Designer Denim: What's it worth?

We got a question from a reader named Steph: At what dollar amount are there are diminishing returns on having your butt look great in a pair of jeans?



Susannah thinks that there are diminishing returns after $200 or $250, but she notes that this figure is at once completely arbitrary and wholly personal. Trisha places her personal estimate at a slightly lower figure--maybe $175 to 200ish.

We could go all Econ 101 on this and talk about percentages of disposable income, because where diminishing returns hit would vary with household income level. Maybe for you a pair of designer jeans is worth 5% of your monthly paycheck. Maybe it's 10%. Or maybe it's 2%.

But does this help? It's true that it's a very personal question, and where these diminishing returns hit depends on many factors, a few of which could be: household income, affinity for luxury, and how difficult it is for you to find a pair of jeans with an excellent fit. One person may say $225 is the limit, another person, $500...and yet another person may value designer denim to the price tag of $1000.

Our rule of thumb, though, is that a pair of jeans is too expensive when a glance at the price tag brings a frown to your face.

Your thoughts?