http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/busin ... JEANS.html

See any similarities? Differences? I'm still reading it. Discuss.

Bread Denim contracts stuff out, so does Kozik.

Retooled that ailing industry? Small Japanese boutique companies retooled the Japanese vinyl scene.

Higher-priced denim = higher-priced vinyl toys

"Luxury denim bubble, the business shows few signs of slowing down" = same with vinyl?

"These designers insisted on using the finest denim, imported from Japan and Italy"
Interesting. Never thought of Japan for denim.

$1,200 for a pair of jeans? Yikes.

Japan has some of the highest quality denim. i read a good article about denim a few months back that was really informative. i wish i could find it now.

if only i could afford high quality denim cause i been spending my money on high quality vinyls.

I live 3 blocks away from Self Edge which carries some crazy Japanese denim. I tried on a pair of jeans and it felt like I was wearing cardboard.

People pay more than $50 for a pair of pants?

depends.. you buyin' trousers or jeans

I usually get 2 for that

My money goes to paint and vinyl. Whats wrong with this picture.....

I think my last pair of jeans cost me $13. There's nothing wrong with the picture. If you ain't nekkid, the clothes are doing their job.

lol

When you have a 2 month habit all your money goes to vinyl...

Compare this....... discuss !

where do you guys find jeans for that cheap?

do they fit well and last longer than 2 months?

I have about 5 pairs of jeans I alternate. I paid about $65-85 each and they have lasted me about 4.5 years. lucky brand is my fav.

I think Roger had hopes of deeper discussion than $25 pants.
Maybe I was the only one who read the article. hahaha.

The designer denim/collector market is I'm sure extremely similar to other designer/niche/collector/scarcity driven markets i.e. vinyl, sneakers, t-shirts, records, etc...each with their own disc. boards, cliques, good guys, bad guys, flippers, auctions, dealers, side-dealers, agents, etc.

Yeah, the main thing that struck me about it was the history of the phenomenon: how manufacturing for things like this went overseas, and then the domestic firms that produced these were rescued from oblivion by a sudden interest in highly-priced, low-run items. Very much like the last couple of decades in the Japanese vinyl toy industry.

I'd really like to see a follow-up article about the consumers of these products.

"Luxury Denim"? Shit ain't right...

Haha, I'm sure that they're saying the same thing about our toys. At least they can bring their purchase out clubbing with them (or whatever it is people that buy luxury jeans do for fun) and not get weird looks. ;p

I'm trying to cut down on Jeans and vinyl and T-shirts because I spend way too much money on all of it, what I need to be spending more money on is bikes, Japanese bikes!

Id rather not say how much I spend on jeans, you guys would point and laugh...

No, please do! Anyone who buys this stuff, please let us know what appeals about it to you. No ribbing, I promise.

Ehhh ive been known to be called a label whore. Whatever...lol

Ive spent $150 on jeans..... on a few occasions.

Raw denim feel that way at first because they're unwashed and untreated. The cool part about that is whatever distressed that is generated on your jeans are create by you.

The fucked up part is to create nice distress and honeycombs you have to pretty much wear your jeans everyday for at least 6 months before your first wash. No joke!

My current pair is going on 8 months with no wash. It's disgusting I know.

Here are some samples from Nudie: http://www.nudiejeans.com/gallery/

Yeah, you're right of course. It's all relative. I'm just thinking of the origins of denim, then this...

yes, but Im so protective of my possestions, Im leary to spend more than a fair ammount on nice clothes.. Iv been 'all up in the club' and gotten cigarette burns, stains, lipstick, tears, blood, you name it!

at least my vinyl is protected safe at home with nobody rubbin up on it or what have you.. expecially not those pesky nephews

btw. just saw the chemical bros live.. epic.

And I just saw Morrissey!



You GUYS!!

The appeal?
The huge jean companies try to accomodate as many people as possible, so their sizes are basically cut to fit around everyone, but don't really fit the body contours. I see people walking around with "mom" jeans, ones that look like they just took a crap in them, etc. Seriously, just cause something fits you, it doesn't mean its flattering.

I do have some of the $15-25 Gap and Levi's jeans I got on sale that fit okay, but they aren't as nice as the ones that cost $180+

I've capped my jean spending to about $150. You do notice a big differnece between those jeans and cheap jeans. I ride alot and usually wear out the ass of cheap jeans 3 times faster then if I splurge on quality jeans. This is probably why i only own 1 pair of quality jeans and a shit load of dickies.
Sky's the limit on small run domestic collector markets if the proper hype is in place.