Ugh - I hate spending $

[DaddyTorgo]

So I want to pick up the new Sims game today. That's a reasonable expense, no worries.

But then my cellphone goes kaput over the weekend. I sure hope they can fix it so I don't have to shell out a ton for a new one (what are the htc diamond pro or touch going for anyway, considering i dont have an expired contract and i just upgraded like a year and a half ago i'd expect like $500).

AND to add insult to injury - some salesguy from Tom James (the custom suit people) called me like 3 months ago and made an appointment that we had to reschedule. Thought we rescheduled it for tomorrow and I would have time to cancel it today, but we rescheduled it for today so he showed up at 9am, and I couldn't see myself just sitting through his presentation and sending him away with nothing, so I threw down $125 bucks for a shirt.

Sure as hell hope they can fix my phone for free or this is going to be one of those fucking expensive days that happen a couple of times a year.

[Marc Vaughan]

but we rescheduled it for today so he showed up at 9am, and I couldn't see myself just sitting through his presentation and sending him away with nothing, so I threw down $125 bucks for a shirt.

Cough - $125 for a shirt .... damn, my entire wardrobe doesn't cost that much ....

(if an individual item of clothing is over $10 then I normally won't buy it - yeah I'm a skinflint ....)

[RendeR]

125 for a shirt and you're worried about teh phone? Priorities dude. and some common sense.

Its a SHIRT. JC Penney's 25 bucks for good quality dress shirts.

[RendeR]

And you no longer have the right to use that quote in your sig ;)

[wade moore]

It was pretty obvious where this thread was going.

But yeah, if you spent $125 on a shirt, I'd say..

"You keep using this word hate, I don't think it means what you think it means"

[Mustang]

http://i.tbs.com/v5cache/TBS/Images/Dynamic/i23/seinfeld_episode066_337x233_040420061510.jpg

[Mustang]

$125? I don't know if I've spent that much on my last 10 shirts that I've bought.

[Lathum]

I love spending money, I just wish I had more to spend.

[Passacaglia]

That shirt better have had 12.5 ounces of steak on it.

[DaddyTorgo]

I didn't want to spend the money on the damn shirt. But it was that or like $150 on a pair of pants. Once the poor salesman comes to the damn appointment (my own fault for not canceling it I freely admit - more frustrated about that then anything else), I can't send him away with nothing - that's an uber-dick move.

I'm very much of the school of "go to marshalls, get a $20 dress shirt in a box with a tie" usually.

*shrug* I suppose I could send him an email this afternoon and cancel the order. hmm - that has potential

[Marc Vaughan]

I didn't want to spend the money on the damn shirt. But it was that or like $150 on a pair of pants. Once the poor salesman comes to the damn appointment (my own fault for not canceling it I freely admit - more frustrated about that then anything else), I can't send him away with nothing - that's an uber-dick move.

So I take it your a Jehova's Witness because it'd be impolite to let them go without acquiring a conversion ;)

[Eaglesfan27]

Did you specifically call this salesman and invite him to your home? If he cold-called you or otherwise solicited you, there is nothing wrong with sending him away empty handed.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I didn't want to spend the money on the damn shirt. But it was that or like $150 on a pair of pants.

You may now remove my quote from your signature, it's been revoked.

[DaddyTorgo]

Did you specifically call this salesman and invite him to your home? If he cold-called you or otherwise solicited you, there is nothing wrong with sending him away empty handed.

nah - he did cold-call me. i'm just too nice :banghead: .

[DaddyTorgo]

You may now remove my quote from your signature, it's been revoked.


:lol:

[Logan]

Charles Tyrwhitt shirts, 4 for $199...never go wrong.

[JonInMiddleGA]

nah - he did cold-call me. i'm just too nice :banghead: .

I have a strong urge to revive an old ECW chant.

[DaddyTorgo]

I have a strong urge to revive an old ECW chant.

:lol:

love it!

I'll just send him an email later saying "eh - cancel my order."

[Lathum]

:lol:

love it!

I'll just send him an email later saying "eh - cancel my order."

hopefully the guy didn't spend the commission already on like, food for his family, or something.

[RomaGoth]

:lol:

love it!

I'll just send him an email later saying "eh - cancel my order."

Just mention how your phone went on the fritz and you can't afford the shirt now. I am sure he is a reasonable person whom won't try and still sell you something...

