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$300 jeans on, does that mean we dream wrong? - Official Denimhead Thread

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jon bones said:
oh i get it, you posted a picture of an ill-fitting pair of jeans with an exorbitant price tag in order to get us riled up!

hahahahahahahah oh man that's so clever :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

*right click, ignore photos from..., move on*



and now your feigning ignorance as though it were a REAL post all along! my word, you are hilarious and your sense of satire is refreshing in this thread! man, you must be like the funniest guy at parties, amirite?
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Seriously, whats wrong with the jeans. Jeans like that have been fashionable for some time, well at least here in the UK.
 
How do you denim heads rate Express Jeans? I'm not rich or anything but I always try to get express jeans when on box sale. Which run about anywhere from $30-50 when on sale, to 75-100 when not.
 
Bad_Boy said:
How do you denim heads rate Express Jeans? I'm not rich or anything but I always try to get express jeans when on box sale. Which run about anywhere from $30-50 when on sale, to 75-100 when not.
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Honestly, if you're going to be buying inexpensive jeans you should just be getting Levi's 501 Shrink-to-fits. I can't speak from experience about the Express jeans, but I can safely assume they're nothing special.
 
manutd said:
Seriously, whats wrong with the jeans. Jeans like that have been fashionable for some time, well at least here in the UK.
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nothing is 'wrong' with the jeans - though they are way too tight in my opinion.

i was commenting on the fact that Gio_CoD was trying to be disruptive in a very facetious way. he found a pair of jeans that was on an extreme end of the 'fit' spectrum, lied and said it cost him $490 which is on the extreme end of the 'price' spectrum.

to the uniniated, he makes us denim aficionados look like a bunch of assholes - he is playing into what so many of GAF's anti-fashion kids don't like (very high price, extremely unconventional fit) and then adds a comment about 'expensive sunglasses' in an effort to get more people riled up.


that's just his shtick, it amuses him, he is an internet troll like so many others. no big deal really (i'm glad i don't have to descend to that level of nerd to amuse myself), but some of us are trying to be helpful to those who like denim / would like to know more about denim.
 
jon bones said:
nothing is 'wrong' with the jeans - though they are way too tight in my opinion.

i was commenting on the fact that Gio_CoD was trying to be disruptive in a very facetious way. he found a pair of jeans that was on an extreme end of the 'fit' spectrum, lied and said it cost him $490 which is on the extreme end of the 'price' spectrum.

to the uniniated, he makes us denim aficionados look like a bunch of assholes - he is playing into what so many of GAF's anti-fashion kids don't like (very high price, extremely unconventional fit) and then adds a comment about 'expensive sunglasses' in an effort to get more people riled up.


that's just his shtick, it amuses him, he is an internet troll like so many others. no big deal really (i'm glad i don't have to descend to that level of nerd to amuse myself), but some of us are trying to be helpful to those who like denim / would like to know more about denim.
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ah ok, fair enough
 
What is so hard to accept about expensive jeans? Sometimes the fit you want, with the look you want is only available at a certain price. And as with any hobby, if you are that passionate about it, price isn't the issue. It's about getting what you want, the way you want it.

I really I have no problem spending the money. I really like my $30 Levi's 501 STF. But I also really like my $150 APC New Standards. Both are worth the price because they're what I wanted, and offer something that no other jean does.
 
Jimmy Stav said:
Honestly, if you're going to be buying inexpensive jeans you should just be getting Levi's 501 Shrink-to-fits. I can't speak from experience about the Express jeans, but I can safely assume they're nothing special.
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I mean the main reason why I get express jeans is because the styles. I have about 10 pair that all look nothing alike and I can match them with anything. They don't wear down that quick either. I wear jeans everyday. Unless it's blazing outside.

