Comparison - a $40 Denim vs $130 Denim Jackets

[Seb Lucas]

I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but I don’t get the fetishism over expensive new denim jackets. Very nice, practically brand new examples are plentiful on the second-hand market. I’d rather direct my funds toward a leather jacket.

I picked up this Canadian-made Lee at a thrift store for less than $5:

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This early 1980s Levi’s jacket, worn maybe once, was $29 on eBay.

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If I bought another, it might be a Lee Storm Rider, like this vintage USA-made one I foolishly sold a few years ago (and it was a cheap eBay purchase):

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These would meet my needs just fine.

I'm not crazy about that light denim look - I could not bring myself to wear it. I have many pairs of $25 Wrangler Jeans which also have a faded blue that just oozes Walmart to me. I rarely see denim that I would want to wear, to be honest. It mostly looks nasty to my eye. A very dark blue 21oz denim in a good slim cut might well be what I need to lift my image.

But would I want to pay more than $25 for a pair of jeans?

 

[Seb Lucas]

There's really no comparison. Like, the difference between a cheap leather jacket and an expensive leather jacket can actually be negligible - or worse, a cheap one can look better than a really pricey jacket. With denim, there's just no comparison. Makes it extremely hard for me to leave the house in a leather jacket when I've got this as an option.

Bastards - that does look pretty damn cool.

 

[navetsea]

Problem with denim, you will see it fades wither and die within your lifetime.

 

[CBI]

after a weight loss where I went down 2 jeans sizes none of my high end jeans fit so I purchased regular retail jeans but nice ones like Lucky Brand and RL. Although these are not in the high end selvedge denim class and I am well aware of this, I enjoy wearing them just as much as the high end stuff I used to wear so I don't see me purchasing expensive high end denim ever again. Also, I HATE the look of new dark blue selvedge, and it takes me a year or two to develop fades........not worth the time for me. I have also learned to enjoy lesser leather brands and lesser cloth repro brands. I guess my overall interest has diminished to the point where all this stuff is "just clothing" and I really don't care that much.............

Yes, I know the difference, I look at photos of people wearing the high end stuff, think "oh, that's nice" and then move on.............

 

[ProteinNerd]

But would I want to pay more than $25 for a pair of jeans?

Where the hell are you getting a decent pair of jeans for in Oz for $25?

 

[Seb Lucas]

Where the hell are you getting a decent pair of jeans for in Oz for $25?

Not in Oz - I was talking US dollars. I buy those Wranglers 13MWZ from the US - around 5 at a time ($20 to $24 depending on sales). You may not consider them decent, however.

I used to wear Target black jeans that cost $20 Aust. For many years I set myself a goal of never spending more than $20 on any item of clothing except for jackets and boots. For boots I allow $100. I can afford the best of most things but it gives me more pleasure being a tight arse.

 

[zebedee]

I go to charity shops for jeans. 25 GBP for Levi's.

 

[Mich486]

Nice vintage stuff isn’t cheap either:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/60s-Dead...05889?hash=item41f7f818e1:g:qV4AAOSwF7lcNdwn


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Monitor]

I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but I don’t get the fetishism over expensive new denim jackets. Very nice, practically brand new examples are plentiful on the second-hand market. I’d rather direct my funds toward a leather jacket.

My sentiment a year ago. I'd look online at all these $400+ denim jackets and wonder just what could be so special, It's just cotton, right? I mean, for $400 I can get a used Vanson.

Bought a RRL in the mean time which I practically lived in but I still didn't get it (even though it was infinitely nicer than anything Levi's). That jacket did however make me fall back in love with the Type-3 so eventually I decided to give IH a try as they're in Europe, no shipping or import charges and I could always send it back. Plus my friend wouldn't stop about how it will change my life.

The jacket arrived and the first day I had a huge case of buyer's remorse, realizing I spent nearly $400 on a denim jacket! Wanted to send it back then and there but I figured I'd at least give it a test run for just one day and send it back tomorrow... A week later, I bought another one that was EXACTLY the same.

