They are always over $100 here. I bought 2 pairs of levis when I went to the states last year and lost weight so I'm selling them here online. I'm sure I'll be able to sell them for the price I got them for even though they are 2nd hand now.

Levis were the ultimate jeans in the 70s for purists - and yes, they were relatively more expensive than other brands - their closest competitor being Lee.

That rectangular leather patch on the rear waistband was the status symbol of the Pepsi generation - lol. To be honest ... often a particular model of Lee would be more flattering - better cut, value for money ... but they were not Levis. 'Nuf said.

Speaking of the shrink to fit, as someone mentioned above - I remember my older cousins buying 501s, putting them on, and sitting in a bathtub full of warm water until the jeans were saturated. Then they'd get out and keep them on until they'd dried (a full day, at times). But wooo-hooo ... those pants fit like second skin. Come to think of it - you could call them the original skinny jeans!

Anyway - yes ... they cost more than their competitors, which were Lee jeans - and far more than the generic Sears/Penneys type brands.

I'm another person who saved up the $100ish they cost in the early 90s to buy a pair of 501s along with everyone else. And yes I wore them with my docs boots too!

At the same time I remember taking several trips to america and trying on levis at places like sears and never being able to find 501s or anything as nice. Although the jeans there were much cheaper.

Are the Levis that are sold at Sears/other department stores now the exact same jeans they sell in the Levis branded stores? I'd guess not, but I'd be guessing

Tam, yes, Levi's of the same style would be the same regardless of the store. Are you saying you couldnt' find 501's at Sears or that they had them but weren't as nice?

This is a fascinating thread! Like Mo, I wore the shrink-to-fit Levi's in the early '80s, when I was in high school. They were *the* jeans to wear. In college I abandoned jeans in favor of leggings, vintage dresses, etc., and haven't really worn Levi's since. My SO and son, on the other hand, both wear Levi's all the time. They usually buy them at Urban Outfitters or online; they are some sort of skinny, but not too skinny, cut. I still find Levi's very attractive on men.

I haven't worn Levi' since high school (late 90s) and at that time my parents bought my clothes so I dont know how expensive they are relative to other brands at the time. I liked my Levi's then but I never considered them an expensive, coveted item. Are other premium denim brands available in Europe? I can't imagine Levi's can command such a high price abroad if the quality isnt comparable to other high quality brands.

Kim I don't remember exactly (we are talking early 90s here), but I don't think I could find 501s but found plenty other styles. Are the styles they sell today at dept stores like Sears the same styles that are sold at the Levi's stores?

This is so interesting! I always considered Levis to be the "cheap" brand of jeans. The fit never was bad, but they passed their prime for other brands over the years. The most I see Levis, is on men around here. Any I own were always for horseback riding only. i considered them my beat up jeans.

Lisa, we have most of the US, Aus and European premium brands here and Levis falls between High Street Store denim and premium (but premium denim is much more expensive in the UK than the US)

I just had a look at the UK an US websites and whilst they look similar the UK site is all about pushing collections and the look for spring, here's the links
http://eu.levi.com/en_GB/levis......html#ss11

http://us.levi.com/home/index.jsp

Count me in as yet another Levi's girl from the 1990's who had to beg and plead for a pair of 501's and who wore them until they fell apart!

It is great to finally see a wider range of brands, styles and quality jeans *finally* becoming available in Australia. I can recall growing up it felt like there were Levi jeans, Lee jeans and the generic brand of jeans that could be found at major department stores (such as Big W - US equiv would probably be Walmart).

Next time we Aussie girls get together, I must go and try on some "premium" jeans to see if I can tell the difference from the mid-range price-point jeans I normally buy. I can't work out if I would be buying a superior product or buying an incredibly expensive label!

This is very interesting!

RoseandJoan=Thanks for the links!

I may have to keep Levis in mind next time I am looking for jeans. I remember when they were $20 anywhere such as big box stores like Costco.

Interesting thread!

I don't think I ever wore Levis but I do remember when my half-brother came to America to visit us from Israel, one of his first requests was to go shopping for Levis. We went to Mervyns (a California store like Kohls that doesn't exist anymore) and he bought himself multiple pairs, plus bought a few pairs for his sister in Israel. He was so excited because they were impossible to buy in Israel.

When I lived in Chicago there was a Levis "boutique". Very trendy and hip inside and I remember the jeans were more expensive.