$2,000 jeans? Ralph Lauren launching high-end denim line
A decade ago, designer denim was the new "it" thing in fashion. Many people considered paying $100+ for jeans to be crazy, but that didn't stop thousands of pairs from brands like 7 for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, Diesel, Earnest Sewn, Joe's Jeans and True Religion from flying off shelves with prices sometimes upwards of $200. Finally there was a breaking point. People realized a good pair of classic Levi's 501s fit just as well. Shoppers were sick of overpaying for jeans with "custom" yet totally generic rips and dyes. Buyers realized they could grab three pairs of jeans at H&M for the price of one designer pair. Or that they already had 10 pairs of jeans and really didn't need any more. And thankfully, the days of overpaying for expensive denim died out a bit.
With that in mind, we were pretty surprised to hear about Ralph Lauren's new luxury denim line today. Surely the top American designer can sell every color and style of polo or cable knit sweater imaginable without trying, and he's had much success with offshoots like his more affordable Blue label and Rugby for the college prepster. But why now, during a recession, would he try to launch an expensive line of jeans? And when we say expensive, we mean painfully expensive. Like $300 to $2,000 expensive.
According to WWD, Ralph Lauren Collection Denim will feature a variety of garments like superskinny jeans, jodhpur jeggings, a denim tuxedo, and a tailored trenchcoat in a range of rinses and treatments. The collection is scheduled to hit stores in July. But will there be any buyers?
Related links:
Science Deems $150 Jeans a Good Deal (Thanks, Science!)
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