I quit wearing Wranglers more than 10 years ago after the last pair ripped open at the crotch, right in the middle of the denim. My Carhartt B-11s have never failed in this way.
Dear Rip,
Sick to the back teeth of inferior product quality at piss-take prices right across the whole economic spectrum from root to branch, exponentially increasing as the years go by. My Question from a Brit to Mighty Texan:
Can’t find a brand of jeans that are truly built to last here in the UK. I’ve always chosen Wrangler over Levis due to the heritage (Levis pedigree and consumer base offends me) but my last 3 pair of Wranglers have gone to shit within a year. I seem to remember on the forum you are a Carharrt fan. Do you still rate that brand for jeans? If not, do you have a recommendation?
Thanks Rip.
I quit wearing Wranglers more than 10 years ago after the last pair ripped open at the crotch, right in the middle of the denim. My Carhartt B-11s have never failed in this way.
Brilliant, much appreciated Rip. I’m pretty pissed at Wrangler to be honest because I really like their backstory and pedigree but they seem to have sacrificed quality for profits (surprise surprise). Can’t even get a fucking decent quality basic cotton T Shirt on the UK high street these days - no joke. Either I’m one of the youngest curmudgeons in my town at 43 years of age or the world has gone to shit. I fear the latter.
I can't speak to a specific brand, especially not in the UK, but keep in mind that fit is a big deal when it comes to the longevity of your jeans. Poor fit in either direction (baggy or tight) will lead to problems. I went through several cuts before finding what worked for me. If you have one common spot that tends to fail first, consider having a good tailor reinforce them straight off the rack via a process called 'darning'. That can help protect the area that receives the most wear.
I have to be honest Sib, I find Marks & Spencer to be one of the biggest UK offenders with regard to trading off their past reputation for quality whilst currently offering consumers vastly reduced quality of product across the board - especially their famed socks which end up looking like a team of hungry mice have had a riot in them after 6 months - holes everywhere. They’ve been that way for a decade and their share price has been going down faster than a French hooker’s knickers. I hope they go bankrupt.
These problems will only get worse until manufacturing and material sourcing is local again.
I’m an advocate of cheap and throwaway these days. I’ve long given up looking for quality. TU brand from Sainsbury’s at £15 a pop. If you get a pair in the sale rack as low as £1 and I’ve had a couple of pairs at that price. I used to buy really expensive jeans which lasted well, but £125 a go means a very limited wardrobe. They last pretty well unless you’re doing manual work in them.
I’ve ordered from Barbell Apparel (Vegas) and although pricey, they deliver to the UK now from Europe so you don’t get the bullshit import tax fucking EU anti competition wank bastards.
I’m not riding horses or anything cowboy like, but they’re stretchy and very comfortable. I quite like the fit but I like to be able to fling my legs around in case I need to kick someone in the head.
Good customer service too. They refunded me on a pair of shorts with a fit that made my dick look obscene.
Best shorts I’ve ever tried on.