Could $300 Jeans Finally Be Over?

Posted Jul 30th 2009 at 2:20PM by Katie Hintz-Zambrano (Subscribe to Katie Hintz-Zambrano's posts)

Jeans, glorious jeans! Photo: Getty Images

According to a report in USA Today, premium denim sales appear to be slumping, while jeans priced under $200 are still selling well.

The newspaper referenced market research conducted by NPD Group, which reported that denim by accessible brands like Levi's, Lee and Wrangler have all seen sales increases, even in the early months of 2009 (the worst part of the recession), yet the same didn't happen in the $200+ category of the $13 billion denim industry.

"The economy shifted, and all of a sudden those outrageous prices actually look outrageous," said NPD chief retail analyst Marshal Cohen. "The super premium jean business has dropped off tremendously because the inspirational shoppers aren't going up that high, and luxury customers aren't buying two or three pairs anymore."

While high-end denim makers aren't admitting any signs of weakness, the article points out that they are now offering more and more non-denim products with cheaper price tags, and trying to communicate to customers why pricier denim is worth every penny.

"We really don't believe consumers understand the value of premium denim," said Topher Gaylord, president of 7 For All Mankind. "It's the whiskering of the denim, the wash ... and taking raw denim and creating artistic interpretation."

All of this adds up to production costs 10 times higher than mass market brands, he says. In any case, now 95 percent of 7 For All Mankind jeans are less than $200, that's 25 percent more than a year ago.

Meanwhile, the affordable denim at the Gap is getting even more accessible, with a $60 line of jeans designed by hires from premium companies like Joe's Jeans and Earl.

So what do we think: Has the recession effected your opinion on $200+ jeans? Or does an amazing wash and cut always justify the price?

Tags: 7-for-all-mankind, denim, designer-denim, gap, jeans, Joes-jeans, lee-jeans, levis, premium-denim, Seven-Jeans, wrangler

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)

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Inscite Research 7-30-2009 @ 8:31PM

I always thought paying $300 for a pair of jeans was absolutely ridiculous. I'm happy that our economic climate has at least made consumers realize this.

The old way of doing business is just not going to work anymore. Delivering true value is key - something Levi's and wrangler have sought to do for years.

M. Pine 7-31-2009 @ 6:48AM

I love Landsend jeans. They can be purchased at Sears or go to landsend.com. Most are only around $30 but we women can buy them by size AND inseam. So many women's jeans are either short, med. or tall. I wear a size 4 with an inseam of 34". I am not tall (5 ft. 7) so the tall jeans are too long in the rise. So these great fitting jeans are ideal for me.
And most have a bit of stretch in them for a perfect fit. Gals, give them a try.

KansasJim 7-31-2009 @ 10:11AM

I think some of the real-world jeans look incredibly awesome, anyway. So why spend half a month's rent on jeans that dont do anything more for you? I just cant wait for the super-low-rise styles to go away. Jeans should fit a real woman's body!
Some of the best-looking women's jeans EVER, were the classics from Avenue, Venezia, Gloria Vanderbilt, Lawman, and even Chic... Makes my heart pound just thinking about it, lol.

kelly 7-31-2009 @ 7:03AM

"We really don't believe consumers understand the value of premium denim," said Topher Gaylord, president of 7 For A

Any parent who has bought jeans for their teens understands. We also understand that $300 for a pair of jeans is just not worth it. There is not much different in the denim in a $300 dollar pair as there is for a $30 pair. Just whose name was on the back pocket.

Jerry 7-31-2009 @ 9:11AM

No sh*t???! You say this as though a sane person might actually believe that it's possible for a pair of jeans to be worth $300! Denim is cotton. Cotton is cotton. There may be some quality differences but there is no way in hell or on earth that any pair of jeans has an actual value of over $50 - tops. What kills me is how people (kids, mostly) will spend $75 or more on jeans that look like the ones I've been wearing to work (on trucks) for three months! My stepson tried to tell me those jeans are "different." Bullsh*t. They're jeans that are already half-way worn out! I'll sell anybody my dirty, old, worn jeans for $75. Just drop me an e-mail and I'll ship them to you as soon as you send the cash.

Wish Belkin 7-31-2009 @ 7:07AM

You can still get a pair of Lees or Wranglers for around fifteen bucks. Paying more is insane.

CeCe 7-31-2009 @ 9:09AM

Where do you find jeans for $15? Not in the town I live in or the surrounding area.

Michelle 8-01-2009 @ 12:53AM

I don't wear a lot of jeans myself. Between work and the high heat temp where I live, they are not my #1 choice in apparel. However, you can get jeans for $15 at Sears, JCP, Target, Walmart, Kmart... Just because you may not like to shop at non-mall stores, doesn't mean they are not there.

lisa 7-31-2009 @ 7:07AM

You can wear jeans for years, So they are worth the money so much more than a summer shirt that you pay $49 and wear 6 times in one summer and then the colors are no good next summer. So, if you do the math, the number of times you can wear a pair of jeans,,,,,they are cheaper per wear than the $49 summer shirt!!!!

Clara 7-31-2009 @ 7:12AM

Only if you buy the right style of jeans. Not ever style is in each year, while you can get away with a shirt, for the most part.

Jen Benz 7-31-2009 @ 7:14AM

I hate to sound like a jerk, but I'm a size 2 and $10 jeans from Nordstroms Rack look just as good on me as the $200 designer jeans. It's about rocking what you got inside the jeans (no matter your size), not what label is on the outside.

Kim 7-31-2009 @ 11:13AM

I agree with Jen Benz - It's not what you wear, but how you wear it! Work what you have, with what works for you. I have found that the high priced designer "must haves" zippers are not quite up to the standards of Levi's, Lee's, and especially Wrangler's. Though these companies have all jumped on the designer train -- again -- their basic jeans, from any of these lables, are classic in style as they come. They all wear well, and come in a wide variety of "modern" washes.

I love finding designer brands in the clearance racks of department stores. However, I love a brand new pair of Lee's, Levi's or Wranglers even better. On sale or not, I know they will fit, and I will get my mony's worth.

Lisa 7-31-2009 @ 7:19AM

But, a summer shirt doesn't wash and wear like a pair of jeans, it
looks worn by the end of the summer,,,,while the jeans, still look
great,,,,,,and I find jeans hold over great from year to year,,,,I
think jeans are easlity worth $175,,,,,,they end up being less than a
dollar per wear