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How jeans conquered the world (2012)

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Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#71

Post by Cyph0n »

nightski wrote: post #21
huac wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blue Owl in Seattle is good too. These denim stores are mostly focused on raw denim, which is generally a much higher quality garment than available normally.

The quality difference would have to be substantial. I bring in a very high income for my area, and the thought of spending $300-$400 on a single pair of jeans is pretty out there. An $80 pair of jeans, which will often be on sale for $40-$50 will last me for 2-3 years and are of average quality. It seems to me like one would have to justify these jeans on the fashion/novelty aspect, and not quality/value as it just…

The replies to this comment are the definition of pretentiousness. Virtue signalling? Really now?

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#72

Post by Nav_Panel »

ashark wrote: post #55
anigbrowl wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand why engineers tend to care so little about the quality of their clothes Virtue signaling. It says you're focused on your intellectual pursuits rather than material things (in contrast to 'the suits'). This is actually great from a hiring manager's point of view, because you can also guess (guess, not know) from someone's appearance whether they are single and to what degree they take care of themse…

> There's also a kind of signaling by people who are rich enough not to care about these things and dress accordingly, which is a way of reminding other people that you have so much money you don't care about what impression you make. This only works when people already know you're wealthy, though. Fussell notes this in his Class . The group he categorizes as "top out-of-sight" (mostly old money) is genuinely beyond…

Fussell's book was written prior to "hipsters" as we know them, but many tenets of "hipster fashion" are predicated on some of the same logic as "upper-class folks intentionally dressing down" -- educated, urban, corporate-employed, well-to-do young people dressing "down" in streetwear or workwear like Carhartt (this one really confused my parents). Obviously they will not be construed as a member of the rural working class, as they live in a city, and the racial dimension also plays a (fairly disgusting, if you think about it) role.

Also, although the parts you selected are pretty reasonable and provide insight in this discussion, I would advise taking Fussell's book with some caution: it is an entertaining read but it is not definitive or really all that well-supported beyond his personal observations, and it slices a particular time and culture that seems to be on the wane (as the American middle class disappears, and the nature of the working class changes).

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#73

Post by DaggerDagger »

huac wrote: post #16
baus wrote: post #8

Japan is at the pinnacle of denim these days (although the US is catching up again). If you want to go off the deep end, take a look at SF based Self Edge [ http://www.selfedge.com ] or NY based Blue in Green [ https://blueingreensoho.com/ ]

Blue Owl in Seattle is good too. These denim stores are mostly focused on raw denim, which is generally a much higher quality garment than available normally.

INb4 people talk about $300 jeans.

These are jeans you only have one pair of, that you wear EVERY DAY. They are worth it but it's like buying a nice sports car or nice purse. It's the same thing. Invest in what you use all the time.

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#74

Post by DaggerDagger »

chris_7 wrote: post #48
nightski wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The quality difference would have to be substantial. I bring in a very high income for my area, and the thought of spending $300-$400 on a single pair of jeans is pretty out there. An $80 pair of jeans, which will often be on sale for $40-$50 will last me for 2-3 years and are of average quality. It seems to me like one would have to justify these jeans on the fashion/novelty aspect, and not quality/value as it just…

At $200 you can buy Outlier pants (or Mission Workshop, no experience with those though). At $400 you can buy freaking Arc'teryx Veilance pants. That's way too much for something that is just cotton (and not even etaProof or anything interesting).

Tripling the Outlier comment. They are current the best pants on the planet and I challenge any HN commenter to show me better technical biz casual slacks. I basically only wear Outlier, Duluth Trading Co, and Uniqlo. And nice shoes.

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#75

Post by Nav_Panel »

pitaj wrote: post #52
character0 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wash my jeans every 6-12 months, with occasional febreezing after I wear them. This is way more convenient than having to wash and iron my other pants. My other alternative are my Outlier pants https://outlier.nyc/

Do you never sweat? Are the jeans antimicrobial or something?

This was addressed in the original article:

> Last year a microbiology student at the University of Alberta, Josh Le, wore the same pair of raw denim jeans for 15 months without washing them and then tested their bacterial content. He tested them again two weeks after washing them and found the bacterial content to be much the same.

> "This shows that, in this case at least, the bacteria growth is no higher if the jeans aren't washed regularly," said Rachel McQueen, a professor of textile science, who worked with Le on the informal scientific experiment.

