The difference in jeans?

[tam.audio]

I guess men my age (20s') shop at Abercrombie, Express and other "higher end" places.

A good place for gentlemen to find superior value on well-made jeans here in the USA is Kohls Department Stores. I'm not generally a huge fan of this store (I find the huge displays of oversized female underwear to be a little offputting..) But Kohls a) has very good sales, where you can buy a good brand pair of jeans for ~ $40 or so; and b) they carry sufficient variety in terms of brand, cut, and size, that most every man will be able to find a perfect pair.

I've never stepped foot in an Abercrombie or like store. I second the Kohl's shopping. Best place to go for jeans, I buy Levi's boot cut. Typically the ones that are the least distressed possible, which is hard these days. I found a pair of jeans a year ago, went back and bought two more pairs.

 

[Mr. Clean]

Thanks for all the help, folks!

I'm an old hillbilly from the hills of Appalachia. Try as hard as I might, I doubt I could ever look 'fashionable'. Though I am recently separated and will eventually need/want to get back out there, the club isn't exactly my scene. I don't want to look like a slob, but I'm not relying on my clothes/jeans to impress anyone.

Dickies don't fit me right. Like I said, I grew up running the mountains so I've got some pretty thick legs Dickies are pretty unforgiving in my experience.

We have TJ Maxx & Kohl's locally, so I'll take the time one of these days to go check out what they have in stock. I've looked for slacks there before but have a hard time finding anything in my size.

I've also seen the Mossimos at Target but they seem pretty skinny/straight-legged. See the above comment regarding Dickies.

I might be interested in trying out a pair of rigid/raw jeans. The '13MWZ rigid Wranglers', are those available at Walmart? If I got a pair of these, how big do I want to go to ensure they don't shrink too much?
I really do appreciate all the input. Thank you, again!

I don't think they are available at WM. I buy from one of the several local western wear stores. I don't recall them shrinking that much. I buy what fits in store and that seems to work out fine for me.

 

[gone down south]

H+M have quality 'fashion' jeans in the $50-75 range, that's where I usually end up drooling over the full price Lucky and Diesel stock.

 

[tsmba]

Don't know if they've been mentioned, but Carharrt makes good jeans. I've also had good results with Lands' End....and they'll hem them to order, too.

 

[SpyvSpy]

Most comfortable jeans I got are lucky brand from marshalls and FCUK jeans.

 

[Doc4]

I've worn Levi's 501's for over 40 years (not the same pair I hasten to add) I am finding it more difficult to obtain the original style 501's, when it becomes impossible then I shall stop wearing jeans and wear something else instead (chinos anyone? )

Could you elaborate? I see 501s for sale fairly regularly, and have bought a few pair in the last few years ... I'm wondering how they have changed style in the past 40 years or so?

Thanks!

 

[airplanedoc]

I was in Farm and Fleet today. Carharrt jeans say on the tag they are premium 15oz Denim. They were noticably thicker and heavier than most of the other brands of jeans for sale in the store.

 

[GarageBoy]

Shrink to fit means, get bigger and let them shrink down correctly
I wear regular STF 501s and Wranglers
I'd be drooling over Levi's Vintage Collection, R by 45rpm, Sugarcane Denim, etc if I wasn't a 40 waist.

Oh, a VERY cool blog
repeattofade.blogspot.com

 

[Kirenaaz]

Dakota HYPER-DRI® HD1 Relaxed Fit Stretch Jeans are the most expensive Jeans I own, but they wear well and in the Fraser valley the water-repellant property is extremely welcome. The only problem is the smallest I can get them is a 34 waist.

For daily wear, I use Dakota Relaxed Fit Denim because I can get them in 33W/34L, otherwise I'm stuck buying Jeans that are either too tight or too loose.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Currently, I'm liking my Levis, Nautica, and Roundtree & Yorke (Dillard's house brand) jeans. Ralph Lauren 'Chaps' were great, but I don't know if they make them anymore, or if they come in what I euphemistically refer to as "grown up sizes."

Levis 501s used to blow out in the crotch much too early for me, because I used to bike/run pretty seriously and have 29" thighs. Moving to a relaxed fit (550s) solved the problem.

Lees are cut too narrow through the hips for me. Wrangler 20X are great jeans, but don't come in my current size.

Academy Sports sells an "Austin" line of denim that's well made and dirt cheap. I have one of their jackets, and it's very well made. Of what I'm wearing now, the Nauticas are the best. Great cut, great fit, look good on me.

NANP™

 

[Biffo]

Could you elaborate? I see 501s for sale fairly regularly, and have bought a few pair in the last few years ... I'm wondering how they have changed style in the past 40 years or so?

Thanks!

