Durable jeans for less than $40?

[Hawkeye]

I actually saw a pair of Rustlers today at a thrift store that had really cool fade and wear, but I wouldn't buy 'em either. Why don't you check out Wranglers, I figure that out of all of the cheapo jeans brands they would probably last the longest, I mean you can still get them with rivets in the back pockets. Or why don't you just go to a thrift store find some old Levis for $5, then you could buy 8 pairs for under $40 right.

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i had Rustlers like 9 years ago. They stretch quickly and rip in no time. Makes you feel tough. Trash, basically.

 

[Brian SD]

I'm surprised no one has come right out and recommended Levi's Shrink-To-Fit. They're about $40 flat and while they're no where near the premium denim quality, they're no where near the price. I'd recommend them, or just Levi's in general for being both durable and affordable. Fair warning, however - if you do go for the STFs, don't pay attention to the shrinking information on the tag. Buy one size bigger for your waist, and two inches longer than you'd like. Levi's claims a shrinkage rate of two inches on waist, and 4 inches on length but everyone's experience seems to say otherwise.

To answer your general question, yes, premium denim jeans are much more durable than regular jeans. Many of us wear the same pair of jeans, day in and day out without ever washing them for up to 6 months or more - this is even harder on the jeans as the denim weave doesn't have a chance to heal itself (preserving its life), and yet it takes years for us to begin to develop holes, unless you have a wallet with protruding metal pieces (buttons, etc).

DarkNWorn put it well that the things many of us pay for in premium denim aren't special or noticeable to the non-afficionado, but is somehow justified as it satisfies our insatiable craving for best-of-the-best denim.

However, if you made the trek to a hipster clothing store and tried on denim from the likes of Rag&Bone or others listed in our top 10, even you (someone who is inexperienced with the intricacies of premium denim) would notice an immense difference in every aspect, from fit to quality, to whatever. A lot of people do have a really hard time finding denim that fits them very well and looks cool yet unique yet not too gaudy (the list goes on), and when you find stuff that satisfies your quota, the price tag seems non-consequential.

 

[raley]

Countdown/pool for how long it takes this guy to purchase a pair of APC's and a pair of Nudies online without trying them on? 2 weeks? Any other guesses?

 

[Trale]

Originally Posted by minya

No, I don't, but I'm honestly puzzled by what you're looking for from a pair of jeans.

- Durability?
- Fit?
- Design?

If you're really put off by paying high prices for jeans, and all you care about is durability, just get whatever's cheapest (ie, Rustler at Walmart). I'm sure millions of workers buy and wear them. They'll probably last you six months, at least -- and they cost, what, $10 - 15? Can't be too expensive.

If you care about fit and design, then be prepared to spend more money.

That's understandable, because I'm not entirely sure what I SHOULD be looking for. All I know is that I'm unwilling to pay triple digit for jeans. However, I am getting tired of having to shop for new jeans every 6 months. I'm looking for that happy medium between price and quality. So for right now, durability is a priority. Of course, the jeans have to be comfortable and fits well before I even consider buying it. I'm not so much concerned with design (like I said, most jeans look roughly the same to me anyway).

What's the definition of "fit" anyway? Does it mean specific name like "straight-legged", "boot-cut", "flared", "Relaxed fit, "Loose Fit", etc? Or it refer generically to how well fits the body/legs, maybe comfort. For me, I've always needed "Loose Fit" jeans to be comfortable. I don't care much for the various cuts, but straight-legged has worked for me. Is there a particular cut that's trendy right now?

In terms of general quality, is there a certain ratio of cotton

olyester I should look for in the fabric? I just checked the tags on my old jeans and it's 100% cotton; maybe that's why it wore out so quickly.

 

[minya]

then, yeah, just stick with Levis shrink-to-fit. $30 at Sears/Mervyns.

 

[Trale]

Originally Posted by raley

Countdown/pool for how long it takes this guy to purchase a pair of APC's and a pair of Nudies online without trying them on? 2 weeks? Any other guesses?

Hey can I get in on that pool? I'll place a bet on "Never".

I buy a lot of things online, but clothes will not be one of them. The odds of me getting something that'll fit well and looks right just from its online description is 1:1000.

 

[Trale]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

I suppose the extra price comes from:
1. selvage fabric
2. dye
3. construction
4. design
5. brand name

To me, 1-4 are important, 5 almost enters into my mind when buying a pair of jeans (but applicable elsewhere). The dept. store Levi's STFs that I have don't even belong in the same league in categories 1-4 as compared to the 45rpm Sorahiko that I have. Granted, the later costs 5-8 times more than the former. Think of it this way, you're paying incrementally more for every category listed above. IMO, the law of diminishing returns kicks in somewhere after $80 (with APC being one of the best value out there).

If none of these categories concerns you, however, you can just go on wearing $30 Levi's STFs for the rest of your life. And there's not a damn thing wrong with doing so. For some of us, the finer craftsmanship in those categories are worth paying a few more bucks for.


The Levis STFs is starting to look like a consensus. I'll check them out.

BTW, how do you evaluate 1-3 just by looking/touching it? It seems you need a microscope and a chemical test to have any idea of those qualities.

 

[Brian SD]

BTW, how do you evaluate 1-3 just by looking/touching it? It seems you need a microscope and a chemical test to have any idea of those qualities.

Once you've seen a few good pairs, you'll forever be able to tell the bad ones.

 

[VMan]

You can get Express Men jeans on sale for $25-40 quite often. They ain't great, but they ain't bad. They are right inbetween standard Levis and a premium jean. Some of the washes are extreme, but most are very wearable. Sort of a happy medium for someone looking to upgrade from basic jeans. Quality isn't bad, and cuts are pretty decent (you should be able to find a looser fit there), though the washes and denims aren't as good as, say, a premium jean. You should be able to get something like this for pretty cheap:

The Gap 1969 jeans are also a good value, and regularly on sale for about the same price range. A few months back I picked up a nice pair of looser fit bootcuts in a faded black/gray wash for $20.

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Thrift store.

 

[Arethusa]

I really can't agree about Express. Though they are pretty much permanently on sale, they're still far from worth it. The denim is very low quality, the washes are, at this point, almost exclusively either Abercrombie Destroyed or Old Man Blue. And the cuts are basically pure American Jackass.

I can, however, very much recommened 1969. The recent offerings have been crap, but hopefully they'll come around. At least as of six months ago, they offered some really quite decent cuts and very much above average fabrics. Not the best out there, but arguably the best value (especially on sale, which happens easily).

 

[Trale]

Originally Posted by VersaceMan

You can get Express Men jeans on sale for $25-40 quite often.

Are you talking about in a store, or online?

 

[Arethusa]

You can't buy anything from Express online, unless you mean eBay, in which case that crap generally goes for a fair bit less than $25-40.

 

[Hawkeye]

Carhartt's are pretty durable
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/6...s-For-Men.html