The premium denim market has seen tremendous growth in recent years and I’m one of those people who understand and embrace the trend. Once you find the perfect brand and perfect fit, there’s no going back to buying jeans from Target. People are attracted to designer jeans for numerous reasons – celebrities wear them, they have a sense of luxury, and they often have a precise fit and numerous details. "If you’re buying high-end jeans, you’re paying for the fit, fabric, and finish. Every little detail affects the overall price. The most obvious factor is the pure fabric cost. For jeans that sell for, say, $39, [the designer] is spending around $2.50 to $3 per yard in fabric, whereas premium fabrics go for $8 to $12 a yard. Right there, you’re tripling your costs.” (NY Mag)
The premium denim trend targets a niche market of consumers who see value in their expensive purchase, even if it is just jeans. “Denim glory is built, literally, on the backsides of the rich and famous. Most denim has a distinctive back pocket stitching that separates each design from ordinary wranglers and, of course, each other.” (Designer Jeans) Brands like J Brand can be immediately recognized based on the way that the jeans stitched, even though they do not have a gaudy logo like True Religion – rather, they are characterized by a single green stitch.
I’ve purchased most of my best jeans based on seeing it on a celebrity or friend. “Granted many of us are weary of seeing magazine after magazine packed with functionless celebrity fashion tips, but when it comes to jeans we can’t get enough. One shot of Beckinsdale in Union or Beckham in Rock and Republic, and we know what’s going to look good on ourselves.”Designer Jeans)
It seems like something so basic but buying jeans is a highly involved process of failure and success until you find that one you’re going to wear to death. People are so attracted to premium denim because it is made in the USA, meaning it involved heavier production and American-made products are sought, because of its fit, and also because of its prestige. My current favorite is the Saffado fit from Diesel, I find that with my discount at work they are 'affordable', and I feel the need to have them in every wash because I love the way they fit my body. (
