Hardy, fashionable, timeless: Why people are paying hundreds for old denim

Denim has rarely been out of fashion, gaining popularity in the 1950s, ‘spiking’ in the 1970s and ’80s, and continuing to find new audiences each subsequent decade.

Japanese designer, Junya Watanabe, considered one of the masters of denim, gave it a new twist, with his Spring 2025 collection for men, including denim dinner jackets edged with satin-trimmed lapels.

Those in the know are prepared to pay considerably more for the right vintage jeans.Credit: Chronological Error

While it takes thousands of dollars to purchase one of Watanabe’s pieces from his runway shows, his jeans, particularly those that are vintage, can be purchased for considerably less, a couple of hundred dollars.

And while second-hand jeans can be found in most recycle stores, those in the know are prepared to pay considerably more for the right vintage jeans, such as those by Junya Watanabe, Evisu or True Religion.

Chronological Error in Chapel Street, Prahran, includes a number of these highly sought-after vintage jeans, at prices starting at around $100 and heading north to $250 (including GST).

According to the store’s owner, Diamond Vargas, who operates the business with Tom Hayes, “the super baggy jeans of the last few years are being taken over by bootleg style jeans, complementing our western hand-stitched boots,” says Vargas.

The jeans that occupy the highest price points in the Prahran store are Evisu, complete with the pony hair label and patchwork pockets ($250) and the Junya Watanabe, priced at just under $300 – showing raw denim at the back and a washed-out lighter denim at the front, with a quirky screen-printed trompe l’oeil pocket.

Vargas pulls out a pair of women’s jeans by Pepe, with its low waist and embroidery on each pocket. “Pepe is particularly strong at the moment,” says Vargas, turning over the price tag showing $120.

While some vintage retailers prefer to sell their jeans in new, or as close to mint condition as possible, Chronological Error prefers to stock jeans that have been well-loved and well-worn.

Brands such as True Religion and Evisu are particularly sought after.Credit: Chronological Error

“The Bohemian western-style is strong at the moment. These True Religion jeans have worn cuffs and, with their bootleg cut, are perfect,” says Vargas, who sees many of her customers in their 20s wearing this style of jean with either western or motorcycle boots.

Tony Newsham, former Vice President of Comme des Garcons, who spent a number of years based in New York, regularly attended Junya Watanabe’s shows in Paris. He recalls many of the collections from the early noughties where the entire collection was made from denim.

“There was a strong influence from the 1960s. You could see how emotional the audience was, with many craning their necks from the sidelines,” says Newsham, who could appreciate, like the audience, the artistry of each item, whether it was a denim evening dress or jeans.

Those looking for Junya Watanabe will occasionally discover his vintage jeans in stores such as Bruce Consignment or in vintage stores such as Chronological Error. While the prices seem relatively high for vintage jeans, they appear ‘value for money’ when they are new and found at shops such as Up There in Flinders Lane, Melbourne – initially retailing for $700.

Online shopping sites such as Grailed which sells Junya Watanabe x Levis, have an extensive choice – from vintage patchwork jeans selling for $600 to up to $1,000 for a ‘gently used’ pair of men’s jeans, a collaboration by Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, and Levis.

This writer is certainly not short of vintage jeans or jeans in general. He’s also looking forward to visiting Japan, in particular the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, seen as the heart of denim.

The main cities, such as Tokyo, also have an extensive choice when it comes to vintage denim. “The Japanese have led the way in denim, and it continues to reign supreme whether it’s scuffed, worn, ripped or simply preloved,” adds Newsham.

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