What is the appeal of expensive denim?

Originally Posted by Another level

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To the thread starter: if you cannot tell the difference between poor and good quality denim then I suggest you stick to what you know. Otherwise you'll just end up thinking you've overpaid unnecessarily. Ignorance in this instance can be sheer bliss. This may be the best option for you as it could take you many years, if not at all, to gain the same knowledge as people here.


Anotherlevel

Ok but what knowledge exactly? Being able to visually see the difference? I can see the difference between APC's and wranglers, but take some selvage jeans and compare it to some of levi's rigid jeans, there's very little difference. If you looked at it from a few yards away, they could easily look exactly the same.

Honestly, it makes no sense that it would take years to gain knowledge about denim. Am I the only one who sees that?? It's not rocket science. Some of the enlightened people should be able to tell me, but so far I haven't really seen anything that tells me that the expensive denim is SO MUCH better than the lower range denim such as levi's, which btw can last a very long time. A picture comparison with notes on the differences would be nice.

Originally Posted by alt solution

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Ok but what knowledge exactly? Being able to visually see the difference? I can see the difference between APC's and wranglers, but take some selvage jeans and compare it to some of levi's rigid jeans, there's very little difference. If you looked at it from a few yards away, they could easily look exactly the same. Honestly, it makes no sense that it would take years to gain knowledge about denim. Am I the only one who sees that?? It's not rocket science. Some of the enlightened people should be able to tell me, but so far I haven't really seen anything that tells me that the expensive denim is SO MUCH better than the lower range denim such as levi's, which btw can last a very long time. A picture comparison with notes on the differences would be nice.
??? Before you learn something new you must try and drop your preconceived ideas. You're approaching the hobby with a very closed mind-framed, and thus you won't get much out of it. It takes a few good weeks to learn about the basics of denim and the different brands/makes/construction, and many years to experience and handle different types. It's not all about the appearance from 5 metres away either - everything from the hand of the fabric to how the dye glistens in the sunlight requires examination. It's also about finding your personal preference in everything from how the inseam is constructed to how the fabric and dye will age with wear. But of course to an uninterested or inexperienced person, a pair of G-stars could very well be mistaken for a pair of Sugar Canes - and it's because a lot of this hobby is about the details. No one on the internet can really give you a tute about all this, just go out, kop a pair of higher-end Cone or Nihon Menpu denim, and find out. There are also plenty of information in the various denim forums and denim blogs - don't be lazy, get reading! If some time down the track you still cannot figure out why you're paying the premium, perhaps this hobby isn't for you...but I'm sure you'll gain some understanding of a denim-nerds mind-set from the experience. Btw, don't bag out Wranglers. The old Wrangler's Japan Blue Bells and the current McCoy makes will knock APC unconscious.

Go handle/try on some good denim, compare them to Levi's, and then make your argument.

Until you do that you won't understand the difference. It's all about the details, not what you can see from a meter away.

P.S. It takes a year+ to really know quality denim because you need to wear a couple pairs for a while to really "get" how different jeans react to your lifestyle.

A pair of Levi's Capital E will speak for itself after being tried on. 'Nuff said.

A lot of it isn't noticeable when the jeans are new, but I can assure you that a well worn, several times washed pair of 5ep's is striking in sunlight. No A.P.C. or other mid level denim, let alone sub $100 denim will ever have the complexity of color or hue. Then there's the hardware on upper level denim...

I think the appeal of expensive denim is different from other expensive clothing.

The fading and wear that people like to achieve with denim give it the unique appeal of being something closer to a hobby or project. Most clothing simply doesn't have that appeal.

I like how my jeans have conformed to fit my legs exactly....and they are just so comfortable to wear.

I have heard of straight up taking a hot shower in your new pair of jeans helps fitting your legs perfectly to the shrinking of the jeans

Originally Posted by stickshift

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I like how my jeans have conformed to fit my legs exactly....and they are just so comfortable to wear.

One of my buddies on superdenim told me that he unwittingly summoned a dragon while wearing a pair of Limited Edition Iron Hearts.

^ I summoned a panda whilst wearing my limited edition Roy's

I got an expensive pair of rag & bones and was less than impressed.

Tried a far less expensive pair of APCs and it happened to suit me much better and now I'm a convert. I've been breaking them in and I don't wear any other jeans anymore. They get more comfortable each day and now I don't even look at other pants while walking through malls because I'm wearing the best I'll ever find as far as I'm concerned. It's quite a nice feeling.

Originally Posted by Epik

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I got an expensive pair of rag & bones and was less than impressed.

Tried a far less expensive pair of APCs and it happened to suit me much better and now I'm a convert. I've been breaking them in and I don't wear any other jeans anymore. They get more comfortable each day and now I don't even look at other pants while walking through malls because I'm wearing the best I'll ever find as far as I'm concerned. It's quite a nice feeling.

Quality of Rag and Bone denim has gone down ever since they stopped using cone mills denim.

Christ, it's like everyone's in denial.

The objective benefits from wearing expensive/raw denim are basically the quality and fit. But I can't say how much more superior the quality is, maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in without being vague.

The subjective factors are obviously the personal fading that develop over time and the.... I really can't think of anything else.

Ultimately, if you think the same fit is unobtainable with regular denim, then you're getting your money's worth I suppose. But personally I've seen great fits from cheaper brands, in which case, you're paying a crap load of money for the fades. Just trying to be realistic here, would like different opinions on the matter though.

^ Mmm, I think it's good to consider it a little bit outside of forum group-think though.

For me personally I don't care that much about the fades, it will come with time.
Other than a contest situation of course
The fit is subjective, and not really an indication of quality.

In terms of quality, there are a lot of things we might look into.
The fabric used. The dye used. How the pieces of denim are stitched together. The hardware. The reinforcements where necessary. The quality of the threads. The leather patch. Weave of the pocket cloth. Etc.
Plenty of resources on the internet for this type of stuff.

I think there are many differences to appreciate apart from "fading".
Consider the hand/texture of the denim. How the indigo varies in different lighting conditions. Etc.

There's no one single factor, and what is "high-end" or desirable is also quite different amongst different groups of denim-heads.
I think OP just needs to handle and wear-in a few different jeans, and discover what it is about "high-end denim" that he fancies, if anything at all - it's a hobby, and not everyone will appreciate it.

Kop a pair of Studio D'Artisan 103 jeans, walk around in it for a year.
If you can appreciate the differences, then you'd have answered your own question.
If you don't care for it, then stick with whatever you feel comfortable wearing.

Until Levis makes a 511 or 510 STF there will always be a purpose for "expensive" denim