Premium Denim | Do you know the difference? (2024)

FAQs

What does premium denim mean? ›

3 Things that define Premium Denim. –FIT: crafted for the body. -Fabric: Always made in US and created exclusively from Japanese, Turkish or Italian Denim. -Quality: They have hand finished washes with more detail.

Levi's premium denim is often made from a blend of high-quality cotton and other premium materials such as elastane, providing a more tailored fit and enhanced comfort. These jeans are designed to hug the body, offering a flattering silhouette that accentuates the wearer's curves.

To see if a pair of jeans has what it takes, gently stretch it at the seams to check for durability. If you see or hear threads pulling apart, that's a telltale sign of poor construction that will likely lead to rips during everyday wear—leading you to either have to get the jeans repaired or purchase a new pair.

The most expensive vintage jeans are a pair of Levi's blue denim trousers, worn by Nirvana's vocalist Kurt Cobain, which were sold on 18 November 2023 for $412,750 (£332,166), at Julien's Auction, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

'Selvedge' is the name for the higher-quality, harder-to-produce type of denim that is typically sold and worn unwashed.

While the world's most expensive pair of jeans is worth $1.3 million by Secret Circus, the designer jeans are not left behind in terms of luxury. APO Jeans.

As you wear 100% cotton jeans, the cotton threads themselves will stretch out—it's a breaking down of the individual fibers—permanently. With wear, the knees and seat will become baggy, the hips and thighs may relax, and the pockets may become saggy. This is the cotton fiber being stretched out and damaged.

The three most popular vintage styles are the 501, 505, and 517, Hillman confirms. You can find it stamped on the leather patch on the back or on the tag inside. All three were originally designed for men, they're all extremely flattering on the butt, and they're all coveted. Yet, each one is slightly different.

Editor's Notes: When it comes to denim few brands have stood the test of time, except of course, Levi's who are celebrating 150 years of its classic 501 jeans.

Cheap jeans will usually have low-quality stitching with low stitch densities and cheap thread that easily breaks and looks ragged. It can sometimes compromise the seams of the jeans themselves.

Should you size up in denim? ›

Sizing up or down? We always recommend staying true to the size corresponding to your body measures. Sizing down puts a lot of extra strain on the denim, which may cause the jean to rip or break. For stretch jeans, the stretch is there primarily for comfort and optimal movement.

The Three Tiers of Denim Jackets: Entry, Mid, and End Level.

Wash on a Delicate Cycle

Set your washing machine on its delicate cycle and wash jeans with cold water. Ideally, you should wash jeans separately or with similarly dark-colored clothes. This step is key to avoid shrinking or bleeding.

Denim is a sturdy, 100% cotton fabric in which the weft passes under at least two warp threads to create a unique diagonal twill pattern. This makes denim fabric more durable than other material using plain single weave. The yarn we get from the cotton plant is white and has to be dyed to have a different color.

Thickness: The strands of cotton are woven tightly to provide protection and prevent a tear. Stiffness: As seen above, how stiff your denim jeans or clothing is will depend on the type of denim – raw denim will be quite stiff whereas mid-wash denim fabric properties make it softer.