The surge of designer denim over the past decade has transformed jeans – once considered the most universal piece of utilitarian clothing, stemming from their blue-collar roots – into high-end designer fashion. Today, premium denim fabrication and design is an art form, and the connoisseurs who wear these valuable, coveted designer jeans are collectors on a quest for the perfect pair of jeans.
Designer Denim's Appeal
Frequently endorsed by celebrities – both officially and inadvertently – premium denim represents a lifestyle. Sevens say: "I'm made in L.A. under sweatshop-free conditions." Rock and Republics shout: "I'm modern, sleek, edgy, and love rock and roll!", while Del Forte (organic) denim says: "I'm an eco-chic woman who cares about the planet."
Quality that Flatters
Made from the finest denim textiles milled in Turkey, Japan, Italy or the United States, stitched to lift, slenderize, flatten and contour in all the right places, and often hand-embroidered and embellished with beads and rhinestones to dazzle the eye, designer denim is a worthy investment for any fashion lover's wardrobe.
Counterfeit Denim
Designer jeans can easily cost today's fashionista anywhere from $100 to $300, so style mavens hoping to score a deal on an authentic pair of high-end jeans will frequently fall victim to frauds selling phonies as genuine brand name jeans at a much-reduced rate.
The Seven For All Mankind website refers to counterfeiting as the "drug trade of the 21st century," with con artists peddling designer jeans on eBay, other websites, as well as at "Jeans Parties," on the street, or other unauthorized venues.
The most commonly knocked-off brands include some of the most in-demand labels: True Religion, Sevens, Citizens, Juicy Couture, Paige Premium Denim and Rock and Republic.
Buying Authentic Jeans
Unless you're looking for an extremely rare style, it's wiser to bypass auction sites such as eBay and buy retail instead. Check the brand's website for a list of authorized brick-and-mortar and online boutiques (i.e. eluxury.com, shopbop.com, vipfashions.com, revolveclothing.com).
If you must purchase from auction sites, deal only with eBay stores with excellent feedback, and beware of products that are suspiciously marked down.
Premium Denim Fit Guides
Denim aficionada Amanda Casabianca scoured stores for designer jeans to fit-test them with a group of girlfriends; Casabianca published her findings in a November 2006 Filly.ca article "Jeans On! The Ultimate Guide to High-End Denim." See the results below:
True To Size (Size 30 = Dress Size 10)
- Abercrombie
- Blue Cult
- Fidelity Denim
- James Jeans
- Joie
- Juicy Couture
- Notify
- Paige Premium
- People's Liberation
- Sacred Blue
- Serfontaine
- Taverniti SO
- True Religion
- Yanuk
- YaYa
Run Small (Size 30 = Dress Size 8)
Run small mainly through the hips, thighs and bottom but could still work on a curvy figure, depending on your proportions:
- 575
- 7 For All Mankind
- AG
- Alice and Olivia
- Antik
- Big Star
- Chip and Pepper
- Citizens of Humanity
- Corleone
- Da Nang
- Diesel
- Edun
- Frankie B
- Habitual
- Joe's Jeans
- Kasil
- L.A.M.B.
- Loomstate
- Lucky
- Miss Sixty
- Paper Denim & Cloth
- People For Peace
- Red Engine
- Rock and Republic
- Rogan
- Salt Works
- Union
- Versace
Run Extra Small (Size 30 = Dress Size 6)
Fit most comfortably on the very tall and slender or petite and slim:
- Bebe
- D and G by Dolce and Gabbana
- Ed Hardy
- Evisu
- Ezra Fitch
- Fornarina
- Grass
- Hudson
- Just Cavalli
- Oligo Tissew
- Pringle
- Reo Starr
- Roberto Cavalli
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