I being in Tucson too have to say that I've noticed the same things in my jeans. I usually hit the JCP for sales or when my girlfriend decides she needs to shop too. The top corners of the back pockets wearts out fast for some reason. I don't know of or much care to know the political stance of Levis. I wear jeans to work daily, unless my boss wants to buy me some [email protected] Docker pants to wear instead. The Silvertab jeans are made of better denim, there are also 514/550/501 "Premium" jeans. I bought a pair last Christmas and they are still holding strong. If you figure out why the jeans are wearing out so quickly, let's all 3 of us go and protest at the Park Place Mall!
I've been enjoying Diamond Gusset jeans recently. Noticeably better made than Indonesian Levis, the gusset is great, and made in the USA. If you *really* want durability, you have to start looking at the Japanese heavyweight jeans (e.g., Iron Heart). Hard to find ones that aren't stupid hipster skinny jeans, though.
+1 for diamond gusset jeans. I got my first pair two years ago and they"re still going strong. The diamond gusset never puts your junk in a bind.
I've recently become a Lucky convert. They are super soft and fit great. I'm lucky enough to have an outlet around me so I can get a pair for about $50 give or take. My other favorites to kick around in are Banana Republic and Gap. I've found that spending just a wee bit more gives me a better fit as well as last longer. I hike/camp in Eddie Bauer jeans - they are bomb proof (for me) but are not that great looking, IMO.
Take a look at Wrangler Rugged Wear jeans. Heavy (14.75 oz) denim, extra deep front pockets and over-sized hip pockets (and seem to be significantly better quality than the standard 5 Star Wranglers). I was recently deciding on new jeans and it came down to these and Carhartt. I actually chose Carhartt because I liked the smaller pockets they had for casual wear, but it was a close decision.
I'm a 33x34. They are a little harder to find but they are out there. I used to be a 31x34 then I was a 32x34. Now I am a 33x34. Certain things about getting older suck.
I try to avoid Park Place as much as I can. I don't think there is ever a time when traffic isn't hell on that part of Broadway; and I live right down the street. The only time I head east on Broadway is to go to Nico's or Tandy Leather. Thanks for the suggestions Gents, next paycheck I''l be trying out a few different brands suggested here.
I wear Dickies regular fit jeans. Another favorite is the Kirkland jeans from Costco at $11. I wear my jeans approx 3 days before washing them.
Dickies makes some good jeans too. Nice and tough. Calvin Klein still makes some boot cut and straight leg jeans too. I just picked up a pair of CKs and they have plenty of room. I can't stand skinny boy jeans either. Also, you might want to venture out into some cargo pants. They're are some nice tan cargo pants out there that will allow you lots of pocket room.
I like vintage Levis 545s (Relaxed) which I buy used off eBay. The new replacement, the 560s don't seem to hold up as well. My second choice is relaxed Wranglers, which also seem to hold up pretty well.
i like wranglers myself, even though wranglers spokesman is possibly guilty of "donging" lol, but i have had great luck with levis too.
Duluth and Carhart are both good choices, but I can get a pair of Arizona relaxed fit black jeans on sale for $15.
