What’s The Difference Between $50 Jeans And $500 Jeans?

When it’s time to buy a new pair of jeans, your head may start spinning. Some jeans cost $50, while others cost $500, and it can be hard for the average consumer to figure out what accounts for the price difference.

Some people are willing to pay whatever it costs to get the perfect fit but don’t want to pay more if all they get for their money is a name-brand stitched on the back. Meanwhile, even the thriftiest shoppers usually don’t want to waste their hard-earned money on a cheap pair of jeans that won’t hold up.

“Denim prices are wildly divergent and not necessarily affixed to sensible-seeming things, like how much it costs to make them,” explained Colbey Reid, the director of the School of Fashion and professor of fashion studies at Columbia College Chicago.

“This makes denim pricing really hard to navigate, not only for consumers but for brands, too,” she added.

We talked to designers and fashion industry insiders to help figure out why some jeans cost so little and some cost so much.

Note details like double-stitched seams.

“Jeans with intricate designs or additional production steps tend to cost more,” saidElizabeth Davey, director of product at Duer.

The more workmanship a style requires, the more the jeans will cost. “Hem grinding, hand trimming and embroidery require more labor time to cut and sew the jeans,” said Caren Lettiere, the founder and president of Democracy Clothing. The finishing process can significantly impact costs. “Artisanal hand-washing, specialized dyes and premium embellishments like custom hardware, rivets, buttons, plates, and patches” also drive the cost of jeans up, Lettiere added.

Some details that increase the cost of jeans may not be obvious, but they can help them last longer. For example, a double or chain stitch along the seams or pockets and an extra button sewn inside the jeans in case one gets lost can help jeans stand the test of time and save money in the long run, Rogers said.

Production scale matters.

For all clothing, “The bigger the brand, the cheaper they can manufacture,” explained Jacqueline Diane, a freelance denim designer. Many factories charge brands a “per piece” price. The more jeans a brand orders, the less they will pay for each pair. That means well-known designer brands can sometimes price their jeans lower than smaller brands producing similar quality jeans, Reid said.

If you want limited-run jeans that not everyone is wearing, Lettiere said that it will likely cost you more.

Materials make a difference in price, too.

All denim contains cotton, Reid explained. However, the fabric quality used in manufacturing jeans significantly affects the final cost.

For example, Shelley Rogers, a fashion coordinator at Earthday.org, said organic cotton grown without pesticides and using less water will cost more than conventionally grown cotton.

“Countries like Japan and Italy are known for producing high-cost, premium fabrics,” Davey said. Japanese denim, for instance, is usually made with high-quality cotton and dying techniques that result in deep indigo. That comes at a cost.

Moreover, jeans made out of 100% cotton are usually more expensive and last longer than jeans combined with synthetic materials, Rogers explained. Nevertheless, many companies combine synthetic materials with cotton to create properties cotton does not have but consumers like — such as stretch or a very rigid look, Reid said. These blends “each have unique characteristics that affect not just price but comfort, durability, and how the jeans ultimately move and shape with your body,” Lettiere said.

However, Rogers noted some jeans create blends to help bring the price down. Materials like polyester are less expensive than cotton, so adding polyester to jeans decreases the cost.

Ethical practices will drive up the price.

If you pay $20 for a pair of jeans, “something has gone terribly wrong in the supply chain, as it implies that someone did not get paid a fair wage,” Diane said.

The more responsible the brand is, the more expensive the jeans will be. In addition to paying a fair wage, jeans that aren’t made using environmentally sustainable practices will likely cost less. For example, Reid said companies that dispose of dyes in a way that is not environmentally friendly may be able to charge less. “One way to think about the cost and quality of denim is to include the cost to the environment and other humans and bake that into our understanding of quality,” Reid advised.

However, Diane cautioned that just because a pair of jeans costs $500 does not necessarily mean that a company is manufacturing their products in an environmentally friendly way. To figure this out, consumers need to do their own research. Good On You rates brands according to how sustainable they are. Additionally, apparel brands that have been B Corporation-certified demonstrate a commitment to sustainable social and environmental practices. Lowthrop also looks at brands’ websites to see if they are transparent about their manufacturing processes.

How much are you paying for a brand name?

Brand names are “a huge factor in consumer price” that largely comes down to the brand’s perception, said Larissa Lowthorp, founder of the clothing brand Lunescape.

However, price doesn’t always correlate with quality, she explained. Many brands that market themselves as luxury are made in the same factory, using the same techniques as mass-market jeans, Diane said. Rather than paying for better quality, consumers may be paying for the brand’s investment in marketing, fashion shows and storefront real estate. “All of this gets built into the price,” Lettiere said.

“A pair of designer jeans might cost only marginally more to produce than mid-range jeans but retail for several times more due to brand pricing strategies,” she explained.

How can you tell if price correlates with quality?

To make sure you are getting quality jeans, Lowthrop recommends looking for specific design elements. First, she suggests examining the type of denim used to see if it is thick and heavy, which may indicate that the jeans are made of premium denim.

Then, she recommends examining the stitches to ensure they are tight, even, and made with thick thread.

Lowthrop says another sign that jeans are well made is a crisp, clean fold that stays in place when cuffed. She also suggests looking for design elements, such as stitch detailing, the types of products used, or specialized finishes, such as frayed hems, that may justify a higher price.

Finally, Lowthrop recommends ensuring that no dye comes off on your hands while examining the jeans. These steps, combined with a company’s commitment to sustainability, will tell you more about the quality of jeans than the price tag.