Most Expensive Jeans Ever

[sealsk2]

Damn, I had never even heard of most of these:

The Most Expensive Jeans - Forbes.com

Be sure to check out the slide show.

[UK2004]

Stella McCartney aselling snake skin jeans, thought she was a keen supporter of PETA?

[fash]

here's the whole article, which is basically a copy of one done a few years ago

Forget the sheared mink, the diamond-encrusted wristwatch or the newest Louis Vuitton bag; the latest luxury item comes in straight leg or boot cut, stonewashed or torn.

Jeans have come a long way from their working-class origins. No longer reserved for physical labor or college campuses, today's haute dungarees are increasingly acceptable at dinner parties, the office, all but the most formal occasions. Still, even though jeans can be found in the closets of both billionaires and bikers, there can be a big difference in their price tags.

How much of a difference? While a pair of Levi's can be bought for less than $20 at Wal-Mart Stores (nyse: WMT - news - people ), Guinness World Records cites the Gucci "Genius Jeans" as the most expensive jeans in the world. A normal pair of Gucci jeans that had been distressed, ripped and covered with African beads, when they debuted in October 1998 in Milan, were priced at an astonishing $3,134. If you think that sounds like a lot of money, today, there are jeans for more than double that amount.

While many women--and some men--are willing to pay as much as $145 without giving it a second thought, increasingly, designer labels are offering jeans ranging from $300 to as much as $4,000. For those who want exclusivity, there are custom couture jeans with prices that are even higher. "For the most part our jeans are in the $150 to $225 range, but there are, in designer, some very expensive jeans, and it's because they're highly embellished and have treatments that really bring the price point up," says Colleen Sherin, fashion market director at retailer Saks Fifth Avenue (nyse: SKS - news - people ).

Regardless of whether they are embellished or embroidered, covered with beads or precious gems, to many people, even those who could easily afford it, the notion of paying thousands of dollars for jeans--they are still jeans, after all--is ridiculous. For others, though, having a signature label in the back is as much a status symbol as the hood ornament on a Mercedes. These are people who "want the look of the moment, hot off the runway and regardless of the price," says Sherin.
So why expensive jeans, and why now? Marshal Cohen at NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based retail-industry consulting firm, says that not only have prices gone up but sales have too. "This is a trend that has been hot for almost five years now, which in the fashion industry is very rare. Denim has become not only a staple in the wardrobe, but it's become a premium product. It's at an all-time high in price and in prestige. Until something really comes along that can take its place, it's here to stay."

According to NPD, jeans that cost more than $100 make up only 1% of the $14 billion industry, but it's a quickly rising business. In 2004, women's jeans sales were $7.4 billion, up 12% from $6.6 billion in 2003. At department stores such as Saks, the best-selling jeans are brands like Seven for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, True Religion (nasdaq: TRLG - news - people ) and Hudson jeans to name a few. It's in these lines that many companies such as apparel group Innovo (nasdaq: INNO - news - people ) and Liz Claiborne (nyse: LIZ - news - people ) are making their investments. These premium jeans didn't make our list of most expensive, but at prices ranging from $150 to $225, they do cost more than anyone would have paid for Jordache or Calvin Klein in the 1980s.

The most expensive jeans fall into the category of custom made or vintage. Levi Strauss & Co. spent $46,532 buying a pair of its own jeans on an eBay (nasdaq: EBAY - news - people ) auction in May 2001. The jeans were found in a Nevada mining town and date back to the 1880s. The company has no plans to resell them, because Levi's says they are priceless and one of a kind. For that reason, these and other "vintage" jeans were left off our list.

It is not just the age, the label or a flattering fit that drives up the price of today's most expensive jeans. Much of the added cost comes from the decorations and fixtures, such as 14 karat gold or silver rivets and diamond buttons. The jeans that top our list come from Escada's couture line. They start at $7,500 and have no price cap. So far, the most expensive pair they have made cost $10,000 and were studded from top to bottom with Swarovski crystals.

Is this willingness to spend thousands on denim a sign of decadence or a relaxing of the barriers between high fashion and comfortable clothes? Marshal Cohen of NPD says, "We've reached the point in that, number one, denim is being viewed as an investment like jewelry and hand bags, and that number two, like women with a shoe fetish, there are now women with a denim fetish. Everyone, woman and man, is in the quest for the perfect jean and will be for a long time."

[Jaqoda]

The APO jeans are the only half decent looking jeans there.

[robinakira]

Hello,

I was at the D&G show with the denim in and the Chanel I tried the Gucci, the APO, seen the Roberto Cavalli and the Dior by John Galliano....there is one thing that is true to say for all of them!

poor denim.


Sad to say for all that buck, you get not the best cloth.

RAC

[mist]

whoah!! Those jeans are really too expensive..

[dumb5]

I tried to get a pair of the APO jeans in 2006 but the guy told me he'd ceased production. tbh i'm not convinced they were every produced beyond the concept.

[CD]

I would agree with RAC (although I've never seen any of them in person) as they look as though it's the embellishment which costs and not the actual denim.

TBH alot of them didn't look attractive to the eye!

[Dunnymonster]

I am sure a pair of Yoropiko with the most expensive set of Buttons availble, fully bejeweled would likely be high on the list of most expensive Jeans. When I bought my first pair I made enquiries to Togged on prices for additional sets of buttons given that they are detachable and can be used as cufflinks. The top set of just 5 buttons retails at £11,000 plus the Jeans!!!

[Wasted]

Originally Posted by Dunnymonster

I am sure a pair of Yoropiko with the most expensive set of Buttons availble, fully bejeweled would likely be high on the list of most expensive Jeans. When I bought my first pair I made enquiries to Togged on prices for additional sets of buttons given that they are detachable and can be used as cufflinks. The top set of just 5 buttons retails at £11,000 plus the Jeans!!!

Have you got a pair, Dunnymonster?