Why am I spending so much on jeans; price points explained

So I mentioned in my first article that one can become addicted to fashion especially luxury jeans.

Now what I want to do is explain the differences between the two star jeans and the four or six star jeans price points.

It all comes down to status yes jeans have become a status symbol in our casual world of today, excepted in our every day attire, formal wear, and  even business it has become,  highly recognized commodity maybe so much so as a Rolex, Mercedes, or any other status symbols that lets the world know you have arrived.

To the educated consumer they can pick out a pair of premium denim and distinguish it from a copycat or a trend follower by its feel, look and fit.

But are we paying for something more than just denim when we purchase the high- end denim brands

Here are but a few of the unique characteristics that separate ‘Luxury” from the masses.

They feature such obscure gimmicks like ring-spun denim, triple-needle stitching, bleach "whiskers," or special treatments that abrade, distress and generally torture a pair of jeans until it has achieved just the right look and feel for the consumer.

1.) Wash the so- called process of obtaining the color on a pair of jeans. Some companies go so far as to use Old equipment to achieve that one of a kind look. A great example is the Japanese jean company Evisu they dip the fabric 16 to 30 times and the fabric is woven on a special loom that leaves clean edges. The irony is that the company was started by an individual who refused to pay the high price of Levi’s in the Japanese market his jeans are now sold for 650.00 and popular among rappers like Snoop and the Game.

2.) Stiching True Religion is a brand famous for it’s stiching they are twisted outer seams featured in their jeans and come up with catchy names for each style.

3.) Limited production of a certain style or color. Many high end denim labels have a certain wash on a spring collection and quickly change or discontinue the style.

This creates two fold effect a unique sense that your item maybe a limited edition or less main stream than what you would find at the larger department stores and builds brand loyalty by making it that much harder for the two star jean companies to reproduce and sell to larger base.

4.) Fit, most luxury jean companies sell you the idea that no other jean fits or feels like their brand. And each brand has it’s own design element and branding to it.

5.) The vendor and the merchant have to sign a contract. Which has strict stipulation as to price. Some vendors even go so far as to where merchandise can be sold as you are not only selling the designer brand but also becoming it's representative. With Flag ship stores and exclusivity to 600 boutiques this too drives the price margin.

6.) Limited access to size and qauntity of merchandise. Unless you're Macy's or Sak's or some other huge department store the amount and qauntity are dictated by the vendor.

As a consumer do I need to know this ...

No not really but my intent is to eduacte the reader. This is coming from a boutique owner's point of view.

Okay now I pickup a pair of two star jeans and funny they look like my four star counter part, but maybe the color of the denim is a different wash. That was last year’s wash.

Ahhh I’m beginning to understand …I think?