Budget Blues

Would you dare spend less than $100 on jeans?

August 28—What's the latest trend in the rarefied world of designer denim? Believe it or not, a lower price tag. "A lot of people are over inflated prices," says Humberto Leon of New York boutique Opening Ceremony. "They only want to spend what they think the jeans are worth." What's more, a growing number of brands are responding to this nascent consumer backlash. Topping shoppers' wish lists at Opening Ceremony and beyond is Cheap Monday, the appropriately named Swedish label that clocks in at $65 a pair. Of course, you could spend that at an Army & Navy outlet or—dare we say it—chain store, but, notes Leon, "Cheap Monday has a more fashion-forward fit."

Also joining the budget-denim fray is Britain's Top Man label, which will introduce its $95 slim-fitting jeans in America this fall under the name TM Design London U.K. They'll face competition from industry favorites Paper Denim & Cloth, which slashed its prices by 35 to 40 percent this season (citing the "oversaturated premium denim niche"), and possibly Earnest Sewn, which is contemplating launching a mid-priced spin-off brand next year. All of this is welcome news, because, let's face it, you'll need the extra cash for that must-have thousand-dollar gray cardigan from Jil Sander.
Cheap Monday and TM Design London U.K. are available at Barneys New York, 660 Madison Ave., (212) 826-8900, and Opening Ceremony, 35 Howard St., (212) 219-2688. Cheap Monday can also be found at Odin, 199 Lafayette St., (212) 966-0026.