Opinion of Diesel Denim

[s2000FTW]

First time poster here

Im looking to get some nice denim, but have never spent more than $100 on a pair of pants before. I really like the style of Diesel's jeans, but I haven't seen any opinions of them on this board. Are they worth the price tag? I like the Zathan 89J. In general I like the low rise, boot cut style, dark wash. I'm mainly looking for something to wear to clubs/bars.

 

[whodini]

Some of us wear Diesel, but you're going to find more people on here that don't wear pre-distressed jeans.

 

[nomovement]

this time last year I was comlaining that diesel was the only decent mainstream jean comany out there; but the branding was killing me. I felt trapped. Now I can say with a clean conscience "**** diesel" I don't need it, you don't need it-nobody needs that ****. Oh yeah, quality issues that shouldn't exist on anything over $80..

 

[s2000FTW]

any suggestions for similar style alternative?

 

[bluetox]

If you like the diesel zathan buy the zathan, buy what you like. As for an alternative Earnest sewn makes good bootcut, low rise. The model is called the "hutch" they make a couple of good darkish wash called the "maz dark", and "formula 21".

 

[drizzt3117]

Personally I think Diesel jeans are high quality but I don't like the feel of the denim. It isn't as soft as old PDC or ES or 7FAM, but it is more durable than any of those as far as I'm concerned. I have a pair of "vintage" Diesels that are probably 6 years old that are in great shape still and I've probably worn them 300+ times.

 

[mdk]

89j is a horrible, horrible wash

 

[Stazy]

I bought a pair of Diesel jeans today and so far so good...Unfortunitaley they cost me 127 USD cuz Finland has ridiculous taxes.

 

[cultpop 0217]

im not a fan of most diesel cuts and the branding can be a bit much but they use great italian denim imo.

definately better than 90% of what passes for premium these days (seven, pdc, earnest sewn, true rel etc...).

with a little legwork you can track down a lot of styles at pretty decent discount.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by cultpop 0217

im not a fan of most diesel cuts and the branding can be a bit much but they use great italian denim imo.

definately better than 90% of what passes for premium these days (seven, pdc, earnest sewn, true rel etc...).

with a little legwork you can track down a lot of styles at pretty decent discount.

I agree that Diesels are underrated. However, their prices are steadily increasing, and I think that at the same pricepoint, Earnest Sewn uses the same quality of denim and has far better finishes. Agreed that Diesel is better than most jeans in the same price bracket though.

 

[cultpop 0217]

really?
out here in the midwest it seems diesel prices are falling a bit.

i went into the flagship store recently and tried on the new skinny fit thanaz.

in a stetch raw(ish) it was $165 (and thats the flagship store on the gold coast!) and the denim put most stretch denim ive seen to shame.

i agree earnest sewn has the best washes among high volume "premium" brands but some of the denim they use is far too thin for my tastes.

 

[nastyandy]

I have a pair of Zathans, and I think the denim is very rugged and the jeans are well made. As others have said, they are not as soft as some other premium denims, nor do they have the brushed textures that many brands use, but they are tough jeans that hold up.

As far as the branding, I think many on this board avoid branding and pocket designs in general, but if you are not concerned with the possibility of others recognizing your jeans, or with wearing jeans that only the most elite denim snobs are aware of, than that sould not be an issue. Many people want the branding because they like to show off the fact that they've dropped a few bucks on their jeans, and that's why the branding exists.

All that said, if you want the best jeans for a comparable price, with a nicer texture, little branding and flattering cut, try Earnest Sewn Hutch jeans. The distressing is more subtle and not as pronounced as Diesel, but I think Earnest Sewn is one of the best premium jeans brands on the market.

 

[poly800rock]

i have some older pairs (2002), including a pair i took all around southeast asia for what it's worth, they held up like ******* champions, through rain, sweat, and everything else that comes with backpacking in a humid tropical area, these things still see some (but not really) time and NO RIPS OR HOLES after all that time. there were still some various decent pairs back then, straight leg, heavier denim, and I really got what i paid for them $128. They're great jeans that look better over time, but yeah, you have to search through the garbage washes and find some one wash pairs, they do exist, i got a few back in the day.

 

[whodini]

I think I said this in another thread but my first pair of "premium" denim was a pair of Diesel Keetar's years ago. They were odd for two reasons: the coin pocket logo which is usually white was dark blue and (the reason I got them) they were dark indigo with NO signs of distress. Does Diesel even make non-distressed jeans anymore?

Regardless, that pair never faded or fell apart and wore it religiously until I think I donated it along with a bunch of older pairs. Probably should have held on to it, but when you've got 14 other pairs of jeans...

 

[sbbbjm]

i like diesel because of the denim they use. its always thicker and and more durable than ES or anyone else puts out there, and i find that it drapes better on my thinner frame than the thinner denim which seems to just flatten me out.

you have to hand it to them for their cuts too. i've seen diesel zathans flatter just about every guy i've ever seen them on, compared to hutch's which aren't great on everyone -- come to think of it (looking completely past the washes) diesels look pretty flattering on every person i've seen em on

but again, the thing i have a problem with is the thing everyone else has problems with -- too much branding and too many stylized details ruin them. they have come out with some more realistic washes if you checkout the website but they still keep those outlandish ones around for that certain customer