[DaddyTorgo]

hopefully the guy didn't spend the commission already on like, food for his family, or something.

well he won't have put the order in yet. but see that's where i feel bad...jackass :p

[MikeVic]

I think some expensive clothes are sometimes worth it. My wardrobe isn't full of pricey things, but I have a couple shirts or pants or whatever that cost more than average, and they either feel better or I like how they look a lot.

[Logan]

I'm sure in that line of work, he gets a ton of cancellations from people who are too much of a woman to say no to his face :).

[Telle]

Wow.. you better hope that the Kirby salesman never finds you. You buy an overpriced shirt just for a pitch.. you'd certainly buy the overpriced vacuum for getting your carpets cleaned during their demo. I forget exactly how much they are, but I remember the payment plan monthly payment they quoted us being close to what we were paying on our car.

[DaddyTorgo]

I'm sure in that line of work, he gets a ton of cancellations from people who are too much of a woman to say no to his face :).

LOL - you say that like it's supposed to offend me, but it's a well-known fact among everyone that knows me that that's me.

[DaddyTorgo]

Wow.. you better hope that the Kirby salesman never finds you. You buy an overpriced shirt just for a pitch.. you'd certainly buy the overpriced vacuum for getting your carpets cleaned during their demo. I forget exactly how much they are, but I remember the payment plan monthly payment they quoted us being close to what we were paying on our car.

well see no, at that price there's just no way i could justify it financially. but i mean i can afford this - it's just that i'd rather not spend it.

[DaddyTorgo]

I think some expensive clothes are sometimes worth it. My wardrobe isn't full of pricey things, but I have a couple shirts or pants or whatever that cost more than average, and they either feel better or I like how they look a lot.

yeah. but i just bought a new suit. and this shirt definately doesn't go with the suit. it's more of a "business casual" or "going out to pick up chicks" casual type of dress shirt, and neither of those are things i really do.

[Lathum]

I'm sure in that line of work, he gets a ton of cancellations from people who are too much of a woman to say no to his face :).
You should have a female friend call him, say she is you fiance and cancel the order and say you have a wedding to pay for and she didn't approve the purchase.

[DaddyTorgo]

You should have a female friend call him, say she is you fiance and cancel the order and say you have a wedding to pay for and she didn't approve the purchase.

except i copped to being single

i'll just send him an email and say that i have to replace my busted phone afterall and a new phone was way more than i thought it would be. i'm sure he'll stop reading long before that point anyways.

he was from Ohio too - that's why I really should have canceled the fucking sales call. Douchebag state!

[DanGarion]

Have any of you actually ever had a custom made shirt?

[MikeVic]

yeah. but i just bought a new suit. and this shirt definately doesn't go with the suit. it's more of a "business casual" or "going out to pick up chicks" casual type of dress shirt, and neither of those are things i really do.

Ah ok, then it's harder to justify. :)

[DaddyTorgo]

Have any of you actually ever had a custom made shirt?

i haven't. i bet they're really comfy though, right?

[Lathum]

You should at least call him, if you email him he may say the order was already placed by the time he got the message and there isn't anything he can do about it.

Just don't call him from your cell phone.

[DaddyTorgo]

You should at least call him, if you email him he may say the order was already placed by the time he got the message and there isn't anything he can do about it.

Just don't call him from your cell phone.

valid point. and i can't call him from my cell phone - it is legitimately downstairs in the sprint shop. hopefully they can fix it though

[JonInMiddleGA]

it is legitimately downstairs in the sprint shop.

You have a Sprint store in your basement? Dude, seriously, I think we need to start a financial advice thread here. Not that you need it obviously, I was thinking you could hand out some tips though.

Is there a Starbucks in your kitchen too?

[Passacaglia]

Have any of you actually ever had a custom made shirt?

I have. Though since I got it in India, it was probably something like $5-$10.

[Kodos]

But then my cellphone goes kaput over the weekend. I sure hope they can fix it so I don't have to shell out a ton for a new one (what are the htc diamond pro or touch going for anyway, considering i dont have an expired contract and i just upgraded like a year and a half ago i'd expect like $500).


I always get the cheapest cell phone available. All I need it to do is place and receive calls.

[wade moore]

You have a Sprint store in your basement? Dude, seriously, I think we need to start a financial advice thread here. Not that you need it obviously, I was thinking you could hand out some tips though.

Is there a Starbucks in your kitchen too?

Thank goodness I wasn't drinking anything when I read this.

[DaddyTorgo]

You have a Sprint store in your basement? Dude, seriously, I think we need to start a financial advice thread here. Not that you need it obviously, I was thinking you could hand out some tips though.

