Explain to Me the Concept of a $166 Pair of Jeans
Posted by Cap on August 12, 2010 |
Maybe I just don’t get it.
Maybe I just couldn’t understand why a pair of jeans made in Thailand may be better than another pair of jeans made in Thailand. (To be fair, Diesel jeans are made only in Italy, Tunisia, or Morocco — with the most being produced in Italy).
The thing is, although I may think of it as a waste of money, it really is a sense of perspective and value.
There are MANY denim fans out there. They value a well made pair of denim, that’s well-designed, fashionable, long lasting; and well, many other factors that I probably wouldn’t be able to list.
I took a shot of this pair of jeans earlier this spring while in Rome (during the whole volcano-making-Europeans-life-miserable moment), and I was slightly giddy with excitement as I envision the post I’ll write up, trashing the ridiculously priced jeans and the satisfaction I’ll get when my readers confirm my perspective, and we all pat ourselves on the back and think about how wise we are with our spending.
The thing is, how we spend our money is a very personal and subjective thing. Though I’m a fairly frugal guy, I’ll often do incredibly unpractical things (such as impromptu travel with airfare that makes me spit blood). And in these moments where the spending makes absolutely no sense to another person, it’ll make perfect sense to me.
Although I’ll probably never understand the concept of a pair of jeans that cost more than $20 (and I still hope someone can explain it to me), what I do understand is that I’m still a firm believer in spending whatever the hell you want — as long as you’re not bankrupting yourself or your future.
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August 12th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
And let me guess. They already had a hole in them?
This jeans are definitely beyond my comfort price point, but I did buy one expensive pair at one point — and found them to wear out just as fast if not faster than a regular pair. That was my one splurge, never to be repeated.
What I don’t get is why a woman’s pair with far less fabric costs twice as much as a pair for men. It makes Old Navy look more appealing by the minute.
August 12th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Leigh: Haha.. I don’t recall, but most likely. I think my most expensive pair of jeans was about $80, which was a gift and like you, it seems to wear out at about the same rate of a regular pair.
Speaking of Old Navy jeans, and not to irk you more on why women clothings cost more, it’s really hard to beat a $7 pair of jeans.
Was going to mention this in a follow-up post but might as well upload the picture now.
I was pretty joytastic when I found out the buy one get one 50% off deal was further slashed when this particular pair was already heavily discounted — it was last season’s lineup but it looks exactly the same to me as this years stuff. *shrug*
August 12th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Maybe I “Just don’t get it”, but I wish someone could explain to me why teeny-tiny jeans for a newborn or even for toddlers can cost more than a pair of jeans for adults???
August 12th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
The price premium for me is worth it if the jeans fit well.
For example, I find it difficult to find jeans that fit me well because I’m tall compared to my waist size. There are so few jeans that truly fit well that I’m willing to pay more for this basic wardrobe staple.
August 13th, 2010 at 5:26 am
Donna: because you are not buying it for yourself, but for a child, could be yours or someone else’s that you know and love. You can always deny yourself things that you think you can buy anytime, but can you resist your own beloved son or daughter the little things that will make them look better, to you and to everyone else?
As Ramit said, it’s your perception of what is valuable to you that makes you do what you do.
August 13th, 2010 at 8:38 am
For me, the more expensive jeans are more comfortable, softer and fit better. I live in jeans, and when I find a comfortable, flattering pair, whether they cost $9 or $190, I will buy them. I don’t find any value in the label or the status, and I rarely have more than 3 pairs of jeans at a time. I will wear them literally hundreds of times, so the cost per wear works out in the end. One pair of designer jeans will last me a year or more, and the cost makes me think very carefully before buying, so I am usually SURE I will wear them.
I love old navy, but everything is so cheap there, I often buy more crap there than I would if it was more expensive.
Designer jeans also have a resale value, so if you end up not wearing them, you can resell them on eBay or at a consignment store. I often use the money from selling clothes I don’t wear to buy clothes I will wear.
August 13th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
What Fancy said.
I buy expensive jeans because they are a wardrobe staple. My butt looks better in them. It’s true. I feel like a million bucks in my Prvcy jeans. But, I only have 2-3 pairs at a time and I wear them, in rotation, 5 – 6 times a week. The price-per-wear isn’t that expensive and I figure it’s worth it.
