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Wrangler is Better than Levi's

gnatty8

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How old is the LVC range? Didn't know it was more than 2 decades...

To be more precise, the only pair of Levi's jeans I have purchased in the last 2 decades were LVC, and I bought those two years back. That said, I am fairly sure they've been around at least 15 or 20 years.
 

aristoi bcn

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Jeans are probably the item of my wardrobe that took me more effort to get right. And I think I'm not the only one. I mean, to get a pair that I feel comfortable with. I never listened to others advice in regards to buying jeans. Sales associates in the Levi's retailers were less knowledgable than myself, and I had no much more clue. I started to buy my own clothes (with dad's money when I was 12 or so) Through this road, apart from Levi's (I had quite good luck with some pairs of the 511 and the 504 when younger that I almost worn out) bought some Diesel, GAP and Uniqlo (Raw) and not few pairs of Zara. Also enjoyed 5 or 6 pairs of the Made and Crafted range that I used a bit as well. But I really feel shame to have so many pairs almost unworn in the country house. A waste of money and not good from an environmentally. I gave away already some of the ones that don't fit anymore.

I should have around 20 pairs of Levi's bought from 2002 to 2016 or so that I bought looking for the perfect jean Since I'm 14 or 15 and my size has not changed that much. It took me a bit to realize that my body was not favoring the 2000's 501 fit...after 3 or 4 pairs in different washes and sizes. Too much seat in relation to waist and thus bagging at the bum. But I blindly insisted until I gave up. The jeans outfit has been like a chimera.

Last 3-4 years I've been almost happily worn the 501 1954z, the slimmest of the LVC range if not mistaken. Not a bad fit but very unreliable in sizing even following the care instructions for washing. I always wear a blue pair at a time. But my current worn pair (already 1 year old) is an Studio D'Artisan Ivy fit. More comfortable in the waist than the Levi's. I've to say that I wear jeans (or should I say jean?) from 2 to 4 times a week.

Next pair I will buy will be the Orslow 107. Have this pair in off white and the fit is even better than with the Studio d'Artisan.
 

dieworkwear

Mahatma Jawndi
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I've been wearing RRL a lot since the start of the lockdown. I don't know if all RRL jeans are made in the US, but mine are. Also been wearing Chimala a bit more in the last couple of months (those are made in Japan, and feature a fuller leg).

Normally wear 3sixteen SL-100x (made in US), COF Studio M1 and M2 (made in Italy), and Stevenson Overall Co's 767 (Japan). Have a couple of non-raw jeans from Our Legacy jeans that I like. I don't mind washed denim, but still mostly wear raw.

Self Edge recently received a new shipment of Studio d'Artisan jeans made from Sally Fox cotton. For those unfamiliar, Sally Fox is a Northern California farm that specializes in organic and natural cotton. They make undyed, naturally colored cotton in colors such as green and brown, although the ones at Self Edge are indigo dyed. I was tempted to purchase a pair the other day.

Studio_DArtisan_Fox_Cotton_Fiber_Jeans_Straight_Tapered-01-680x1025.jpeg
 

gnatty8

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I've been wearing RRL a lot since the start of the lockdown. I don't know if all RRL jeans are made in the US, but mine are. Also been wearing Chimala a bit more in the last couple of months (those are made in Japan, and feature a fuller leg).

Normally wear 3sixteen SL-100x (made in US), COF Studio M1 and M2 (made in Italy), and Stevenson Overall Co's 767 (Japan). Have a couple of non-raw jeans from Our Legacy jeans that I like. I don't mind washed denim, but still mostly wear raw.

Self Edge recently received a new shipment of Studio d'Aritsan jeans made from Sally Fox cotton. For those unfamiliar, Sally Fox is a Northern California cotton farm that specializes in organic and natural cotton. They make undyed, naturally colored cotton in colors such as green and brown, although the ones at Self Edge are indigo dyed. I was tempted to purchase a pair the other day.
View attachment 1607822

I think RRL is hit or miss in terms of "made in" but this doesn't bother me, since I cannot tell appreciable quality differences between the probably 23 or 24 pair I have collected over the years! The non-selvedge jeans they started making in the last couple of years are not quite up my alley, and I don't think they warrant their price.
 

mak1277

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Just because of this thread I wore a pair of wranglers (with stretch) tonight after work to go outside with my kid. Completing the effort was a poly fishing shirt and 20 year old baseball cap. Probably the least styleforum fit ever.
 

dieworkwear

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Just because of this thread I wore a pair of wranglers (with stretch) tonight after work to go outside with my kid. Completing the effort was a poly fishing shirt and 20 year old baseball cap. Probably the least styleforum fit ever.