But i'll check out those levi's
 
Since no one in this thread seems to have actually explained why these jeans are higher quality:

Selvage denim (also called selvedge denim) is a type of denim which forms a clean natural edge that does not unravel. It is commonly presented in the unwashed or raw state. Typically, the selvage edges will be located along the out-seam of the pants, making it visible when cuffs are worn. Although selvage denim is not completely synonymous with unwashed denim, the presence of selvage typically implies that the denim used is a higher quality.[citation needed]

The word "selvage" comes from the phrase "self-edge", the natural edge of a roll of fabric. As applied to denim, it means that which is made on old-style shuttle looms. These looms weave fabric with one continuous cross thread (the weft) that is passed back and forth all the way down the length of the bolt. As the weft loops back into the edge of the denim it creates this “self-edge” or Selvage. Selvage is desirable because the edge can’t fray like lower grade denims that have separate wefts which leave an open edge that must be stitched. Shuttle looming is a more time-consuming weaving process that produces denim of a tighter weave resulting in a heavier weight fabric that lasts.[citation needed]

Shuttle looms weave a more narrow piece of fabric, and thus a longer piece of fabric is required to make a pair of jeans (approximately 3 yards). To maximize yield, traditional jean makers use the fabric all the way to the selvage edge. When the cuff is turned up the two selvage edges, where the denim is sewn together, can be seen. The selvage edge is usually stitched with colored thread: green, white, brown, yellow, and red (red is the most common). Fabric mills used these colors to differentiate between fabrics.

Most selvage jeans today are dyed with synthetic indigo, but natural indigo dye is available in smaller niche denim labels such as Evisu. Though they are supposed to have the same chemical makeup, there are more impurities in the natural indigo dye. Loop dying machines feed a rope of cotton yarn through vats of indigo dye and then back out. The dye is allowed to oxidize before the next dip. Multiple dips create a deep dark indigo blue.

In response to increased demand for jeans in the 1950s, American denim manufacturers replaced the old shuttle style looms with modern projectile looms. The new looms produced fabric faster and wider (60-inches or wider), though lighter[citation needed] and less durable[citation needed]. Synthetic dyeing techniques along with post-dye treatments were introduced to control shrink and twist.
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Jimmy Stav said:
Since no one in this thread seems to have actually explained why these jeans are higher quality:
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So basically, they're a higher quality jean that doesn't fall apart at the seams, as opposed to cheaper jeans which.....don't fall apart at the seams?
 
thanks for the wikiquote - updated the OP

though i wonder how many haters will actually read it before making a stupid comment next time :lol
 
After reading through this thread I'm all hopped up on buying jeans. I'm in the middle of losing some weight, so I don't want to jump into anything to terribly pricey. The Levi's Shrink to Fits seem pretty fun, though.

How exactly do they work, though?

From what I understand I should buy something an inch or so loose in the waist, and a few inches long in the inseam. Then I hop into a hot shower with them on, and do I wear them until they're dry? and then just treat them like jeans (wear them a bunch, hardly wash, etc etc)?
 
It depends on the kind of fit you want with the STFs. I bought my STFs a size small, I could still button them but they barely, I wanted a tight fit. Just soak them in hot water. Let them dry, you might want to wear them as they dry so the waist doesn't get too tight. They should mold to your body, not as well as more expensive jeans, but for 30 bucks they're pretty damn great.

As for washing, wash them as you please. There are no real rules, but you'll achieve a higher fade contrast the less you wash them. They'll still fade nicely if you wash them often, depending on how hard you wear them.

And as a side note, unless you're a stank ass, sweat a lot, or get some sort of dirtiness on them, jeans and pants don't really need to be washed that often. It's not filthy to wear them quite a few times without a wash. And I just saw a report on my local news about wearing cloths more than once without a wash, and they said the same thing.
 
manutd said:
Seriously, whats wrong with the jeans. Jeans like that have been fashionable for some time, well at least here in the UK.
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Those jeans he posted fit terrible. Not only are they tight, but the inseam is too short.

Fenderputty said:
Jeans aren't meant to be priced over 70-100 dollars. Anything beyond that is just showing off.

http://www.express.com/catalog/category.jsp?parentCategoryId=1&categoryId=62

Stylish ... not to pricey ... last a long time/well made.
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Express jeans can't even touch Naked & Famous, Twelvebar, Nudie or Crate quality wise. $50 Levi STF is better quality than the express jeans.
 
for 300 dollars you can buy the raw fabric ship to Shanghai and have a tailor make you jeans. I think i had a whole suit and dress shirts made for less then that.
 
I think I'll try some of this raw denim stuff when I lose a little more weight. For now, I'm perfectly fine with my Gap 1969s and True Religions (pretty basic and not over the top stitching).
 