There are many areas where I don’t splurge, but denim isn’t one of them. :)
August 13th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Do I have too??? First off. What is all this talk about they wear out just as fast as a regular pair of jeans. That is some stupid crap. A pair of denim jeans should last you a few years. $166. pair of jeans over 3 years equals out to $55. a year. Is that such a bad deal? Then, I did not buy them because they might wear longer. I bought them because of the fit and how they feel. If I an find a pair of jeans the fits well I don’t care what the price. Well maybe not over a certain price. But, Jeans are a major staple of the Wardrobe and if they don’t feel right then I am not going to buy them. So you have to average out of the cost of the jeans by how many times you will wear them and then decide if they are worth it.
August 15th, 2010 at 9:44 am
My Target $9.99 Wrangler 7-pocket jean shorts suit me quite well. Thank you.
August 15th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
This has been driving me crazy for years. I get it that there is a “differnce” between expensive and cheap jeans. The expensive ones generally better quality (softer, more comfortable), but not worth it for me. The cheaper ones are comfortable too! For me, clothes are a necessity, but fancy clothes are a luxury. So the expensive jeans are not worth it to me. If you don’t have a better use for the extra $100 and you like the jeans, go for it. I won’t hold it against ya! In the end, it’s personal. But don’t ask me for $50 if your jeans are worth triple what mine are. That’s exactly why I have a few bucks in the bank.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:54 am
$166 jeans may fit snug on your butt LOL
August 16th, 2010 at 11:12 am
They fit better because they make your wallet thinner and it slides in your pocket faster.
I don’t think they have to be expensive to fit. Many places do custom sizes if you find to be one of the hard to fit people, I know lands end does and they are not real expensive.
I don’t buy in to that one. Spend hundreds of dollars on your jeans so they fit better. I find these jeans on people who can least afford it, many of the single teen age moms on assistance even are wearing them, and so are there kids? Where are there priorities?
August 16th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
From a strict frugal living point of view, it’s a waste, no question. No justification anyone can come up with would be reasonable enough in a world where 99% of stores offer a similar product at a fraction of cost.
In order to justify this purchase, you have to basically say “it’s my money, I spend it however I want”. It’s like buying a Corvette because you want to “accelerate faster when light turns green” or eat out every night because you’re a “terrible cook”.
You’ve earned your money, spend it on whatever you want, reasonably, and don’t feel bad.
August 17th, 2010 at 11:32 am
To put it more in perspective, its also possible to buy tops over $100. I’d rather buy jeans than a skimpy shirt.
Half of what you pay for these is brand name. The other half can sometimes be material, quality, and sizing. A lot of jeans like this do have jeweling or some other design attached which can drive up the price. Also, if there’s any kind of hand done work on it, that makes it more expensive.
I wouldn’t normally spend more than $20 on jeans. I like to shop around for great deals. I’ve gotten $8 jeans before. But if I really loved the way that these $100 felt, thought they would last me a long time, and had the money to spare, I might be deeply tempted. Like you said, it’ll probably come down to the impulse buy mechanism.
August 18th, 2010 at 7:18 am
These jeans must contain some highly sophisticated technology; I’d even speculate some sort of teleportation device.
August 20th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Jeans are the one thing I splurge on. They are a wardrobe staple and have a way of pulling an otherwise inexpensive wardrobe together. I’ll go to Target and buy tops that are on sale, but I never cheap out on jeans!
August 24th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I consider myself a pretty frugal guy, my wife calls me a cheap ass. I can however say that a good pair of designer jeans is well worth the price. You are not necessarily paying for the name but more the fit and quality. I would much rather pay $200 for a pair of quality jeans that I feel good in and can wear for the next 5 yrs then a cheap pair I MIGHT wear once in a while. Anyway, don’t knock it till you try it.
August 24th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
rdzins, you can’t say that a person is spending $200 on jeans just because they are wearing a certain brand name.
I got $495.00 jeans for $10 at Marshalls. Yes, they are designer jeans, but no they did not cost me a fortune. For the record, I’m a college student, and though you’ll find me wearing expensive clothes I’ve never spend more than $20 on a single piece. So don’t judge when you don’t know!!
August 25th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I am not judging anyone I find it ironic that anyone will sell a 500.00 dollar item for 10 dollars unless it is hot, regardless of what it is. And I don’t believe someone on public assistance can find a whole designer wardrobe for themselves and there children for pennies.