Is there a Starbucks in your kitchen too?

lol - in the ground floor of the office building i'm in

my financial advice right now would be - keep an eye on oil based on the political situation in Iran. Oil is generally a good play right now, but if it seems that the revolution has potential to bring in a reformist leader the price of oil could go thru the roof due to uncertainty about supply

[DaddyTorgo]

Is there a Starbucks in your kitchen too?

Since I worked there for 8 years aren't i like a walking starbucks?

[Logan]

Have any of you actually ever had a custom made shirt?

Just like anything else...if it's good quality, it's worth the money.

[claphamsa]

DT is my hero!

[JediKooter]

YouTube - Season 1 Episode 08-A Shirt Story #1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjynwJdgJho)

Sorry, can't embed it.

[DaddyTorgo]

well phone fixed for free. basically a whole new phone (i think they took out the chipset and popped it into a new body), so that's nice.

[lordscarlet]

Just for some sanity here, there is a difference between a $10 shirt and a $125 shirt. Having said that, if you think you're spending too much money, perhaps go with a $50 shirt instead. :)

[DaddyTorgo]

Just for some sanity here, there is a difference between a $10 shirt and a $125 shirt. Having said that, if you think you're spending too much money, perhaps go with a $50 shirt instead. :)


lol

well of course there's a difference. I just don't think I dress up enough for it to matter I suppose.

[claphamsa]

Ill go as high as 16$ if its one of those never iron shirts!

[DaddyTorgo]

the never iron ones are like the only ones i bother buying anymore.

lol

[claphamsa]

for 125$ i would expect him to throw in a eastern European chick to iron it!

[wade moore]

I'm not saying there isn't some kind of value to a $125 shirt, but to say "I hate spending $" and then say, "I bought a $125 shirt" just doesn't jive.

For the record I think $30-$40 is the most I've spent on a shirt, generally $20 or less.

[DaddyTorgo]

well it's true. lol.

or at least...i hate spending it on stuff that isn't "fun" and clothes aren't fun.

new cellphones are fun, but they're also crazy expensive.

fortunately it got fixed (basically replaced) for free.

[DaddyTorgo]

aah.

[stevew]

what was wrong with your phone?

[DaddyTorgo]

i theorize that a wire between the "guts" (the chipset and all) and the lcd screen had stopped working/gotten pinched or something. cuz the lcd screen would give off a backlight so it was still getting power, but it wasn't receiving the image the software was sending.

but they replaced the front-panel and the back panel (so basically gave me a new phone with my old chipset+memory) and it's good as new (since it is new...telltale scratches and all gone. d-pad that had stopped working now works again)

[Logan]

In my experience, the cheaper non iron shirts wrinkle 100% of the time.

[RendeR]

Have any of you actually ever had a custom made shirt?


No and I never spent 10 bucks an OUNCE on steak either, doesn mean I'm gonna go out and do so now =)

[RendeR]

You're still using that sig line, based on this thread it must be removed...the sooner the better ;)

[DaddyTorgo]

lol - i am? i don't see it - weird. i thought i hadn't been using it for like...months.

anyways i canceled the shirt anyways, so maybe i'll keep the sig line.

[RendeR]

No now its gotta be more like

"After being abused verbally by my friends I am smarter than I once was"

[DaddyTorgo]

No now its gotta be more like

"After being abused verbally by my random people who like myself spend far too many hours of their day posting on an internet messageboard for a football text-sim I am smarter than I once was"

fixed that for you ;)

[fantom1979]

http://images4.cafepress.com/product/133858924v5_350x350_Front_Color-Black.jpg

[Marc Vaughan]

Just for some sanity here, there is a difference between a $10 shirt and a $125 shirt. Having said that, if you think you're spending too much money, perhaps go with a $50 shirt instead. :)

Yeah there's $115 difference ;)

(seriously yes some shirts can be better tailored .... BUT my sister worked in a sweatshop when she was younger making jeans and litterally the only difference between certain brands was the label they put on last .... finding that out as a teenager was quite a shock to the system, although it was very cool having Levi everything (my sister used to sew the labels into anything that didn't move ;) ) )

PS - When I was younger and single I used to blow 50 quid on a posh shirt now and again, which is probably about the same price in todays money - however your feelings about such things definitely do alter as you get older and have more responsibilities .... I find it very hard to spend that sort of dosh on clothes these days because there are always bills waiting somewhere and even if there aren't there's that little voice warning me about the kids wanting to go to university in a few years ...

