Prices for Jeans

[HitMan009]

I posted on another thread and asked the reason for expensive jeans. Since jeans were basically made for blue-collar working class people, what is the deal with jeans costing so much money? The problem I find with regular Levi's, etc.... the regular priced jeans is that even before I can create the great worn in look, the cotton begins to fall apart. What type of cloth for jeans is super hard wearing? Who makes a good durable pair of jeans?

 

[Get Smart]

up to $150 is my max

for that money i can get:

-non distressed, dark raw indigo
-Japan made selvedge denim
-straight leg
-bucklebacks
-crotch rivet (no function, just a cool aesthetic touch)

i have 4 pairs that fit the above criteria, costing anywhere from $80-$150

 

[Brian SD]

Any of the brands you see us recommending here for raw jeans create very durable denim. $30 modern Levis are no where near the quality of the original blue-collar Levis you're referring to, or even the European Levis. The stitching is not durable, the denim is lower quality and lacks many of the features that create a good finish and a long-wearing weave.

Also, I would pay up to $400 for jeans if I thought I was getting my money's worth, so I had to pick the "up to $200" category. It sounds absurd to pay so much, but for an item that lasts an incredibly long time and is something that I wear every day for at least 6 months at a time, it doesn't bother me to pay that much.

 

[Sevcom]

Jeans were made for blue-collar workers. Nowadays, that's an overgeneralization, and they come in all types. Designer brands like PDC, Nudie, APC and the like are as valid as good ole Levi's and Wranglers. To say otherwise is like saying wearing Norfolk jackets are acceptable only when shooting grouse. That said, I've never paid more than $100 for a pair of jeans, including hemming. (I bought a pair of GTOs at full price once, but returned them when I found them on sale for $70 at the Filene's in Atlanta.) My impending APC Rescue jeans buy will probably be the first time I pay retail--and stick with it. And for durable jeans, any of the rigid denim types are a safe bet. Dark Diesel washes also will last a long time.

 

[Mike C.]

Since jeans were basically made for blue-collar working class people, what is the deal with jeans costing so much money?

Ummm.... yeaaaa.... this was true like 100 years ago. It's the 21st century; jeans are high fashion nowadays.

It's much like the same as a Kiton suit or a Borrelli shirt; most expensive jeans come with some degree of a unique hand finish on them. You're also paying for better materials and fit.

 

[HitMan009]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HitMan009,April 04 2005,13:16
Since jeans were basically made for blue-collar working class people, what is the deal with jeans costing so much money?
Ummm.... yeaaaa.... this was true like 100 years ago. It's the 21st century; jeans are high fashion nowadays. Â It's much like the same as a Kiton suit or a Borrelli shirt; most expensive jeans come with some degree of a unique hand finish on them. You're also paying for better materials and fit.
I mention the blue collar origins for denim because if the jeans back then wore out as quickly as the $30 jeans of today, the concept of jeans wouldn't even exist now. Â I think what these manufacturers are doing is making regular jeans basically crap and selling what denim supposed to be at prices that unfortunately don't make sense to me, IMHO. Â The high quality denim IMO is what denim was meant to be in the first place. Â The $30 Levi for example, is just cotton fabric masquerading as denim. Â Alas, I do understanding the pricing. Â If there is a market for it and they can get away with it, why not? Â Nothing beats a sale of 50%-75% even though the mark down price is the actually price of the jeans are supposed to be selling for.... Â

 

[Charles Rogers]

I am going to drop however much a pair of Nudie regular ralf dry selvedge denim costs (does anyone know). If that fails, A.P.C.

 

[Brian SD]

Charles, approximately $185.

 

[sam]

Where'd you get them, Brian? I called Famous Friends NYC and they said $215 (plus shipping).

 

[LA Guy]

Fred Segal/HTC in Santa Monica has them for about $180-190. If you are out of state, you pay shipping, but no tax, so it all pretty much works out.

 

[j]

Been wearing my new 517s (that's from an obscure brand called "Levy" or something) and I really like the fit, cut, feel, etc. They don't look awesome, and I know they are going to fall apart quickly. I had to wash them before I would have liked because the ass started getting saggy. Put them through the dryer for a while too (inside out of course) to make sure they are as shrunk as they're gonna get (probably won't do that often).

I've decided what would fit best with my particular, shall we say, idiom, w/r/t clothing, would be to find some vintage actual Levis made of the better fabric and wear those, and refuse to pay more than 50 bucks or so. Assuming they will last more than twice as long as these, which were $18 or something, and will look much better during that time, it is definitely worth it to me.

Failing that, I may look for repros in the style of the classics, like the (Uniqlo?) 517 style, etc.

Personally, I think that even what appear to be 'classic' jean styles go out of fashion so quickly that paying a hell of a lot for a pair doesn't seem too wise to me (at my income level, anyway).

 

[Brian SD]

j, when you say actual vintage levis jeans, do you mean deadstock unworn jeans, or ones that have been worn-in and are secondhand? Some deadstock Levis are fetching up tens of thousands of dollars. There replicas available BY levis of their vintage jeans as well, but I find that they are highly priced and the quality isn't quite as good as Japanese brands, like Denime or Eternal, for example.

 

[j]

Yeah, I was thinking more of deadstock if possible. I've seen 517s go for pretty reasonable prices on ebay. I don't know how far you have to go back to get the good denim, though. Any ideas on that?

I know 501s go for a lot more, btw. Luckily, I like 517s.

 

[Brian SD]

The 40s and 50s jeans are the best quality - most companies go for that style when they do their Levi's "replicas"; the APC Unisex is loosely based on the 1947 501 but with an obviously lower rise and more fitted seat.

Pre-1976 is the good stuff. I have never really looked for vintage deadstock 517s, but if you find some that you like, keep us up to date.

BTW, do not be afraid to go repro - with the evolutions in fabric weaving over the last 10 years, modern ring-ring reproductions are going to be significantly higher quality than the original vintage deadstock. A purist would prefer the vintage just for the sake of authenticity and originality, however.

 

[ernest]

$50 in the US

50 euros in Europe