If you have the money and want them or come across a good deal fine, I have no problem with that. But if you are receiving public assistance, going to the food shelf and receiving wic, you should maybe rethink your priorities.
An asset is not what you have on your #@##ss.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
To Lindsay,
I am not judging anyone, I find it ironic that anyone will sell a 500.00 dollar item for 10 dollars unless it is hot, regardless of what it is. And I don’t believe someone on public assistance can find a whole designer wardrobe for themselves and there children for pennies.
If you have the money and want them or come across a good deal fine, I have no problem with that. But if you are receiving public assistance, going to the food shelf and receiving wic, you should maybe rethink your priorities.
An asset is not what you have on your #@##ss.
August 26th, 2010 at 5:08 am
I think the next step in frugality may be to go without clothes.
Let me take that back there are way to many people that need to be wearing clothing. We should get down to wearing items that are much less expensive like loose fitting pants with moccasins. Maybe my goal should be to completely work from my home office so that I only need cloths when I leave the house.
August 27th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more that it is dumb to spends hundreds of dollars on just a normal pair of jeans. I mean don’t get me wrong I love to look good but I just don’t get why people expect me to pay a lot of money for jeans when I can get a similar pair for about 3/4 less the amount. Can anyone explain to me why you spend so much money on your clothes?
August 30th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Maybe they’ll show up at the thrift store and you can buy them for $3.99.
August 30th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
I spend $166 on my jeans; it’s true. I justify it with the following: (a) Old Navy / Gap / Banana Republic, etc jeans simply do not fit me very well – at all, and (b) I can afford it. Maybe men don’t understand the importance of paying more for fit because their bodies do not have as many curves and variables, so it’s easier to find a cheap pair that fits well; certain expensive brands spend a lot of R&D money understanding women’s bodies. To me (again, I can afford it, so I’m not giving up any more important needs to buy the pair), it is worth the extra money to me to buy something that will actually look good on me and that I will feel good in. Maybe if I was in debt or something I would feel differently, or spend a lot of time going to ALL the stores to find the one bargain pair that fits well. Right now, I have more money than time.
August 31st, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Shopping consignment stores is a great way to get
designer brand stuff at very cheap prices. I love
shopping for clothes at those places. If the name on the tag matters to you, then thats a great way to save money and get what you want too.
September 3rd, 2010 at 8:51 am
well if it’s of real good quality and I know that I can wear it everyday forever, I wouldn’t mind paying that much, maybe my daughter can have it too someday! Reading the book by Ellen Ruppel Shell’s book “Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture”, totally changed my outlook on stuff and buying! I used to only buy stuff when its on sale (regardless if I will use it or not), now I only buy stuff that I am sure to use, and if i’m done with it I can pass it on to someone who can use it too. it’s a nice read, eye-opening, insightful! :)
September 7th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
I would never spend $100.00 for a piece of clothing. It just seems like the biggest waste of money ever. There is no sense to ever spend that much money on one clothing item.
September 10th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I don’t get it either! But I agree that if someone can afford it without it breaking the bank, who are we to stop them. What bothers me is people buying $200 jeans who are also in credit card debt and complain they don’t have enough income coming in. Need to balance discipline with wants!
September 16th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
It goes like this: my wife and I are both professionals and, if we are working, safely make at least $200/hr. While we might be able to find a cheap pair that cost less, we know a few expensive brands that always fit well. (i.e. we can buy a new pair in less than 20 minutes, generously, and they fit perfectly.) If finding a cheap brand that fits takes an hour more than buying an expensive brand, it’s well worth it to us to spend the money and not waste the time. Even if we’re not working during the saved hour, the extra time to spend doing things we actually enjoy (as opposed to shopping) is also well worth the extra cash.
If I knew of a cheap brand that was cut well, used good fabric, and was consistent, I would buy it.
September 18th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
It can’t be explained. Have to give props to the guy who decided to make those true religion jeans, he’s a genius.
I guess they all are because people eat that up.
But it’s even funnier to me that people will spend 100 dollars on 200 dollar jeans because they are on sale.
The question is do you blame consumerism or self control?
September 20th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
consumerism or self control….good question. Peer pressure is huge i think when it comes to people paying out the nose for things like jeans….give me jeans that i can trade in for new ones when they wear out and i might pay 30 bucks for em.
