You’ve seen the exorbitant price tags in the boutiques and department stores. But do brands like 7 for All Mankind, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion…the list goes on – have any business charging so much for what others sell for a more reasonable cost? The short answer is – not really. It boils down to your preferences regarding fit, fabric, embellishments, and how you choose to wash and dry clothes. Consumer Reports reviewed several low-cost, mid-range and expensive jeans brands to see which came out on top in its June 2010 issue. They washed each pair five times – although it’s unclear whether they dried them in the dryer – and examined construction features of each. Surprisingly, the more expensive brands tested, including True Religion and 7 for All Mankind, had the highest levels of shrinkage and the least amount of reinforcement in the waist.

The magazine rated Lucky jeans highly when it came to a lack of shrinkage; however, the material was so distressed that the material could deteriorate and make holes. Levi’s, Gap and Old Navy had the best construction but did shrink a bit. Bottom line, it’s a matter of preference as to whether or not you want to pay the extra bucks for expensive jeans. One way to stretch your jeans dollar is to invest in a midpriced brand you like and look for a dark wash – these look more expensive than lighter washes. Dry clean jeans or wash them turned inside out to retain the dye in cold water. Never dry jeans – the fabric will deteriorate more quickly. Try to refrain from washing jeans too much – if you can get through a couple of wears without having to wash them, they’ll hold up longer.