Jimmy Stav said:
Honestly, if you're going to be buying inexpensive jeans you should just be getting Levi's 501 Shrink-to-fits. I can't speak from experience about the Express jeans, but I can safely assume they're nothing special.
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Is the quality of the 501 STF significantly better than that of the 514?

Anyway, the rise on the 501 is a little too much for me.
 
Desperado said:
Is the quality of the 501 STF significantly better than that of the 514?

Anyway, the rise on the 501 is a little too much for me.
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quality is not a big issue, the main difference is the cut. However 514 vary in quality where as 501 stfs are pretty standard.
 
demon said:
So basically, they're a higher quality jean that doesn't fall apart at the seams, as opposed to cheaper jeans which.....don't fall apart at the seams?
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People who buy the $300 denim do appear to justify their purchases by fantasizing that cheap jeans are uncomfortable, look bad and have different 'seams' (no, really). In reality, cheap jeans are comfy as they can be, look great and fit great.


Rather than having a pair of jeans which take 2 years of daily wear with no washing to start looking good, I'd much rather spend half the amount on getting a pair of jeans which look good as soon as I wear them.
 
Can you guys give me some suggestions? I've never had any expensive jeans. I've always worn express/levi's. The most important thing to me is fit. Secondly I hate garish stitching/styling. FWIW my current fave jeans are my levi's slim 514 straight leg size 32/32
 
T Dawg said:
People who buy the $300 denim do appear to justify their purchases by fantasizing that cheap jeans are uncomfortable, look bad and have different 'seams' (no, really). In reality, cheap jeans are comfy as they can be, look great and fit great.


Rather than having a pair of jeans which take 2 years of daily wear with no washing to start looking good, I'd much rather spend half the amount on getting a pair of jeans which look good as soon as I wear them.
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To be honest, I've never worn a pair of jeans that hugged my ass the same way that my True Religions do. I've had Levi's, Calvin Klein, Gap, Anchor Blue and all that but none of them have felt as good to me and elitist jeans-age doesn't even think True Religion is that great.

Oh and I get mine on sale so I usually spend $100 a pop instead of the $200-$300 it usually retails for.
 
jon bones said:
to the uniniated, he makes us denim aficionados look like a bunch of assholes - he is playing into what so many of GAF's anti-fashion kids don't like (very high price, extremely unconventional fit) and then adds a comment about 'expensive sunglasses' in an effort to get more people riled up.
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I'm not convinced this denim fetish is in the realm of fashion. It seems more like a kid who collects Converse shoes or different baseball caps. Fashion seems more like a way of describing the art, style and movements dealing with clothing.

You don't think of a person who collects rare and unique vinyl albums as a musician or A/V fanatic.
 
mac said:
I'm not convinced this denim fetish is in the realm of fashion. It seems more like a kid who collects Converse shoes or different baseball caps. Fashion seems more like a way of describing the art, style and movements dealing with clothing.

You don't think of a person who collects rare and unique vinyl albums as a musician or A/V fanatic.
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well i think those are about the worst analogies you could have picked :lol

i'm happy to discuss this with you, though! this is how i see it: fashion is art where you are your own canvas. though perhaps not quite as strong a statement as a tattoo, fashion still allows you to express whatever you would like through what you decide to wear.

what denim does is allow you to express the exact product of your actions. you buy a solid pair of jeans that fit you very well - however it is you find 'very well' - and you live in them. running around the cit, working, partying, traveling... it will all take it's toll on you and your jeans. after a couple years you'll look at your jeans and see subtle results of who you wear - a fade in the shape of a zippo lighter or DSi or your journal. evidence of a bike rider or skateboarder. there is something amazing about wearing a 2 year old pair of well worn jeans after breaking them in and molding them to your body for so long.



also, your analogy at the end makes no sense. don't see how that proves that denim is not an aspect of fashion as an art. maybe this major part of men's fashion is somehow not included into the realm of the art of fashion for you, that's OK if that's how you see it. it is very plainly obvious to some of us.
 
I can understand people getting into this stuff, so I don't understand the hate. If anything, those of us who aren't denimheads can at least learn a little bit about the product from people who are, and go into our own purchases with a little insider knowledge.

