Wrangler is Better than Levi's

[pasadena man]

Reasonable people differ on which brand has the superior quality jeans. There seems to be little question as to which brand has won the marketing battles though:

Levi’s has a substantial lead in consumer favorabiity ratings over Lee and Wrangler’s. I was surprised that Lee was in solid second place, I would have expected Wrangler’s.
https://www.reddit.com/r/malefashio...evis_cool_seems_like_theyre_the_most_popular/

Levi’s # 14 worldwide on list of most reputable/trusted global companies, and the top rated fashion brand.
https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-brands/levis-strauss-reptrak-reputation-pandemic-blm-274248/

The thread has been, to date, both informative and notably civil, given the high emotional salience of the topic to many.

 

[double00]

Bo and Luke Duke wore them some Wranglers........especially when wrasslin' with Boss Hogg and dem boys like Roscoe P. Coltrane!

What's all the fuss and debate 'bout??

have been (and still are) a very regional thing

 

[norMD]

I don't understand CM guys who spend all day reading about spalla camicia, buy $1,000 shoes from Budapest after asking random strangers about sizing, and buy tailored clothes that have to be specially hand pressed to retain their shape, but they talk about "nice jeans" as if it's some weird special world only for "denimheads." Like, being into tailored clothing is 10x stranger and requires more commitment and money in every way. Tailored trousers also don't last as long. You buy $200 grey flannel trousers ($1,000 if you go bespoke) and they wear out after a couple of years. Raw denim jeans last forever unless you're a laborer. They also look better patched up.

I think Nordstrom used to carry Unbranded, but I don't know if they still do. There may be other mass-market retailers who carry them. Gustin is pre-order only, as they operate on a crowdfunding model. I mostly buy jeans from Self Edge.

LVC 1947 501s are a very CM-friendly cut. It's a mid-rise, slim-straight style that will fit in well with a lot of CM type clothing. I think they're about $200. 3sixteen's SL-100x is popularly recommended on denim boards. They're also a slim-straight cut and about $200.

I think the fact that this thread was started on the CM side of the forum shows that some have issues dealing with denimheads

 

[double00]

Reasonable people differ on which brand has the superior quality jeans. There seems to be little question as to which brand has won the marketing battles though:

Levi’s has a substantial lead in consumer favorabiity ratings over Lee and Wrangler’s. I was surprised that Lee was in solid second place, I would have expected Wrangler’s.
https://www.reddit.com/r/malefashio...evis_cool_seems_like_theyre_the_most_popular/

Levi’s # 14 worldwide on list of most reputable/trusted global companies, and the top rated fashion brand.
https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-brands/levis-strauss-reptrak-reputation-pandemic-blm-274248/

The thread has been, to date, both informative and notably civil, given the high emotional salience of the topic to many.

prob not a huge surprise, as levi's is still owned by levi's. VF owns both of the others.

 

[Viral]

have been (and still are) a very regional thing

I'm finna get me a pair over this here weekend and see if I can be a good ol' boy who's never meanin' no harm.....

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I'm finna get me a pair over this here weekend and see if I can be a good ol' boy who's never meanin' no harm.....

I may try some Daisy Dukes Saturday night.

 

[Viral]

I may try some Daisy Dukes Saturday night.

I mean, after all, the world is more tolerant and inclusive of certain behavior right? But for real....why the **** would you say this on an internet forum or otherwise??

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Just want to feel free!

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I guess for me jeans fit into the category of clothes that I only wear if I don’t care how I look.

This is interesting for me, because I tend to assume (clearly incorrectly) that people who frequent Styleforum always care how they look. If I throw on a pair of jeans, it's going to be an interesting pair of jeans that I love and which will get beaten up and get even better with age - doesn't matter if it's working in the garden or going for a walk with my son. But YMMV, as they say.

 

[JFWR]

I don't understand CM guys who spend all day reading about spalla camicia, buy $1,000 shoes from Budapest after asking random strangers about sizing, and buy tailored clothes that have to be specially hand pressed to retain their shape, but they talk about "nice jeans" as if it's some weird special world only for "denimheads." Like, being into tailored clothing is 10x stranger and requires more commitment and money in every way. Tailored trousers also don't last as long. You buy $200 grey flannel trousers ($1,000 if you go bespoke) and they wear out after a couple of years. Raw denim jeans last forever unless you're a laborer. They also look better patched up.