Mine are what I call original "shrink to fit" 501's, the red tab the button fly the rivets on the watch pocket the dark blue that took 2 years of washing to fade to the nice ice blue colour . This was in the UK standard until sometime in the 90's (not sure of exact date) when 501's "unstructured" jeans came out that looked like a bag of sh*te and fitted like one I can't even begin to describe them. I see from adverts that new "improved take on the 1947 501's" are out now, with a lower back line and fitting on the hips rather than the waist, pre faded pre worn and pre torn LOL

If I can find any more of "my" style of 501's I'll buy 4 pairs instead of my usual 2 pairs and that will be the end of my jeans wearing life

 

[philamac]

If I can find any more of "my" style of 501's I'll buy 4 pairs instead of my usual 2 pairs and that will be the end of my jeans wearing life

A while ago plain simple 501's without shredding, ripping or dying were on sale in the local affordable jeans shop at two pairs for £50. I remember my first pair cost about £40, in 1989. Everybody at my university wore them. Students are head to toe Diesel and G-Star now Shows what trends do to a product.

 

[ARW1971]

It's weird this thread has just come up. I have been searching for a good value pair of jeans for the past six months or so and after extensive research I went for a pair of Edwins (ED39 Raw denim) these are made from Japanese heavyweight denim and I have to say I love them, when i got them they were labelled 33W but were massive, now I have washed them they are perfect. I also bought a pair of Nudie jeans which I have yet to wear.

For your denim fix check here www.mynudies.com. This will have enough info and links to keep you going for a long time.

 

[Bertilak]

For your denim fix check here www.mynudies.com. This will have enough info and links to keep you going for a long time.

Yikes! An entire board dedicated to one brand of jeans! With *hundreds of thousands* of pictures and posts.

Most users ever online was 729, 2nd July 2007 at 17:33.
Threads: 5,692, Posts: 210,679, Members: 11,723

Hard to believe! There is definitely a strange culture out there. Even stranger than B&B!

 

[ARW1971]

It is indeed strange. I think the people on that site are a lot younger than the people on this site. Maybe they will end up here one day when they are old enough to shave.

 

[ogopogo]

I looked at the mynudies website and those jeans just don't look right. I don't know if it's because of the way they're cut or because of the way some of the kids are wearing them.
They look all bunched up in places and too tight in others and the back pockets are placed too low... just doesn't look right.

And I hate that skinny jeans are making a comeback.... maybe I'm just getting old

 

[Confuzius]

I don't like the cheap jeans we get in the UK because they are either too full of fashion (rips, embroidery, colouring etc) or they are for ermmmm, fat blokes with no style. I'm in fair shape for 39 and can get away with 501s and slim cut jeans/khakis so the cheap fat bloke jeans at Tesco/Asda I steer clear of. Not sure if that is the sort of stuff you get at Costco.

You have the benefit of Levi's, Wranglers, Gap, Dockers etc all being a lot cheaper in the US than they are in UK

The currency fluctuations have reduced this a bit, but a part of my visits to Canada always included a visit to buy Levis for myself and some to bring back for friends cos they cost half in Canada of what they cost in the UK.

And I am not suggesting that only fat badly dressed blokes wear cheap jeans!!!! I will spend about £50 but feel unhappy spending much more.

When I was in London last summer on the tail end of a two week trip in Italy living out of carry-on (with no laundry service to be found) I decided that I was in need of some new clothes, if anything as a service to whoever would be sitting next to me on the 6 hour flight home.

I was directed by the concierge in my hotel to a specific street for cheap clothes. I ended up picking up a pair of Kangol button fly jeans (I thought they only made hats) for £10 a year later they've held up pretty well, but they are a strange cut, not bad, just odd.

When I got back wearing these new jeans and an Umbro polo shirt (£5 and my best quality polo fwiw) and my sister told me that I "looked British". I'm thinking it's because of the non-north american cut of the jeans.

 

[cthip]

Mine are what I call original "shrink to fit" 501's, the red tab the button fly the rivets on the watch pocket the dark blue that took 2 years of washing to fade to the nice ice blue colour . This was in the UK standard until sometime in the 90's (not sure of exact date) when 501's "unstructured" jeans came out that looked like a bag of sh*te and fitted like one I can't even begin to describe them. I see from adverts that new "improved take on the 1947 501's" are out now, with a lower back line and fitting on the hips rather than the waist, pre faded pre worn and pre torn LOL

If I can find any more of "my" style of 501's I'll buy 4 pairs instead of my usual 2 pairs and that will be the end of my jeans wearing life

the "original" 501s is really a marketing myth. levi's has repeatedly made slight alterations to the cut according to fashion trends. as you've noticed, the current shrink-to-fit model has a little lower rise and maybe a little slimmer through the leg. if you're a purist and really love a specific 501 style, the LVC (levi's vintage collection) is probably your best bet. they've more-or-less accurately reproduced a number of notable 501 styles. one of them must be close to the 501s that you know and love.

they're difficult to find, and not cheap, but here's one source
http://www.cultizm.com/index.php?currency=GBP&cat=c14_LEVI-S--VINTAGE-CLOTHING--8482-.html&cPath=14

 

[M Guthner]

I've always been a big Carhartt fan as their stuff last a while. I'm a weightlifter with big legs and butt and I wear stuff out fast. I like my clothes loose and comfortable and have found gussetted jeans the "only" way to go. My absolute favorite clothing brand is http://www.arborwear.com/. Spendier than most, but well worth it as the stuff lasts a long time.

