The Legend of Premium Denim

All jeans are not created equal. Denim in the last ten years has become as coveted by collectors as retro sneakers are by shoe aficionados. Don't believe me? A pair of vintage Levi jeans recently went for $140,000 dollars! And believe me that is no typo. The fact is that they just don't make'm like they used to, and with 95% of the market being produced in Asia, the quality and durability of the original brands had been lost until recently. There has been a resurgence of designer jeans made in the vein of the original "dungaree", with brands like True Religion and Sugar Cane leading the way. The latter of the two, Sugar Cane employs a nearly extinct shuttle loom to make their denim from actual sugar cane. While the process is fascinating, the jeans are nothing sweet at an average price of $300+ dollars a pair. Likewise its American counterpart, True Religion, creates its own brand of vintageish Denim by using authentic Indigo dye which gives the jeans a rich dark color. Unlike your favorite brand of well known jeans, premium denim jeans have a natural fade that progresses overtime, and is unique from every other pair. Next time we'll talk about how to care for your jeans with techniques created for these more premium brands, but I think are fitting for anyone wishing to get better and longer wear out of their investment.