[DaddyTorgo]

hehe

well i canceled it anyways

[claphamsa]

thats not gonna get you out of this tho.....

[lordscarlet]

Yeah there's $115 difference ;)

(seriously yes some shirts can be better tailored .... BUT my sister worked in a sweatshop when she was younger making jeans and litterally the only difference between certain brands was the label they put on last .... finding that out as a teenager was quite a shock to the system, although it was very cool having Levi everything (my sister used to sew the labels into anything that didn't move ;) ) )

I'm sorry, but there is a difference between the $10 jeans at wal-mart and, say, a pair of Diesel jeans. Maybe not between some $20 jeans and a pair of levi's, but there is certainly a difference.

[CU Tiger]

I'm sorry, but there is a difference between the $10 jeans at wal-mart and, say, a pair of Diesel jeans. Maybe not between some $20 jeans and a pair of levi's, but there is certainly a difference.

I have a friend that is a buyer for a small chain of clothing stores that also has their own line of clothing. He recently added a new line of Jeans that are supposedly made in the same factory from the same material, same cuts, measurements etc. as 7 jeans (I had to google 7 jeans I had never heard of them but apparently they are $150 jeans) Identical in every way except the labels.

They sell in their stores for 17.99/pair and cost him just over .89/each.

Next time I see him I will ask him about Diesels

[DaddyTorgo]

hehe

[MikeVic]

For pricier jeans, I don't mind spending if they feel nice. Cheap jeans won't have the fade that I want all the time, or might not feel nice (I guess soft is the feeling). If there are $20 jeans with the fade and feel I want, then all the better. But I haven't found them yet.

[Logan]

I have a friend that is a buyer for a small chain of clothing stores that also has their own line of clothing. He recently added a new line of Jeans that are supposedly made in the same factory from the same material, same cuts, measurements etc. as 7 jeans (I had to google 7 jeans I had never heard of them but apparently they are $150 jeans) Identical in every way except the labels.

They sell in their stores for 17.99/pair and cost him just over .89/each.

Next time I see him I will ask him about Diesels

Wanna bet they're not?

I don't spend more than about $50-75 on jeans because the ones I get at Banana Republic/Gap are perfect for me from a fit and style standpoint. I would wager a solid grand that I could pick those out from a triangle lineup among a Walmart pair on sight alone. Let me feel them for 5 seconds and I'll bump it up to $2000. Replace the BR/Gap jeans with Diesel, Lucky, etc and my confidence expands up to $10k.

And for the record, I don't give a shit about labels.

[lordscarlet]

I have a friend that is a buyer for a small chain of clothing stores that also has their own line of clothing. He recently added a new line of Jeans that are supposedly made in the same factory from the same material, same cuts, measurements etc. as 7 jeans (I had to google 7 jeans I had never heard of them but apparently they are $150 jeans) Identical in every way except the labels.

They sell in their stores for 17.99/pair and cost him just over .89/each.

Next time I see him I will ask him about Diesels

Not to back down too much, but a small independent chain is very different from Wal-Mart. :) IMO, at least. Perhaps I am entirely wrong, and I can accept that if so. However, I just don't think Old Navy jeans are of the same quality as some higher-end brands (even Levi's -- which are mid-range at best) based on my own personal experience.

And, also, fwiw, the jeans I own are older Mossimo jeans from target, 2 pair of Levi's, and one pair of Diesel that I got at a greatly reduced price.

[CU Tiger]

Wanna bet they're not?

I don't spend more than about $50-75 on jeans because the ones I get at Banana Republic/Gap are perfect for me from a fit and style standpoint. I would wager a solid grand that I could pick those out from a triangle lineup among a Walmart pair on sight alone. Let me feel them for 5 seconds and I'll bump it up to $2000. Replace the BR/Gap jeans with Diesel, Lucky, etc and my confidence expands up to $10k.

And for the record, I don't give a shit about labels.

Well, I am not an expert, I am just relaying what I was told by a friend who I would consider an expert.

The way he explained it to me, and again I can only relay this, is that there are only so many types of denim (or any material for that matter) and that almost all if not all clothing is made in low wage oriental sweat shops. The trick is to figure out what type of material the popular brands use, find out the factory they use, and go from there. Apparently when you contact these factories and do tours they brag about their high end labels (contracts forbid them to disclose who they make for, so they never do it over the phone, etc. but when you are walking through a plant it is pretty obvious what they make )

According to him the one thing that is a "secret" or that the facilities will not share is the cut or dimensions. But this is easily reverse engineered by simply buying a few of each size, destructing them and measuring.

