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| Yes | 24% | 6 votes | Total: 25 votes | |
| No | 76% | 19 votes |
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Add to FavoritesIn times of want, we all feel compelled to scrimp and pinch to make ends meet. We start paying more attention to sales at the grocery store, we reassess which of our monthly expenses are necessities and which are luxuries (such as getting our hair colored versus just getting a trim,) and we stop buying name brands and start buying generic. And for the most part, we are able to get by while spending less. But what about clothes? When it comes to living on a shoestring, does going cheap work?
As the various fashion bibles out there will tell you, reaching for the cheaper items when it comes to clothes is not always the best idea. This is particularly true of the staples of everyday wear; shoes and jeans. Sure, getting something for less works in the short term, but in the long run, you would have been better off saving up for the pricier ones.
When it comes to jeans, if you lay a pair of inexpensive ones next to a more costly pair, you can begin to see my point. Inexpensive jeans tend to be made from thinner material, whereas the designer jeans will be made of thicker material, guaranteeing longer wear for your dollar. Also, you will notice that the more expensive of the two are better-stitched and more carefully cut, which means they will fit you better and be more comfortable to wear.
Another point in favor of the more expensive jeans is that more care is taken in the construction of the jeans; riveting, type of fabric, bias-cut, stitching and finish, which can include tacking, sanding, stone washing, sandblasting, whiskering, etc. The more carefully these processes are done, the more the jeans will cost. However, you must remember that the more intensive the process of assembling the jeans means that they are of a much higher quality than their less expensive counterparts, which means that they are liable to last longer with repeated wear.
For those who are concerned with ethical sourcing in retail, another thing to be concerned about is who is making your jeans. More costly clothiers tend to fall more in line with making certain that their workers are properly cared for and compensated for their efforts, which also factors in the cost of the jeans themselves. Cheaper clothing manufacturers cut costs wherever possible, and some go so far as to enlist slave labor and sweatshops in order to craft their goods. I think we all can agree that it is worth it to be certain that no one's rights were stepped on in order to clothe ourselves.
In the end, while I can understand why buying cheaper clothes can seem like the better purchase, I believe it's worth it to save up and shell out for something more expensive.
Learn more about this author, Rose Calder.
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No
Jeans are jeans. This holds true whether they are sold in some pretentious specialty shop within the confines of some elaborate shopping mall or found on the shelves at Wal Mart. With minor exceptions, they all look more or less the same. They are typically blue, and made of denim. Regardless of whose name is stamped on the tag, they will eventually wear out in about the same amount of time.
So why would someone pay $40-60 for a pair of designer jeans when they could buy four or five pairs for the same price at Wal Mart? The younger crowd may argue that such jeans are just not cool. Well, neither is spending more money than you need to; especially in this economy!
But I'll look like a geek!
How so? Can anyone honestly tell what brand of jeans someone is wearing at a distance of ten feet? And even in close proximity, who but the most superficial is going to read the tag, anyway? Some people purposely buy pre-faded examples or ones already with holes to achieve that retro 1970s look. The difference is that back then, we waited until they wore out naturally. In the meantime, we got some mileage out of them before they were shot. Today, people that buy jeans in this pre-worn condition will also pay more for the privilege of replacing them more often. Does this make sense? Why not buy a less expensive brand, run them through the washer with a touch of bleach, and rip a couple of holes in the knees; if this is your idea of cool? At least you'll be saving money.
Designer jeans fall into the same category as any other item or piece of clothing that has some pompous person's name on them. They are overpriced and hence a waste of hard-earned money. Most of us will acquire this wisdom as we get older. Things like keeping a roof over our heads, feeding our families, and paying our bills in a timely manner take precedence over being cool for the sake of being cool. Once we reach a certain age, we're not going to be cool, anyway; no matter how hard we try. Case in point: You don't see Baby Boomers shopping at Old Navy or The Gap, do you?
Even for those who are conscientious about keeping up with the latest trends, one can do so at a greatly reduced price. Like jewelry made from Cubic Zirconium, there is a vast assortment of items that are far-less expensive that will pass for the real thing to the lay person. For that matter, who cares if it isn't the real deal as long as it looks good, anyway?
An $8.00 pair of Rustlers or some $58.00 pair of Calvin Klein's ? For all intents and purposes, they are identical.
Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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