There's seriously no comparison. Maybe you have to luck out and find some special vintage Levi run that was made of a comparable material but otherwise, it's literally like comparing leather and mall denim. The way this 21oz IH stuff looks & wears is closer to high-end leather. Not saying this 'cause I want to justify wasting so much money on stupid denim. I mean every word.

Pics don't do it justice. Not even close. IRL it looks like a CGI jacket. Or maybe I just really like it and all of the above is subjective bs but... It made me a believer.

 

[Gamma68]

I don’t wear mall leather. And I don’t wear $5 denim. But to each their own.

I don’t wear $5 denim, either. But I do wear a practically brand-new Lee jacket from the 1980s (?) that cost $5 on the secondary market.

I think the thing to keep in mind is this: selvedge denim items were not originally intended to be costly, high-end garments. They were meant to be affordable items for the “Everyman” rancher and worker. Later, high school kids and hippies appropriated the denim jacket as an affordable and readily available garment. So in a way, when I put on my inexpensive Lee or Levi’s, I’m maintaining the same sentiment.

This is not to say the $400 IH denim jacket isn’t a nice jacket. I’m sure it is because I know how you guys evaluate quality. I’d wear one if I could pick it up at an inexpensive price at a thrift (unlikely). But a 1940s rancher might think the IH is more of a fashion item, something he’d never consider spending that kind of money on for herding cattle. “That’s for them rich city folk.” And the Woodstock hippie wouldn’t have put all that money into his VW bus, let alone a denim jacket.

 

[ton312]

I don’t wear $5 denim, either. But I do wear a practically brand-new Lee jacket from the 1980s (?) that cost $5 on the secondary market.

I think the thing to keep in mind is this: selvedge denim items were not originally intended to be costly, high-end garments. They were meant to be affordable items for the “Everyman” rancher and worker. Later, high school kids and hippies appropriated the denim jacket as an affordable and readily available garment. So in a way, when I put on my inexpensive Lee or Levi’s, I’m maintaining the same sentiment.

This is not to say the $400 IH denim jacket isn’t a nice jacket. I’m sure it is because I know how you guys evaluate quality. I’d wear one if I could pick it up at an inexpensive price at a thrift (unlikely). But a 1940s rancher might think the IH is more of a fashion item, something he’d never consider spending that kind of money on for herding cattle. “That’s for them rich city folk.” And the Woodstock hippie wouldn’t have put all that money into his VW bus, let alone a denim jacket.

It’s true but I suspect the same working man in the 1940’s would be equally shocked to discover a modern half belt leather jacket would cost roughly one (potentially up to and over) three years annual salary!

 

[Psant25]

My favorite denim jacket so far fit wise has been my 49 dollar wrangler cowboy cut denim jacket. It is 14.5 oz.

I just ordered a wrangler cowboy cut in 14.5 oz overdye, but this time went with medium tall. Probably similar to IH modified type iii length wise in body and sleeve i think it is 2 inches longer. lol 49 bucks well worth it if it fits right ...

 

[miglan30]

There's really no comparison. Like, the difference between a cheap leather jacket and an expensive leather jacket can actually be negligible - or worse, a cheap one can look better than a really pricey jacket. With denim, there's just no comparison. Makes it extremely hard for me to leave the house in a leather jacket when I've got this as an option.

That is a nice looking jacket. I have owned quite a few denim jackets, but I only like them if they are lined, and the collar is a nice touch to offset the denim. I don't like wearing denim jackets with jeans unless there is sufficient contrast, always felt it was too much. But yea this jacket looks so nice I went to see if they still sold it....that would be a no.

 

[Monitor]

That is a nice looking jacket. I have owned quite a few denim jackets, but I only like them if they are lined, and the collar is a nice touch to offset the denim. I don't like wearing denim jackets with jeans unless there is sufficient contrast, always felt it was too much. But yea this jacket looks so nice I went to see if they still sold it....that would be a no.

Thank you! It's my grail piece. Yep, this one is all sold out and I was incredibly lucky to get one but don't worry about it, they'll be releasing two more models with cord collar and a blanket lining, which is more versatile than the fleece. Sherpa lining is really too warm for most days.