When I wear jeans it is almost exclusively for working so I usually wear thicker carhartt or similar, so I can not comment. I do know that I used to wear khakis only from Ralph Lauren or Nautica (nothing special about those brands they just fit me the best) He gave me two pair and said they were RL clones and after 6 months (gave them to me back at Christmas) I can not tell a difference and they have aged equal.

However, and this may make a difference. Thes guys are not single stores in a run down mall they have 25 or so free standing clothing stores, so they spend a few more $ than most independents I would assume, and may have access to facilities that some do not. Certainly Wal Mart could, but I am not sure that is their target.

I am not going to throw the store name out there (PM me if you are local and care) because I am not too sure how much of this is accepted practce etc.

But it seems reasonable that if you buy the same materials as XYZ, have the same factory sew it as XYZ to the same dimensions as XYZ you would end up with a very close impersonation to XYZ.....

[CU Tiger]

Not to back down too much, but a small independent chain is very different from Wal-Mart. :) IMO, at least. Perhaps I am entirely wrong, and I can accept that if so. However, I just don't think Old Navy jeans are of the same quality as some higher-end brands (even Levi's -- which are mid-range at best) based on my own personal experience.

And, also, fwiw, the jeans I own are older Mossimo jeans from target, 2 pair of Levi's, and one pair of Diesel that I got at a greatly reduced price.

Dola-
I am with you 100%.
I have 2 pair of Old navy jeans the wife bought me on one of those $5 clearance deals and I cant stand to put them on, actually reminds me I am throwing those out today while she is gone....

I dont clothes shop at wal mart but do they even have their own brand or are they still peddling the Wranglers?

[digamma]

Charles Tyrwhitt shirts, 4 for $199...never go wrong.

Dress British and think Yiddish...FTW!

[RendeR]

I'm sorry, but there is a difference between the $10 jeans at wal-mart and, say, a pair of Diesel jeans. Maybe not between some $20 jeans and a pair of levi's, but there is certainly a difference.


You're right, the diesel jeans go for an ungodly amount of money more for the same fracking things, a pair of DENEM PANTS.

[RendeR]

Faded Glory is the label /brand that wal-mart tends to push more than anything, from shirts to shoes and pants and everything in between.

[lordscarlet]

You're right, the diesel jeans go for an ungodly amount of money more for the same fracking things, a pair of DENEM PANTS.

Give me a break with this. The "difference" is not just the price. They are not the same thing, I'm sorry if you don't want to spend the money for superior quality, but Old Navy and most designer jeans are NOT the same if you take away the price. The Old Navy jeans are not cut as well and do not last as long.

[RendeR]

I've bought maybe 8 pair of jeans in the last 10 years.

They are wal mart specials, they last for freaking ever. and *GASP* their amazingly comfortable.

I spent anywhere from 12-15 dollars a pair.

If you're spending 50+ on denim jeans you're being ripped off. if you're ok with that, then yter ok with that. Just because its more expensive or gets sold as some overly perfumed shop in a Mall does not make it better quality or last longer or fit better.

And THATs the only real difference between teh expensive ones and what I buy, location, location, location.

[Logan]

I've bought maybe 8 pair of jeans in the last 10 years.

They are wal mart specials, they last for freaking ever. and *GASP* their amazingly comfortable.

I spent anywhere from 12-15 dollars a pair.

If you're spending 50+ on denim jeans you're being ripped off. if you're ok with that, then yter ok with that. Just because its more expensive or gets sold as some overly perfumed shop in a Mall does not make it better quality or last longer or fit better.

And THATs the only real difference between teh expensive ones and what I buy, location, location, location.

Guess I'm an asshole for actually liking the way I look in $60 jeans that I will wear hundreds of times.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The latest tangent in this thread reminds me that over the weekend I was trying to remember the last time I actually wore a pair of jeans & for the life of me I can't come up with when it would have been. It's been over a year I'm sure, I just couldn't figure whether it's been more than 2 years.

[lordscarlet]

The latest tangent in this thread reminds me that over the weekend I was trying to remember the last time I actually wore a pair of jeans & for the life of me I can't come up with when it would have been. It's been over a year I'm sure, I just couldn't figure whether it's been more than 2 years.

George F. Will - America's Bad Jeans - washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041502861.html)

[Schmidty]

Render's a broken record.

WE GET IT!!!!

