What’s the Difference Between a Pair of $30 Jeans and $300 Jeans?

Levi Strauss patented the “blueprint for the blue jean” — the design that would become the 501 — back in 1873, and at the turn of the century, a pair of Levi’s could cost you about $1.25. More than 100 years later, 501s now start at $78.50. That places them on the lower end of the jeans-price scale, where you’ll find Target’s Universal Thread Sailor going for lower still at $28; Madewell’s Low-Slung Baggy somewhere in the middle at $148; and, on the higher end, Agolde’s Low Curve and Mother’s Rambler for $238 and $288, respectively. Truthfully, there’s no “right” price for a pair of jeans. But you might be wondering what actually differentiates jeans at these wildly different prices. Read more at New York Magazine.