Help me waste money.

February 11, 2006 2:26 PM

FancyPantsFilter: What kind of stupidly expensive jeans should I buy?

I've decided it would be funny to own a pair of stupidly expensive jeans, but all the ones I've seen seem to be stupidly stupid rather than simply stupidly expensive.

Are there any good jeans out there that don't have ridiculously wide bootcut leg openings and display a marked lack of inexplicable white, horizontal stripes on the upper thigh area?

(Bonus points if they fit someone who is 6', 175 lbs, and has skinny legs.)

posted by dersins to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (24 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh, and in case you're wondering how I define "stupidly expensive:"

Reasonable price for jeans= $30 - $50
Expensive = $80 - $100
Foolishly expensive = $100 - $150
Stupidly expensive = $150 - $250
Totally retarded = over $250
posted by dersins at 2:31 PM on February 11, 2006

FCUK jeans are normal-looking and high quality. At around $80-$160, I don't know if they qualify as "stupidly expensive," but that's my suggestion.
posted by Pontius Pilate at 2:32 PM on February 11, 2006

(Oops. Posted before I saw your qualification of what constitutes "stupidly expensive.")
posted by Pontius Pilate at 2:33 PM on February 11, 2006

Best answer: I've been considering posting this myself for weeks, thanks dersins!

Also, Levi makes some expensive pairs of 501s. They are the fancy hand-done ones, and seem to be priced in your stupidly expensive range. No idea on the quality/fit though.
posted by Loto at 2:34 PM on February 11, 2006

Earnest Sewn makes custom jeans from your choice of premium denims for $350 or so. They have a store in New York, on Washington Street below 13th.
posted by nicwolff at 2:35 PM on February 11, 2006

Ah, I see. Well, I think their off-the-shelf jeans start at $170.
posted by nicwolff at 2:37 PM on February 11, 2006

I have a couple of skinny and very cool friends who wear Diesel jeans like these:

They do have the "whiskering" lines at the top of the thighs, but they look really good and hip (not sure how old you are or if hip is your thing...) and they cost a bloody fortune ($250.)

Go crazy! I love absurdly expensive jeans. No joke.
posted by bonheur at 2:40 PM on February 11, 2006

Seven For All Mankind are stupidly expensive, as are jeans from Anthropologie. I have a pair of Lucky jeans. They too are stupid. But they make the hiney look so good...
posted by iconomy at 2:48 PM on February 11, 2006

Wrong link....these are the Lucky jeans I have.
posted by iconomy at 2:51 PM on February 11, 2006

You might like Acne Jeans. They have some really great tapered, high-waisted jeans that look good on tall skinny people - if you're sick of the whole low-rise boot cut trend.

I've wanted a pair of Nudies for a while, and you might like the Super Slim Kim if you want a tighter fit. They also offer some of their jeans in a selvedge denim, which is awesome if you are into DIY distressing (you wear the jeans for 12-18 months without washing, and it fades & distresses according to your body contours and stuff).

In a similar vein, APC.fr offers selvedge denim jeans as well, but I don't think they're that expensive... sorry about that ;)
posted by philscience at 3:00 PM on February 11, 2006

us brands:
Levi's Premium 501 $199
The Jean Shoppe Raw $225

japanese brands:
5ep
45rpm
posted by 5bux at 3:30 PM on February 11, 2006

Best answer: I'd start with the basics and get thee to a Lucky or Diesel shop.
posted by FlamingBore at 3:53 PM on February 11, 2006

Head thyself to a Bloomingdales, post haste. You will find jeans of many brands, that look the same as every other kind of jeans out there, only obviously better, because the prices START at "stupidly expensive".

I know this because I myself bought some stupidly expensive Paper Denims, which I loved. They are cut for tall skinny people (so, um, I had to get mine altered), and they aren't extravagant-looking. Happy shopping!
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 4:04 PM on February 11, 2006

True Religion and Evisu will run you into the totally retarded territory. Some of these jeans cost more than my first car. Am I the only person who still likes 501's?
posted by horsewithnoname at 4:19 PM on February 11, 2006

Macy's has a good variety of brands of expensive jeans, usually.
posted by charmston at 6:10 PM on February 11, 2006

I find myself wanting to spend retarded amounts of money on some Buzz Rickson Products but I always chicken out.
posted by jackmakrl at 6:48 PM on February 11, 2006

Two of my three "damn! i look good!" jeans are seven for all mankind. Extremely flattering and stylish throughout an entire wardrobe. :)
posted by mercurysm2 at 9:21 PM on February 11, 2006

I'll second BuddhInABucket's suggestion of going to Bloomingdales. Try on some pairs of Seven For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, Paper Denim Cloth and Chip & Peppers. There are a few other good quality brands there, but I forget right now - Ernest something and LA something. Chip and Peppers have a really, really long inseam, handy tip for very tall people (6'4"+). There's no way of knowing which ones will look good on you, unless you try them on. Be sure to check out your butt in the mirror, and when it looks awesome, you have found the pair!
posted by Joh at 12:32 AM on February 12, 2006

I'll eat ramen noodles for weeks on end to buy myself stupidly expensive jeans. I applaud you.
posted by discokitty at 8:04 AM on February 12, 2006

Best answer: My first stupidly expensive jeans were Diesels...now four years later after beating the crap out of them they are still looking good. Unlike various other jeans like Levis etc...they have not fallen apart. They are built rock solid.

I also have a pair of Lucky Jeans that have held up very well.

I will never ever again by a pair of normally priced jeans...sure they are only $40 not $140 but you also end up buying a new pair every six months and they don't look as good!
posted by UMDirector at 3:39 PM on February 12, 2006

I love my $200 pair of diesel "rabox" jeans. Also have a pair in black (which were only 160). But I did not find them on the website. They are tight and straight. The best I have ever had. I also just got LA Denim's which look very hot too (160).
posted by _zed_ at 5:46 PM on February 12, 2006

I second Seven For All Mankind. But you can always go to the store, find your size and style, and then come home and ebay them. It cuts down on the stupid expensiveness of them - key when, like me, you have no income.
posted by anjamu at 8:15 PM on February 12, 2006

I fourth Diesel jeans. Extremely flattering for thin people (about the only jeans that really fit me) and look good on my tall friends. The denim is super soft and lovely and they are the design is beautifully understated. For a similar, less-expensive brand, perhaps try lovely Carhaarts.
posted by pollystark at 5:13 AM on February 13, 2006

I absolutely love Carhartt's double front work dungarees. They are the most durable pants I've ever had. They aren't stupidly expensive (~$40 or so) but if you ever need pants for doing work in, they are the ones to get.
posted by 6550 at 9:33 AM on February 13, 2006