The only thing I'd say back to the denimheads is that many of us in the unwashed masses aren't paying retail for True Religion, Lucky, Diesel, etc. I know plenty of people with jeans from these brands and no one paid full price. I've got a pair of Joe's and Lucky jeans, and I didn't pay even 50% of retail for either. Would I pay $150+ for either pair? Nope.
 
VistraNorrez said:
What is so hard to accept about expensive jeans?
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What's hard for me to accept about $300 jeans is that there's no way they should cost that much, even when you factor in the manufacturing and cost of the designers' salaries. They are hosing you and you are taking it. People should at least insist on a reasonable price cap by not buying, even if they really want them. They'll lower the price if nobody is buying them.
 
akachan ningen said:
What's hard for me to accept about $300 jeans is that there's no way they should cost that much, even when you factor in the manufacturing and cost of the designers' salaries. They are hosing you and you are taking it. People should at least insist on a reasonable price cap by not buying, even if they really want them. They'll lower the price if nobody is buying them.
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the market exists already, the price point has been found and it is around ~$300 for a pair of high quality jeans in america. the fabrication of these jeans is not done on a mass production level, the quality of the components do not come cheap, the import costs to get them to the US is not insignificant and there is a premium on them on top of all that to keep the riff raff out.

you don't want to pay $300 for selvage denim? that's OK!! there are awesome jeans for 10% of that cost - go nuts. i have the means and the will to buy the best in breed. i will do just that.

i know in my heart there is no way a PS3 should cost $340 (as per a thread you made) and yet you encouraged others to jump on it because you felt that it was a good deal! you saw value in that where many others do not. this is the same exact thing.
 
yep, j crew has nice selvage for less than $150!

what model/size? mind posting pics - not many denimheads venture into j.crew's premium denim so i'd like to see more.
 
jon bones said:
the market exists already, the price point has been found and it is around ~$300 for a pair of high quality jeans in america. the fabrication of these jeans is not done on a mass production level, the quality of the components do not come cheap, the import costs to get them to the US is not insignificant and there is a premium on them on top of all that to keep the riff raff out.

you don't want to pay $300 for selvage denim? that's OK!! there are awesome jeans for 10% of that cost - go nuts. i have the means and the will to buy the best in breed. i will do just that.

i know in my heart there is no way a PS3 should cost $340 (as per a thread you made) and yet you encouraged others to jump on it because you felt that it was a good deal! you saw value in that where many others do not. this is the same exact thing.
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:lol

I'd say this right there is what people who think this whole thing is stupid are arguing against.
 
Fenderputty said:
Jeans aren't meant to be priced over 70-100 dollars. Anything beyond that is just showing off.
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Oh, you forgot to name that they won't fall apart on you like most jeans will now. Without looking like a bum, I bet I can wear 1 pair of jeans for 1 year - 1 year and a half and they'll still look 100 times better than whatever jean you decide to wear from American Eagle, Levi's, Express, etc.

Neighborhood denim, yeah, they're a bit insane on their pricing. I've seen jeans for them range from $750 - $1,000.
 
T Dawg said:
People who buy the $300 denim do appear to justify their purchases by fantasizing that cheap jeans are uncomfortable, look bad and have different 'seams' (no, really). In reality, cheap jeans are comfy as they can be, look great and fit great.

Rather than having a pair of jeans which take 2 years of daily wear with no washing to start looking good, I'd much rather spend half the amount on getting a pair of jeans which look good as soon as I wear them.
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This is just your opinion. I do not argue with people who like their $30 jeans because I understand they are happy with them. It's pointless. Is it so hard to understand that the people who spend that much money on their jeans genuinely like them too? Just because you can't fathom it doesn't mean others can't. Those expensive jeans do actually offer things that your pair do not.

Do you like all brands of jeans? No, you have preferences don't you? You probably like the fit and style of a certain brand.

And you're also wrong with your second point. Every denimhead loves their pair from the start. The fun side of the hobby is watching them change as the days go by. It's cool and they only get better looking as you wear them. But no one is buying jeans, wearing them everyday, just they can look cool 2 years later. Hell there's a lot of them that don't like their jeans to fade at all.
 
I've been wondering something about wearing raw denim. Would I have to get a seat protector for my car so I don't put a blue stain in the shape of my ass? I assume I'd also have to avoid wearing white shoes too.
 