September 28th, 2010 at 9:06 am
There are a lot of things I don’t get about clothes trends.
For instance, I have never understood why people would purposely buy jeans that have holes in them or appear to be worked in, let alone pay extra for them. Its like they want to look like they actually work in their jeans, but don’t want to bother with getting their hands dirty. Complete waste of money if you ask me, cause my jeans get holes in them naturally ;)
November 8th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
I have bought one pair of Diesel jeans in my entire life. They were the only pants I’ve paid more than $100 for. I got them quite a while ago. 4 or 5 years. I wear them a lot. Coincidentally, I am wearing them right now. I do believe they are the highest quality and longest lasting pair of jeans I’ve ever worn.
That said, the improvement in quality and durability doesn’t scale directly with price. (As in pretty much any kind of goods) I have a few pairs of jeans that I recently bought from H&M for $20-30 a piece. They look just about as good. They will last at least half as long, if not just as long.
I probably won’t buy any more Diesel jeans, but I don’t look down on everyone who wears them like they are stupid. Hey if someone is into Fashion as their hobby, that’s fine with me. If a fiance/wife was buying $200 jeans on credit.. something like that,.. then that’s not fine with me at all.
November 30th, 2010 at 6:32 am
My husband bought a Diesel jean in Thailand last year. I know, it might not be the real thing, but it looks like a Diesel, feels like a Diesel and fits like a Diesel.
December 20th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Ok, this is my “life size hans solo mold”. Premium denim is my splurge. Before I used to think the same thing, why spend $160 when you can spend $30 or $60?
If you do your research and buy the RIGHT pair of $166 jeans, they WILL last. I’m not talking something trendy being pushed by celebs and in magazines, I’m talking real quality denim. I’ve had quality denim last me as long as 6 years. That’s when I bought them. Plus if you do your research, you can find your $160 jeans for $99 or even $50 if you look hard enough.
If you get the right pair, they last longer, hold their shape better, and can be worn for years!
But again this all comes down to “what’s important to you?” Personally I would rather spend more on my jeans than my shoes, shirts, etc. By buying high quality denim I save myself from having to buy a bunch of crappy $20 denim every other year when it stretches out, fades, rips, etc.
December 25th, 2010 at 11:57 am
You hit it on the nail when you said that spending is a very personal thing. We all spend “stupid money” in some area or another. It may not be with clothes, but for some it’s travel, for other’s it’s art, music, food, etc. The point is to have a balance between sensible budgets and still being able to enjoy life. That’s not so easy to do, especially with our Western culture being programmed to “buy now pay later”.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
If the $130 pair of jeans does wonders for my butt, you bet I’ll buy them. But they’ll just have to be paired with my Guess shoes (purchased at TJ Maxx) and cute tops from Marshall’s. Spluge here, save there … it’s all about balance when buying a wardrobe.
April 8th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
I pay around $200 for jeans, the most recent pair were made stateside, in North Carolina. It turns out that economies of scale don’t work as well for handmade garments that use denim made on shuttle looms that have non-fraying selvedge seams. It’s more expensive because of cost of materials and labor in addition to the time it takes to make a pair of jeans. The result is a necessarily higher cost.
This by no means excuses ‘fashion’ brandings that sell the exact same thing you could get at Wal-Mart but charge more.
In my opinion, buying well-made jeans that support my own domestic economy counts as the opposite of buying crap.
July 30th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
i don’t like the idea of spending more than 2 dollars for a used pair of jeans- preferably a dollar and if i wear them 40 times my cost per wear is only 2.5 cents- i think the most expensive jeans i ever purchased were dockers and they were only 15 bucks new- buying from yard sales and flea markets and non profit thrift stores you don’t have to pay tax either since we live in a throw away society it makes sense- on the other hand you pay big bucks for a pair and you tear them by accident or you suddenly don’t fit them anymore or stain them- thats got to really suck
August 7th, 2011 at 7:06 am
I agree with #18 post, Lindsay. I am a mother of three adult children. They don’t like to hear me say ‘they didn’t know they were poor while they were growing up’ but it’s the truth according to our income. The thing is, no one could tell we didn’t have much money if they were judging us by the clothes we wore. It does take more time and planning ahead, but eveything I bought (and still buy) is on sale, from a discount store, or some kind of thrift shop. As for jeans or anything else, as long as there as ‘classes’ in society, someone will make expensive things and someone will buy them.
