Really Expensive Jeans - by Jane Herman
For this letter, I purchased 4 pairs of designer jeans that each cost $1000 or more. Let me start by saying that I will not be keeping all of these jeans (are you crazy). The purpose of this exercise is to help us understand not what makes a jean valuable (my most beloved jeans of all time would probably be valued at about $75), but to identify what about each pair might actually make them cost more than your average $200-$400 5-pocket. Yes, pedigree is part of it: Bottega Veneta, Celine, Gucci, and Saint Laurent. Luxury names automatically come with luxury numbers. But what else do these jeans have that others don’t? Are they really worth it, and why?
The most expensive jeans I bought were $1,300 each (from Bottega Veneta and Gucci). The least expensive were $920 (Saint Laurent). I didn’t look at all the jeans from these labels, but if first impressions mean anything, I’d say each pair can tell us something about the character of its mothership’s denim selection. At least for this season. Fabric, finishing, design, and fit. These are the markers I’m working with (v cost and markup, which I have no access to). How these jeans compare to each other is also really interesting and revealing.
It’s smart for designer labels to make cool jeans for their customers. So many of the clothes they sell pair back to denim, which a lot of women wear every day. I will say – and this is true of every jean I tried, even the pair that was disappointing – there is a noticeable difference between designer v contemporary jeans. A vibe shift; a change in elevation. Like the difference between eating at a restaurant v cooking the same recipe at home. It’s not that one is always better. They just don’t ever taste the same.
I’ll end this intro by saying that I am typically one to advocate for higher prices on jeans, especially when they’re made locally or sustainably. Ten years ago, when I was writing Jean Stories, it was incredible to me – shocking, even – that ones made in Los Angeles could cost around $200 at retail. The fabric, the hardware, the technical skill required to make a jean fit well… The shrinkage, the wash. It’s a science. The more I learn about denim, the greater my appreciation for those who nail it grows. A really good jean – especially one you can love for a long, long time – is worth every penny.
Bottega Veneta is a label with very high prices and a pretty low stake in the denim game. (Bottega, to me, still means handbags, though creative director Matthieu Blazy has certainly been winning the hearts of women who appreciate outrageously well-made ready-to-wear lately.) What I noticed first about this wide-leg was its weight. Heavy. 100% cotton denim, creased with a slightly green cast. I liked it a lot.
I bought these Bottegas from Matches, which shows them with a very minor hemline, so I was surprised to see that they actually have a broad 4-inch bottom that’s a.) darker than the rest of the jean, and b.) seamless where the washed part starts. Hard to do. And hard to shorter if you want an original hem. Which is maybe why Matches shortened them to fit the model by just folding the excess under and stitching them loosely in place? Bummer, because the big, contrast hem is a.) on trend, and b.) a fine example of the craftsmanship that makes these jeans so special. Bottom line is c.) they’re even better in person. And if you buy them (and I wish I could), you’ll need an expert tailor.
Some of the obvious details here are nice: There’s a carpenter pant-style loop on the right hip; the triple-stitched V’s play nicely with the peaked shape of the back pockets; a bright green leather patch echoes the colored fly button (above). But, my very favorite part of this jean is the coin pocket, which is designed as an extension of the back yoke, wrapping around the right hip without interruption. Do you see it? (Compare it to the Saint Laurent coin pocket below.) It’s such an elegant twist on a traditional denim trope. Some very clever human designed this, making Bottega’s jean both a part of the canon and something new. I find it delightful, and, in light of the whole general aesthetic, believe the price of this jean is justified.
Feeling excited by the jeans on the Gucci runway last fall, I bought these (more commercial) wide legs at Net-a-Porter. Silver horse bit at the hip, slouchy fit and flat felled seams, cute. But when I unboxed them, the first thing I noticed were the unfinished hems starting to fray. I’m generally not a fan of chopped hems – fringed or washed to look like they’ve been let out, fine – but snipped with pinking shears? This says cost-cutting, to me.
An unfinished hem is one less step on the production line (which = savings). Convince me otherwise. But the real problem with leaving the hems undone – on any jean, but especially on one this expensive – is that if you shorten them (and most of us probably would because the inseam is 35” on a size 25), the hem is going to look brand new. It won’t match the faded look on all of the other seams (side, back yoke, waistband, J stitch, etc etc etc). Without an original hem, a jean will always look amateur, at best. Why would Gucci do this? And then charge the same amount ($1,300) as Bottega? I really would love to know.
Saint Laurent calls this style a straight leg, but I’d say it’s a skinny. The most notable moment is the side pocket, which is riveted away from the seam and has a subtle hip-slimming effect from certain angles. It’s hard to say exactly why this “split” feels sexy to me – are they just begging to be ripped open? – but I do. Though I wouldn’t keep the Cindy, I would seriously consider buying this (more expensive) V-waistband maxi jean based on Cindy’s top-notch quality, construction, and wash. (Japanese denim, wouldn’t you know.) Yves Saint Laurent himself wore terrific jeans. It’s nice to see his house doing things right.
Celine’s spring 2020 collection, which showed in September 2019 and starred the most impeccable bootcuts, was game-changing for me. That’s when I felt the pull – and gave myself permission – to invest in the label’s very, very expensive denim. Why? Because the message that designer Hedi Slimane was sending with that collection – just one year into his tenure – was that his jeans are important. Strong enough to anchor nearly half of the show’s sixty-three looks. This wasn’t a classic case of category fill-in-the-blank anymore. Celine jeans would mean business. And if so, they must be exceptional.
Sadly, six months later, real-time spring 2020 came and we all stayed home and put sweatpants (and jumpsuits 😉 ) on for what felt like forever. So, no Celine jeans for me. Not then, anyways…
To a degree, the jeans Celine offers now are direct descendants of those spring 2020 styles – ultra-cool and cut from inky Japanese indigo, with starburst whiskering around the hips and knees. I went to the Celine store in Beverly Hills to try them. I called in advance to make sure they had my size. In my preferred wash, called Dark Union, I was shown The Pearl low-rise and the Kitty, a high-rise with a wider leg, which I loved. I suppose when I asked to see the tailor, I knew they were mine.
These jeans get noticed. By my husband, by the vintage seller I visited last week, by my hip dad friend Matt, who sees me almost every day (and in every jean I ever wear) at school drop-off. Nothing on them screams expensive. They cost $1,200, but that’s not what people notice about them, or why I love them. I love them because they feel good, they make me happy – forever the sign of a great jean – and they do more for everything in my wardrobe. They work a little harder so I don’t have to. And they were totally worth the wait.
Ask Me Anything (about denim) is available to paid subscribers, my Jean Bar has the best from JOJ all in one place, and here is a pair of the Celine Kitty’s listed for $680 on The RealReal. I’m moving into a new studio this week, so forgive me if I’m slower to respond to comments. As always, thank you for reading.
Jane
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Old And New Jeans: A lesson in vintage, two current styles, and a Footnote.
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