Custom Jeans As a Status Symbol
Custom Jeans As a Status Symbol
In case you hear the phrase “jeans are the most democratic piece of clothes” once again be sure the person who said it is hopelessly behind the age. Of course, back in 1880 jeans were considered to be clothes for workers and their price never got higher than 22 cents, afterwards they used to be worn mostly by students and represent an indispensable attribute of picnics in the country, but all this is past now. Today jeans can be seen ar cocktail parties, in offices and even on the Red carpet. Together with high quality watches, luxurious cars and jewelry custom tailored jeans have become to a symbol of status, which importance is not dependent on world fashion trends.
Their way in the world of high society started probably in the 1970s and 1980s with the help of Calvin Klein and Gloria Wanderbild, who created the first expensive and skinny designer jeans. However, the real “jeans revolution” happened in Japan. Evisu and 45rpm brands made an accent on the unusual quality of denim, its finishing and indigo dying process. Selvage denim is today the most demanded type of jeans fabric among the world’s most established brands. Some of the pants manufactured from it cost $300 to $1.500 and their production lasts up to several years.
The trend was later developed in Europe and America. Chanel, Tom Ford, Gucci fashion houses as well as many others started to design custom jeans – with cuts, feathers and African beads which cost $3134 for a pair, A Guinness Book record back then. Of course, today the prices grow further.
American brand A.P.O. Jeans makes custom jeans on a by-order basis ad their prices are above $4000. These jeans are sewn from high quality denim manufactured in India, back pockets are embellished with satin with printed customer name and the number indicating exclusive nature of the jeans model. This principle is known in exclusive jewelry manufacture, where you can find the owner of a jewelry piece by model number. The zippers of A.P.O jeans are polished and covered with gold, and buttons and rivets are made to order from silver, white or yellow gold or platinum, or are even encrusted with brilliants. Another recordsman is Escada fashion house which manufactures luxurious $7000 jeans under Escada Couture trademark. The most expensive model costs $10.000 and is totally covered with Swarovski crystals.
However, let us leave the Guinness Book of records and just look 5-6 years back to see the establishment of numerous small companies specializing on manufacture of jeans. Of course, the companies come and go, but the trend stays. Remember the excitement about Juicy Coutire and Seven for All Mankind? Today these Californian brands are nearly forgotten, for each year new jeans labels appear. The most popular for today are J&Company, Getwear, True Religion, Cheap & Pepper, Paper Denim & Cloth, Notify, Citizens of Humanity, Acne Jeans, Gold Sign Jeans, Kova, Earnst Sewn.
Buyer of Parisian boutique Colette Sarah Lerfel where made to measure jeans from Europe and America occupy a very important place believes that such interest towards jeans is explained by tiredness of too complicated and sophisticated clothes. Jeans are simple, elegant and sexy. However, simple doesn’t always mean cheap.