 

[Bill Smith]

there are two factors at work (well three actually) in the wear and tear of your jeans. first, the quality of the original denim itself. second, the amount of pre-distressing done by the manufacturer to simulate a worn/vintage look. third, the actual wear and tear that happens as you wear the jeans depending on what you do while you are wearing them.

before i get into a discussion of those factors, let me offer up my opinion on spending $$$ on clothes. in my opinion, there is little if any difference in terms of actual quality/durability of jeans whether they are bought at walmart, target, or from a designer label at a department store. i would argue that the bulk of the extra money is spent on marketing and special branding like logos and labels. some extra money is spent on designers who might cut their jeans to look a little better, and some is spent on extra steps to wash or distress their jeans. i doubt that much money is spent on higher quality denim and materials that would increase the longevity of the item. i know that this does not hold true 100% of the time, but in general i would not expect a $250-$300 pair of designer jeans to last longer than a $30 pair of target jeans. i would just expect them to look "cooler" (subjective of course).


issue #1--denim quality. there are a ton of variables that go into this--higher quality exotic cottons, classic/artisinal methods of winding threads, yarns, and weaving into cloth, sophisticated dyeing strategies--way more than can be discussed here. suffice it to say that most fashion-oriented, mass-market brands are not built for quality/longevity. they are a disposable item that is meant to look good for a year, or maybe just a season, and be discarded. there are small/niche-market manufacturers (mainly from japan, but an increasing number in the us) that craft denim using older construction methods that result in a more durable jean that more closely approximates the classic levis/lee/wrangler jeans (which were originally designed as workwear) in terms of quality and durability. features of these jeans usually include higher quality denim (sometimes but not always identified by a red/white "selvage" line on the outseam of the jeans that can be found by turning the cuff/hem inside-out), heavy-duty stitching, button-fly (generally more durable than zippers), and functional rivets on front and back pockets (and sometimes the crotch seam!). however, these can be prohibitively expensive at $150-$350 per pair. for a good selection of some of these you can check out www.selfedge.com. recently, gap has re-introduced their 1969 line of jeans using "authentic japanese denim." i hate the marketing scheme, but these are widely available at prices ranging from $60-$90. i have a pair and love them. the denim is a little on the thinner/lighter side, but it's proven to be extremely durable in my experience and a significant step up from any other jeans i've seen in a mall regardless of price.

issue #2--predistressing. any softening of the fabric or fading of the indigo dye done by the manufacturer is done through some combination of rinsing, stonewash, bleach, resin, sanding, heat, and who knows what else and accelerates the wear and tear on your jeans. it's not just expensive designers who are doing this--most of the jeans at walmart have received some of this treatment too! if you want them to last longer, buy the unwashed ("raw") rigid deep-blue indigo denim. the original 13MWZ rigid wranglers (although not other wrangler jeans, which have been distressed) referenced by mr. clean are a good deal, as are levi's original 501 shrink-to-fit (pre-washed and pre-shrunk levis have received some distressing at the factory) at around $30-$60 and the gap 1969 japanese denim that i just mentioned. "workwear" brands like carhartt and dickies may also make some tough, rigid jeans at a lower price-point but i don't have personal experience with them. truly raw denim will be stiff/rigid the first time that you wear it due to the starch used in the cut and sewing process. you can rinse out the starch if you want when you get home. be advised that the shrink-to-fit levis are unsanforized and will shrink significantly the first time that you expose them to water so buy a size larger than you normally would. as they shrink they should mold to your body for a "custom" fit.

issue #3--wear-and-tear caused by you. if your jeans are wearing out rapidly, you're probably a pretty active guy. most manufacturers can get away with selling lower quality jeans because the average sedentary american will get bored with their jeans and buy new ones long before the jeans themselves actually wear out. if your jeans wear quickly, it's probably more important for you to buy a higher quality denim with less distressing done at the factory. i hope that i've given examples of how you can accomplish this at a variety of price points. also note that washing (water/soap) and drying (heat) your jeans also accelerates their wear slightly. there are denim fanatics that will go months, if not years without washing their jeans in attempts to have them last longer and accomplish those high-contrast fades that the designers simulate with their factory distressing. i am not an advocate of this, but i would say that if you are trying to maximize the life of your jeans line-dry them instead of using the dryer, and wash them just before they start to get dirty/smelly/itchy instead of every single time you wear them.

This is a pretty good primer on Denim. I have good luck for now with Banana Republic's Dark rinse boot cut jeans in terms of fit and I believe in the old adage in you get what you pay for.