the denim is incredible, Seven's have good cuts and are somewhat cheaper, Von Dutch was great washes (I love their dark denim) and is probably going to be the next big jean. Joe's jeans have a great cut as well; and DDClabs are probably the most innovative jeans company around. Less common are Tsubi jeans (from Australia). I've only seen these a few times, but I've been consistently impressed by their treatments. Rogan Jeans are the ne plus ultra of jeans, but they are too expensive even for a jeans freak like me ($250+ wow.)

what about 'evisu' out of japan, many consider it to be the jean of all jeans given the handloomed denim they produce (only enough to make approximately 14 pairs of jeans a day) ugly pocket treatments though 'buckler' is also interesting so too is 'one true saxon' and what of armani's 'environmentally correct denim' jeans

I forgot about Evisu and Buckler. I'm not a fan of Evisu, although I know that it is big deal in the UK, for example. One True Saxon - love their t-shirts. Not such a big fan of their jeans though. The cuts are way too baggy for my liking - and what is with the tapered legs? I mean, straight leg, okay. But we don't need everything from the eighties to come back, do we?

I've never tried any of the brands mentioned here, but I will say that I have been loyal to J Crew's jeans for 2 years now. They are obviously more common and lower level than the others mentioned, but considering that even J Crew's best can be had for under $40 regularly, they are a good deal. I plan on getting a pair of Diesel/Paper on my next shopping spree.

when it comes to jeans I would say Energie and J.Lindeberg are clear favourites well above any of the higher end designers.

I bought my first two pairs of jeans this summer, and both of them were Levi's Premium (Austin bootcut). I haven't worn them long enough to comment on LAGuy's durability remarks, but so far I like them a lot. They're not as stylish as Paper, Evisu, or the like, but they're solid for a basic pair and still interesting enough to stand out from all the cookie-cutter jeans out there. Another thing I like about them is that it's easy to find them heavily discounted. BlueFly has a good selection in the $30 range, and the last time I went to Marshall's I found a bunch for only $15, albeit marked irregular (no detectable problems with the pair I bought). My next pair of jeans will probably be a more high-fashion brand; I've been looking at Paper but haven't found anything without button-fly , so it might be a while before I stray from Levi's.

Thanks for the tip. I'd been looking for a deal on some Austins - I just went on Bluefly and bought three pairs. With the FALLFLY discount they were only $25.00 a pair.

A little late to the topic, but I'm in the market for a new pair of jeans. So far I've favored a somewhat relaxed but not baggy fit--my most-worn jeans are PDC's Icon and Seven's relaxed. Seven's bootcut jeans are a bit too snug for my liking, to say nothing of Helmut Lang. While breezing through the Atlanta Saks, I saw Blue Cult jeans, but didn't have a chance to try 'em on. Other than Diesel Kratt jeans, are there other brands I should be considering?

there is also the ever-elusive carpe denim. anyone tried those?

Tried on some different jeans today. Blue Cult's denim is pretty soft, but the wash and the cut didn't exactly grab me. Quite honestly, I couldn't tell what makes Varvatos jeans worth the price tag: the denim's nice and fairly soft selvage, but at the least the cut's not for me. Adriano Goldschmeid jeans are fairly nondescript. They didn't have any Joe's Jeans in my size. Ended up getting a pair of PDC GTO jeans in the one-year wash. They're a bit slimmer than I usually get, but not spectacularly so. And damn, the denim's spectacular. I may let them go if I end up getting a pair of Von Dutch jeans I'm eyeing on eBay, but I've no idea what the cut of that particular pair is like.

Buckler is definitely my favorite brand, I had my first two pairs this fall and they fit me better than any other jeans I've ever worn. I think he cuts them thinner and uses thinner more "hugging" denim, or at least that was how I felt they fit me and I liked it (one of their main styles is called the "skinny bastard" so I'm lead to believe I'm on the right track.) Does anybody know any similar ones?

How did this get necro'd? I can only imagine that "demin" was used in your search.