I think Nordstrom used to carry Unbranded, but I don't know if they still do. There may be other mass-market retailers who carry them. Gustin is pre-order only, as they operate on a crowdfunding model. I mostly buy jeans from Self Edge.

LVC 1947 501s are a very CM-friendly cut. It's a mid-rise, slim-straight style that will fit in well with a lot of CM type clothing. I think they're about $200. 3sixteen's SL-100x is popularly recommended on denim boards. They're also a slim-straight cut and about $200.

I think part of the reason why some people find it odd to be so focused on jeans is that jeans began, and remain in many ways, clothes meant for rugged work. In a sense, there is a degree of insincerity in "good" jeans. It's not what jeans are for. Contrast this with suits which have always been meant to have been made finely.

Now admittedly, jeans have been stylish for many years, but part of the appeal of jeans is that they are not supposed to look fashionable, but it is supposed to be an effortless "cool". In fact, that's the essence of what "cool style" is supposed to be about: I am not supposed to care, but somehow I still look bad ass, because it is authentic or whatever the case might be.

Mind you, I don't think it is ridiculous to buy a pair of jeans in the 100-200 dollar range that are really nice, look good, etc. I do begin to gawk at someone who thinks it is reasonable to buy a pair of 500 dollar ones, though. At that point, one has to question whether one has missed the point.

 

[dieworkwear]

I think part of the reason why some people find it odd to be so focused on jeans is that jeans began, and remain in many ways, clothes meant for rugged work. In a sense, there is a degree of insincerity in "good" jeans. It's not what jeans are for. Contrast this with suits which have always been meant to have been made finely.

This is true of 99% of menswear, including things on the CM side of the board. Nearly all of menswear derives from work, sport, and war. The Norwegian split toe was originally a work shoe worn by British railway engineers, and yet people here pay thousands of dollars for them. Peacoats and chinos were military garments. The penny loafer has its roots in fishing shoes.

 

[suitedcboy]

I am surprised at the brands left out of this discussion. Cinch, Ariat, and Panhandle slim jeans are not even mentioned. West of the Mississippi but not ALL the way west, those are the brands worn by most. I guess SF doesn't get too much traffic from that slice of America.

 

[mak1277]

This is interesting for me, because I tend to assume (clearly incorrectly) that people who frequent Styleforum always care how they look. If I throw on a pair of jeans, it's going to be an interesting pair of jeans that I love and which will get beaten up and get even better with age - doesn't matter if it's working in the garden or going for a walk with my son. But YMMV, as they say.

I am far too lazy to care how I look all the time. I throw on a Walmart T-shirt, poly blend stretch hiking pants and a baseball cap most nights when I get home from work.

 

[FlyingHorker]

Wrangler's Cowboy Cut in original fit is basically "Athletic fit, with good enough fabric, but without the marketing upcharge, and mid-high rise". I dig the rivets, and how the outseam shows the fades nicely, forgot what that detail is called.

I bought a pair of jeans from Left Field, Cone Mills single rinse, and I don't see what's special about it in comparison. Maybe I just haven't handled quality denim. The Atlas Cut also sharply tapers from the knee down and looks a bit awkward as well compared to the Cowboy Cut.

Recently got an '80s Levi jacket as well with nice fades, fits me well.

For my case, I don't really notice much of a difference in all these denims except for fading over time, thickness, and breathability.

 

[Clouseau]

Apart the Lee 21 oz (i posted a picture before), here are my favorites :

LVC 1962 551zxx in Cone Mills denim

Lee Riders 1952 (James Dean wore them IRL and in some movies), from Lee Archives Japan, with my son's Lee Riders (well he is 10 now, so it doesn't fit anymore hey)

So i've got two Lee Riders 1952 repros from the Lee Archives, in Japanese denim (i suppose). I didn't buy them the same year, they are slightly different. (patch, button, and tag color)

One of those and Lee Riders from Lee Europe in Cone Mills raw denim (interesting, raw like the 21 oz, but usually the Lees are sanforized - i think they might have invented the process but i'm not sure)

The Lee Riders Europe are based on the 1959 model (7 belt loops, the 1952 has 5 belt loops. No, i am not a denimhead.)