 

NorCal

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This all makes sense. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to but jeans online.

I guess for me jeans fit into the category of clothes that I only wear if I don’t care how I look. So paying a bunch of money for jeans, or buying jeans that require special care, doesn’t make sense. I would say my attitude towards tshirts is the same...I buy cheap ones that I can wear when I’m running around the neighborhood after my kid. But if I was going out to dinner with friends I’d never wear one. I’m always going to pick a pair of fatigue pants, or chinos or cords over wearing jeans out and about.

I like tailoring. But I also need clothes that are fuss free. Random stuff that I wear around the house can’t come with an instruction manual like a gremlin.

Just FYI nice jeans don't require any special care. I wear them until they are dirty and then i wash them. That is literally all the "special care" that nice jeans require. If they are raw, just pre-wash them it you don't want Smurf blood on everything.
 

aristoi bcn

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Ralph Lauren seem to have a good reputation among the average consumer. Those not versed in fashion (and ime, with no much criteria) willing to look acceptable outside the most casual settings Polo is the way to go. No matter if for the most basic T-shirt, this type of consumer is willing to pay a premium for the logo. Back in the days (and maybe also nowadays) Tommy, Lacoste and Burberry had a similar reputation, but it has weakened. Gant was never available and arrived late to the prep? revival of the early-mid 2000s. BB even arrived later.

I'm very prejudiced. I was one of the first in my school to wear Polo in the early 2000s. Decent quality. But I was buying the boys range back then. I think I bought like 4 or 5 ocbd shirts to emulate the cool kids of the time, (I used to wear them with those bad fitting 501 and Dockers) they probably having bought the stuff in its trips to USA or London back then. I had the instinct to spot that upper class way of looking and dressing. And to look better than them despite my background, not poor by any means but far from affluent. Today I don't want to emulate anyone, kind of looking for that authenticity that might even look contrived to myself in a decade. Back to Ralph Lauren. They opened an outlet (probably the most popular and well regarded outlet for high end and luxury fashion brands in Spain) in which you could find (but we didn't know in that time) items made specifically for the outlet. The aura was gone for me once I knew. I was 17 or 18.

That's why I find it difficult to like RRL. But one of my favourite retailers (and best online shop ever for me) sells them together with Orslow and Studio d'Artisan so it should be legit.

 

NorCal

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One spending preference isn't stranger than the other. My eye values great shoes (never $1k tho) and suits over fancy raw jeans. I'll happily wear a $300-900 shoe with a $45 pair of jeans. Jeans just aren't a passion of mine.
This reads like you're saying "I'm happy to pay $345-$945 to look like ****."
 

aristoi bcn

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Studio d'Artisan is doing good things. But then many japanese brands (and american) do good as well.

This is my pair:


IMG_9070.jpg


Very similar to the Orslow 107 which basically are the 1954 501 but better fitting (at least for me). If I could have had a spot on fit LVC I think I would have never looked further (ah! the authenticity). I still suffer that regret of having bought (and not worn out) so many pairs of jeans during the years.

But probably those Sd'A or Orslow are what Nicholas Templeman or Emiko Matsuda are to Cleverley or Fosters. If you want a quarter brogue derby boot in russian reindeer you'd better go to someone who is, despite lacking the logo that made the item iconic, the spirit of the thing.
 

NorCal

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I've been wearing RRL a lot since the start of the lockdown. I don't know if all RRL jeans are made in the US, but mine are. Also been wearing Chimala a bit more in the last couple of months (those are made in Japan, and feature a fuller leg).

Normally wear 3sixteen SL-100x (made in US), COF Studio M1 and M2 (made in Italy), and Stevenson Overall Co's 767 (Japan). Have a couple of non-raw jeans from Our Legacy jeans that I like. I don't mind washed denim, but still mostly wear raw.

Self Edge recently received a new shipment of Studio d'Artisan jeans made from Sally Fox cotton. For those unfamiliar, Sally Fox is a Northern California farm that specializes in organic and natural cotton. They make undyed, naturally colored cotton in colors such as green and brown, although the ones at Self Edge are indigo dyed. I was tempted to purchase a pair the other day.

View attachment 1607823
That's really cool. The Capay Valley is gorgeous. I'm curious to see the farm now.
 

dieworkwear

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That's really cool. The Capay Valley is gorgeous. I'm curious to see the farm now.

Some good documentaries about it on YouTube. Avery Trufelman visited the farm for one of her Articles of Interest podcasts.

 

NorCal

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Somebody needs to do a group buy for something made out of this:



Would make a great workers jacket.
 

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