Jamesfrom818 said:
I've been wondering something about wearing raw denim. Would I have to get a seat protector for my car so I don't put a blue stain in the shape of my ass? I assume I'd also have to avoid wearing white shoes too.
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some denim will bleed, though i've never had an issue - if you get soaking wet then i would definitely sit on a newspaper but for daily use most jeans won't bleed onto your car

same thing with white sneakers -

bleeding is usually a per-brand basis as some brands overdye to the point where you'll have blue marks if you rub up against a white wall for the first couple of weeks wearing them
 
apparently Gap has a selvage line. I know they had 1969's in raw, but this is the first i've heard Gap having a selvage jean. $80 too, but the fit looks like crap.

I've actually wanted to try some cheap Uniqlos. Anyone with experience?
 
my only experience was getting on the subway, seeing a dude in nice jeans and asking him, 'wow nice jeans - what brand are those?' expecting to hear 'Skull' and he replied 'uniqlo selvage, they were like $100.'

i was shocked.

EDIT: never really seen the cheaper pairs...
 
This thread interests me a bit. I try to understand it, but at the end I think I'm firmly in the middle. $~70 jeans, discount shopper extraordinaire. :) So yeah, I was wondering if there's plans for a thread like this about shirts?
 
Giant Robot said:
apparently Gap has a selvage line. I know they had 1969's in raw, but this is the first i've heard Gap having a selvage jean. $80 too, but the fit looks like crap.

I've actually wanted to try some cheap Uniqlos. Anyone with experience?
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I actually have two pairs of their classic fit and I like them (the 1969 Gap that is). They were both $30 off when I bought them too. I didn't even notice that they were selvage until I took a peak just now.
 
qcf x2 said:
This thread interests me a bit. I try to understand it, but at the end I think I'm firmly in the middle. $~70 jeans, discount shopper extraordinaire. :) So yeah, I was wondering if there's plans for a thread like this about shirts?
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Well some items naturally make sense to discuss in a thread about denim:

sweatshirts
workshirts
leather products (boots/wallets/belts)

but personally i only know a little about shirts (cut, fit and a few materials like denim cotton silk chambray etc) and they are not so versatile as denim (1 pair of denim can be the base for many, many outfits) so i won't head that up. for now i am trying my hardest to keep this thread doing well, men's fashion age is doing well on it's own as a consolidated thread for all aspects of men's fashion and the boot thread is still budding. not sure if GAF is ready for more 'official' fashion threads yet :lol


and i got 2 TE sticks for the price of 1 pair of jeans - i consider both purchases equally awesome (one for going out with friends, one for staying in with friends :D )
 
My first pair of proper jeans should be arriving tomorrow, feeling a little excited :lol
 
yesssssssssss!!!!!!

welcome to the team, big guy! from your posts i gather you went for APC New Standards? did you size down any?

remember to post pics when they come in!
 
I'm probably going to swing by the APC store in Hollywood one of these days. Maybe I'll buy myself a pair of new jeans if I get my promotion.
 
well they're either the resuces or the new standards - in any case, they are great jeans! they were 65 pounds / 110 dollars? that's a pretty damn good deal...


sized down 2 - they may be tight for a week but the waistband will stretch in time if it's too tight


my new jeans have made me go to the gym for a different reason - been hitting up the squats to get me some chun li thighs :lol
 
i love denim jeans and i've spent 130€ for a pair of Diesel's Viker, but i've also bought other denim jeans cheaper for around 60€, for example: Seven for mankind, G-Star and Energie

anyway, i think here in Europe we get raped with the prices for denim jeans.
 
demon said:
So basically, they're a higher quality jean that doesn't fall apart at the seams, as opposed to cheaper jeans which.....don't fall apart at the seams?
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My thoughts exactly. I'm sure I have a pair of sub $100 jeans that I've owned for years that isn't a tattered pile of rags yet.

The actual fit of the jeans instead of it its lined with silver is all I care about.
 
intheinbetween said:
anyway, i think here in Europe we get raped with the prices for denim jeans.
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yes, i'm inclined to agree - euro prices seem higher on many of these products. i updated the OP with one UK site and i'm trying to find more so you guys don't have to import from the US
 
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