[JonInMiddleGA]

George F. Will - America's Bad Jeans - washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041502861.html)

Heh. I don't particularly have the righteous indignation thing going about it like GFW does, I simply find pants made of material like cargo pants (or whatever they're called these days) - canvas, cotton, whatever - a lot more comfortable to sit around in.

[lordscarlet]

Heh. I don't particularly have the righteous indignation thing going about it like GFW does, I simply find pants made of material like cargo pants (or whatever they're called these days) - canvas, cotton, whatever - a lot more comfortable to sit around in.

Yeah, it just made me think of that ridiculous column. :) It wasn't really meant to imply you were of like mind to Will, just made me think of it. (I suppose that would have been clear if I typed something other than the link)

[JonInMiddleGA]

(I suppose that would have been clear if I typed something other than the link)

No harm there, I got a decent chuckle out of it actually.

At most I thought you might have been asking whether it was a style issue for me but otherwise I just figured it was a chance to toss out a column that most of us missed the first time around.

[lordscarlet]

No harm there, I got a decent chuckle out of it actually.

At most I thought you might have been asking whether it was a style issue for me but otherwise I just figured it was a chance to toss out a column that most of us missed the first time around.

Exactly. Wasn't worth it's own thread when it was published. ;)

And it's a slow night -- listening to the Nationals blow a winnable game against the Yankees and not really being motivated to do anything productive.

I actually had a momentary image of hawaiian shirts and cargo shorts for the radio sales guy! :D

[JonInMiddleGA]

I actually had a momentary image of hawaiian shirts and cargo shorts for the radio sales guy! :D

http://open.salon.com/files/herb-tarlek1243446191.jpg

[DanGarion]

George F. Will - America's Bad Jeans - washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041502861.html)

That guy is an idiot.

[Big Fo]

That guy is an idiot.

Yeah, I don't wear jeans but ripping on Seinfeld and people who play video games? Someone should stab the bastard.

[DanGarion]

Yeah, I don't wear jeans but ripping on Seinfeld and people who play video games? Someone should stab the bastard.

I wear jeans all the time, you want to know why? Because they are comfortable. Just because Fred Astaire wouldn't wear them 60 years ago doesn't mean I shouldn't now.

[lordscarlet]

Nice, JiMGA

[Alan T]

I wear jeans all the time, you want to know why? Because they are comfortable. Just because Fred Astaire wouldn't wear them 60 years ago doesn't mean I shouldn't now.

Same here. I generally work from home, so usually while working I'll actually wear sweat shorts or khaki shorts around the home. When I do go in to work, or really go almost anywhere I wear Jeans and some form of decent looking shirt. I even wear Jeans to church with a button up shirt.

I find jeans more comfortable, and they are easier for me to look good in. Considering I never iron anything, almost all of my dress slacks look like they have been under my bed for the last decade getting wrinkled when I put them on.

Pretty much the only time I actually wear slacks is when there is some formal occasion that i have to wear something other than blue jeans.


As for the previous conversation, yes I think almost all of my jeans I own either come from the Gap or Old Navy, so I don't really spend a ton on clothes either way :)

[Marc Vaughan]

Not to back down too much, but a small independent chain is very different from Wal-Mart. :) IMO, at least. Perhaps I am entirely wrong, and I can accept that if so. However, I just don't think Old Navy jeans are of the same quality as some higher-end brands (even Levi's -- which are mid-range at best) based on my own personal experience.

And, also, fwiw, the jeans I own are older Mossimo jeans from target, 2 pair of Levi's, and one pair of Diesel that I got at a greatly reduced price.

I think some of it is psychological (ie. you think the brand is better so you feel it looks better when you wear it).

Some of it is also probably higher quality control and suchlike when they run the lines for 'brand' jeans.

I used to work in a canning factory in England while I was a student - it used to basically do the tinned food for supermarkets, ie. massive machinery with lots of say carrots passing people by and ending up in tins.

The difference between the branded and non-branded food was simply the quality control put in place (ie. for Heinz things were dumped if there were any issues at all, supermarket brands they weren't) and in some cases the mixture for the sauces (same basis just thinner or thicker and hence cheaper or more expensive).

For Jeans I'd expect the same pretty much - for cheaper supermarket jeans the emphasis will be on bulk production, so there will be more variance in 'fit', whereas for higher name brand the emphasis will be more on it being 'right' ..... still made of exactly the same stuff though ;)

[Galaxy]

Do you really have different denim fabrics? I know cotton does and you can tell the difference (both in type and thread count).