First Post- hope it's not stupid. Distressed Denim- loss of years?

[Scottish Steve]

Hello all
First post, referred by some of the guys on www.badgerandblade.com (the haberdashery)
I've recently became interested in denim and have bought some respectable, if affordable jeans in dark, undistressed denim (Mujo and Uni-Qlo). I've been looking for the right denim jacket for years and last night in my local Levi's store, I finally found it, ref 70585-0060, for 1,099 rmb, or just under 110 gbp. It's "medium distressed" still keeping rich indigo in about 50% of the fabric, with some nice feathering on the fringes of the cuff and lapel. I'm just wondering if a distressed jacket will inevitably last less time than a std, non-distressed one.

 

[W4ASZ]

Hello all
First post, referred by some of the guys on www.badgerandblade.com (the haberdashery)
I've recently became interested in denim and have bought some respectable, if affordable jeans in dark, undistressed denim (Mujo and Uni-Qlo). I've been looking for the right denim jacket for years and last night in my local Levi's store, I finally found it, ref 70585-0060, for 1,099 rmb, or just under 110 gbp. It's "medium distressed" still keeping rich indigo in about 50% of the fabric, with some nice feathering on the fringes of the cuff and lapel. I'm just wondering if a distressed jacket will inevitably last less time than a std, non-distressed one.

I am moved to reply as a fellow "Steve" of Scots descent. This is a huge amount of coin for a jacket well on its way to being worn out. :eeek:

I recently purchased a used Levi's denim jacket, faded but not at all distressed, in a thrift store for $8.00 US.

It's a matter of what you like, but I'd suggest buying a new jacket and washing it frequently to start the fade a bit. These jackets will last for years and years and shouldn't have their best years behind them right off of the rack.

I hope you find what you want, nonetheless.

Best to you !

 

[Scottish Steve]

I take your point, but I had no choice. Denim jackets are thin on the ground around here and this is the least distressed one I've seen. They charge MORE for the distressed ones now. A "really quite distressed" one was 100rmb (a tenner) more!

 

[Edward]

Actually, from a UK perspective, that doesn't sound all that outlandish for a high end Levis.... at least in a Levis Store (much better deals to be had from a humble stockist). eBay is worth a check if you find a seller that will deliver to you. A few years ago there was a guy in Derry selling legit Levis Type 1 jackets for about twenty quid. I have one - wore it a lot back then, though haven't for a long time. Still unsure whether to part with it. Anyhoo... You also have to bear in mind that a lot of Western goods in China have a huge mark-up, partly due to tax (I'm told there's a big 'luxury tax' on the import of some items), and partly due to the same market-factors as keep the price of "designer" item high over here. All the Chinese kids I teach go biccies for Clark's shoes when they're in the UK, as a pair of Clark's brogues that will cost you around GBP50 will, as you have no doubt seen, command three times that in Beijing (where people have less money to begin with).

It's been so long since I went looking for a new denim jacket that I can't really comment on them one way or another in China. I spend a bit of the year in Beijing, but always when it's either too hot (May/June) for a denim jacket, or far too cold (December). I don't know the part of the country you're in, but in Beijing I would have suggested to have a look at the likes of Silk Street market. Of course, there's a high chance that what you'll buy there is not necessarily genuine (though in my experience easily the equal of a legit Levis, and quite possibly made in the same factory), but that's a common experience for most things across most of China. What are the nearest big cities to you? Most of my time out there has been Beijing, but I've also passed through Xi'An, Guilin and Hong Kong. I love China.

 

[Scottish Steve]

You're right on the money, Edward. 1099 yuan is around $170 I think, but that's just the price you have to pay to get the real thing here. Denim jackets aren't popular. I'm in Suzhou, around 35 minutes high speed train from Shanghai, which does have an Edwin store. Their jackets start at 1,890 yuan and go up to 2,590 or more. They're the real deal though. On the other hand, I'm smoking genuine Japanese-made Winstons at 15 yuan a pack, can get a good meal in a restaurant for 25-30 yuan and paid 4,000 yuan for a big ebike which I pay 10 yuan a month in total fuel costs. It more than balances out. I have bought several "unauthorised" garments which I am positive were made in the factory after hours, at a fraction of the retail price, including a pair of Dupont shoes for 600, which retail at 3,000. I am certain these are real.

 

[Edward]

It's certainly a fascinating commercial culture since they turned to capitalism (albeit state-run, as opposed to free market..... I have no dog in that fight, I'm not a huge fan of either ) some years back. Shanghai is on my hit-list of places to visit, maybe the next time I get a chance to spend an extra week out there.... My big temptation is to buy a Flying Pigeon in Beijing (where they sell for the equivalent of about forty quid, new, as opposed to three hundred here) and ship it back, though I could well end up spending nearly as much as buying from the UK supplier to begin with.....

 

[Scottish Steve]

Today I made that jacket look significantly more high end by trimming, with extreme care, all the edges of the entire jacket with a pair of very sharp scissors, including the raised parts from the nearly worn out patches. The sillhouette is now utterly crisp and defined. The effect is remarkable.