Style Report | The $300 Question

"A moment of silence, please, says the New York Times, for ultra-expensive designer denim. The $300 pair of jeans has come down with a bad case of recessionitis, and despite the best attempts of marketers, PR people, and aggressive salespeople, it's pretty much died.
To which we say: Hold on. Those $300 jeans, as the article argues, may well have dropped to $200. And we’re the last guys who'd say that’s a bad thing. But really? $300, pricey? Have you been to Paris lately? Which brings us to Christophe Decarnin’s motorcycle jeans, from his menswear collection for Balmain, which at $1,100 are the heir and successor to Tom Ford's $990 pair (the ones with the 18-karat gold button)—and which, we gotta say, are really cool.
They’re perfectly faded, frayed, and whiskered, but don't let the lived-in look fool you—Balmain's whole collection is expertly made in the house's small Parisian atelier. And, yes, that comes at a price. But when a pair of jeans all but promises to transform you into a Stooges-era Iggy Pop, maybe it’s a price worth paying. Steep, yeah—but still cheaper than a pair of 501’s and a motorcycle...
— Matthew Schneier

Here's the thing...I agree whole-heatedly with Schneier, but I'm not sure if that constitutes a problem or not. To some, a $300 pair of jeans is pushing it (especially when you can go get something "basic from K-Mart," Anna's words, not mine). But then there are people like me, who don't splurge, rather look for quality. Considering men only need maybe...two pair of jeans with the right fit, grade, and wash. And that's what $300 will get you in menswear. On the other end, you can continue to buy $20 jeans from, oh I dont know...K-Mart but in the end its a complete waste. They won't last long and will eventually fade - that's $20 down the drain. And it ends up being a reoccuring cycle. Its comes down to looking at the bigger picture rather than the instant polariod. Is that so wrong? or am I justified by my $300 purchase?