The research they reference: https://www.ualberta.ca/news-and-events/newsarticles/2011/01...

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#76

Post by mikestew »

eddof13 wrote: post #64

For all the guys (and gals) out there, let me introduce you to the Diesel JoggJeans. They look like jeans, coming in various washes, cuts and styles, but they are sweatpants. May you never go back.

And when global warming kicks in hard, the ice caps melt, and the coastal cities flood, the cuffs of your pants won't get wet! At least according to the pictures on the product site. Is it no longer fashionable for your cuffs to reach your shoes?

And, personally, as one who wears 501s at every opportunity, I wouldn't be caught dead in those things outside my house. But that's just personal taste.

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#77

Post by chris_7 »

Nav_Panel wrote: post #51
chris_7 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At $200 you can buy Outlier pants (or Mission Workshop, no experience with those though). At $400 you can buy freaking Arc'teryx Veilance pants. That's way too much for something that is just cotton (and not even etaProof or anything interesting).

Tell that to someone who'd buy a pair of Vetements pants for $1200[1]. And it's standard Levi's denim! But hey, the fly goes all the way around... In other words, the fashion aspect does matter to people, oftentimes more than any practical aspect. (I think sometimes people take it to a silly degree...) 1: http://www.barneys.com/product/vetements-zip-around-straight...

Vetements, is, like, literally a joke though. See Vetememes, etc.

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#78

Post by pfooti »

syphilis2 wrote: post #10

It's surprisingly difficult to find a pair of jeans that I really like, and I've taken to altering my own to make up for the shortcomings. Nearly all have reduced the number of belt loops to 5, so I always add 2 more in the back on either side. I've started seeing really short zippers, which is unfixable and best to avoid. I've noticed a lot of ill fitting jeans bunch around the crotch or suffer from being a "cheap h…

I wear duluth trading jeans. The model I buy [0] is made in the usa, although there is also a less-expensive model. It's nice especially because I'm pretty short, and it's nice to find 30" inseam pants without having to dig and dig. They even have 28" in some models.

I also typically buy about three pairs of shorts from them every so often, since I know they fit and that way I don't have to decide about which shorts to wear. They tend to run a bit small (or other pants run a little big), so I add 2" to the waist size when I order from them.

I just counted: 7 belt loops. Also a nice crotch gusset.

EDITed to add: I've been informed that these are "dad jeans" and in no way fashionable.

0: http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/mens/mens-pants/mens-deni...

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#79

Post by ashark »

Nav_Panel wrote: post #72
ashark wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's also a kind of signaling by people who are rich enough not to care about these things and dress accordingly, which is a way of reminding other people that you have so much money you don't care about what impression you make. This only works when people already know you're wealthy, though. Fussell notes this in his Class . The group he categorizes as "top out-of-sight" (mostly old money) is genuinely beyond…

Fussell's book was written prior to "hipsters" as we know them, but many tenets of "hipster fashion" are predicated on some of the same logic as "upper-class folks intentionally dressing down" -- educated, urban, corporate-employed, well-to-do young people dressing "down" in streetwear or workwear like Carhartt (this one really confused my parents). Obviously they will not be construed as a member of the rural workin…

I think it's still fairly useful. It provides an interesting framework for understanding Trump's tastes—or, maybe, the taste he projects in order to market specifically to prole and middle (not upper-middle or higher) people who've moved into higher wealth brackets—for instance. I think it's also useful for understanding which class is being targeted by advertising—the class markers and attitudes it covers, and others that one might infer, are everywhere in advertising.

His "Class X" stuff was way off, of course, and is another thing the trappings of which became just another class marker (for hipsters, in fact, and some other fashion/lifestyle movements). Probably that's a recurring cycle with countercultures. Some specifics have shifted, though trends and anxieties have not so much, I think. A lot of the visible wealth now is (as usual) new money—often tech folks—so I think it remains to be seen whether their kids and grandkids will retain "lower" (largely upper-middle) class tastes and behaviors or integrate fully into the upper classes.

Re: How jeans conquered the world (2012)

#80

Post by djtriptych »

baus wrote: post #8

Japan is at the pinnacle of denim these days (although the US is catching up again). If you want to go off the deep end, take a look at SF based Self Edge [ http://www.selfedge.com ] or NY based Blue in Green [ https://blueingreensoho.com/ ]

Just a note that Blue in Green, while in NY, deals mostly in Japanese denim. Great shop though.
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