August 8th, 2011 at 9:28 pm
I am not a rich guy, but I own about 8 pairs of Diesel jeans, all from about $150-$250 dlls. I think there is absolutely no comparison between a good pair of designer jeans and some cheap brand ones. First of all, they don’t nearly fade as horribly as “regular” jeans do. Also they don’t tend to lose their thickness, if you would call it that, as many other jeans do, which become thin and frail easily. Besides, people DO tend to differentiate between quality or “luxury” clothing from the cheap stuff. I always get tons of compliments on my clothing, and I wouldn’t change that only to spare a few bucks.
August 12th, 2011 at 1:44 am
Again it’s all perspective, everyone (well almost everyone) has something they are willing to splurge on, i have never bought expensive jeans on that level, 60 at the most, but then i spend hundreds of dollars on video games, I spent 700 on audio equipment, 1700 on an hdtv, so you tell me. And would i, if they fit me well and i liked them, yea i would buy them, but anything more than $200 and i would have to say no. I think if your broke, then don’t, but if you have the money, why not???
August 12th, 2011 at 1:49 am
In the end just be responsible with your money, i save about a quarter of my paycheck every month, and buy most things with cash, i don’t drink or smoke or eat out, live well below my means, drive a kia because i could care less, no family, so if i spend money on the things i value why should i feel guilty? After all what is money.
December 8th, 2011 at 7:33 am
Women’s jeans cost more because there is more to making them than men’s jeans. When it comes to price, I don’t even buy $20 jeans… When you can get a pre-broken pair at a garage sale, or resale store, :) there is no point to pay more than $15. Not even for a pair of Lucky Jeans ($$8)
December 9th, 2011 at 8:14 am
I am extremely picky about how I look. Why? Because I realize that most idiots judge me. If I wore a nascar t-shirt and cut off jean shorts, and you saw me in line at the bank, would you assume I was a CEO? Probably not.
I’m a business man. Yes, this requires being frugal. But, it also requires respect. If people assume I’m some poor schmuck, my chances of selling them a high end item go down the tube. If I presume to sell quality, my theory is, I need to look quality. This means a quality haircut, a quality shave, and of course, a quality wardrobe.
Honestly, I do not care what is on the tag. I don’t care what name is on the tag, and I don’t care what price is on the tag. All I care about about is the reaction I get from other people when I wear them. That’s it. This means, that I not only need to feel comfortable in my clothing, but I also need to look good. I’m a slender guy with long legs.
-Showing my ankles does not look good. Cuffs that skim the tops of my shoes do look good.
-Pants that sag around my butt look horrible. Pants that conform to my body look good.
I could go on and on, but you get my jist.
To rationalize purchasing a high priced pair of jeans, I simply think of it as an investment. I’m investing in my business image. I’m investing in the quality of my business. I’m very very okay with this.
When I’m at home by myself or with close friends, do I wear nice clothes? No. Most of my at home pants have paint or glue or holes in them. But when I am trying to sell something, I expect myself to look the best…no matter what.
December 10th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
Dustin and arparp, I like the way you guys think.
While not every $166 pair of jeans is better than a $20 pair, many are. If something lasts for years and years and looks better than something cheap – and you can afford it – it is so worth it. I can’t afford $166 jeans yet, but maybe in the future.
Also, if the $166 pair wasn’t made with child labor, that’s another good thing, in my opinion.
December 13th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
I used to not understand people who spent so much money on jeans until I tried a premium pair of jeans on (on sale but still expensive). While I am not a fan of spending a ton of money on jeans that don’t even fit well just for a status label, I am 100% behind spending more money on jeans that fit well and make a person feel fabulous! If the used pair of Wranglers fits amazing for $2 then that’s awesome! My boyfriend (who is anti-clothes labels) used to just get Old Navy jeans and wear them out in a year. I bought him some Levis for $20 more and had them hemmed to fit and he’s still wearing them 3 years later.
May 20th, 2012 at 12:49 am
Raw denim is worth it. You cannot achieve a raw fit with regular jeans and they last at least 3 times as long. Im not sure if the diesals pictured are raw (they look distressed-which is a waste of money). Designer jeans are generally not worth it, but raw denim jeans are generally thicker and much better crafted in countries that pay their employees a decent wage…. mostly.