Quality jeans are hard to find, but when you find them you won’t look back.
And often than not, these jeans are not what you see in a regular department store or any clothing outlet, and even if you do see them there, they are way more priced than other jeans sitting on the same rack as them.
This is the case with high-end brands like AG and Levi’s. Though the former fits better in the description of high-end than the latter, I am going to walk you through other options which place Levi’s brand of jeans ahead of AG.
Continue reading to see how these two brands compete and share in my judgment of both of them.
Difference between the AG Jeans and Levi’s
Most people buy jeans because they are stylish, which is permissible, but beyond that; other factors owing to why you get any kind of jeans. Now each of these factors is what makes the brand of jeans unique.
The major difference existing between AG Jeans and Levi’s brand of jeans relates to the style and impact of these jeans in the fashion community and also the environment at large.
For the AG Jeans, style is the same thing as a trend and the current flow of fashion; they are more into what sells the most now and their designers would probably jump on it.
They do not copy; they replicate. Conversely, Levi’s is known to have a touch of vintage and retro culture in its jeans.
Again, the quality is another difference between AG Jeans and Levi’s; as both the brands explore different ways of sending their message across.
Levi’s jeans are more of raw or selvage denim, which is undoubtedly strong and of good quality; while AG Jeans pitches with serving its customers with most styles, one that is appetizing for denim of its status.
Moving over to another obvious difference between these two brands is based on their price on the market. The market value or cost of these jeans stands it out from each other.
Although Levi’s jeans are high-end jeans, they are not as expensive as the AG Jeans, which double as a high-end and luxury brand of jeans.
Brief History of AG Jeans
AG means Adriano Goldschmied, and it is the name of a designer of Italian descent whose intellectual property was the AG Jeans was founded.
However, he could not have done it all by himself, because the AG brand of jeans was established as a coalition between Adriano Goldschmied and Yul Ku. Ku, the owner of Koos Denim Company, brought his production expertise to the project while Goldschmied did the designing.
Thus, in the year 2000, the AG brand was born as a clothing company that majorly deals in denim products.
The brand was founded on American soil precisely in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA; and now has over 16 stores in the US.
Moving on, the brand turned into a single-man-owned company when Adriano Goldschmied sold his part of the company’s corporate shares to Yul Ku, leaving the company in 2004.
The denim company now went through a series of downturns, due to the absence of Goldschmied, who was the chief designer, and it was heading into the abyss.
In the space of 2004 to 2008, the company hired different designers numbering up to a dozen, but none of them could hold the mantle of designing for this growing brand.
This did not linger for long as Ku’s son Samuel Ku took over the position. He pulled the brand from both an economic mess and structural jeopardy, first with his iconic ‘boyfriend’ jeans and other styles that followed suit.
Over the years, the jeans brand has been on the lookout for ways to create a resounding legacy in the denim production circle and they sought to achieve this using the sustainability campaign which started in 2010.
From 2014 to 2019, the company braced up in other forms and reached out to the sky.
It is worth noting that all the operations of the brand are run in-house, with many cuts of jeans both washed and which are true to size. The quality is high and higher market cost.
Brief History of Levi’s
Levi’s brand of jeans is a part of the merchandise of a bigger establishment known as Levi Strauss & Co. which was founded in May 1853.
The company was founded by German Levi Strauss who moved from Europe – San Francisco, California.
The company started by making jeans for basic workers like miners, lumberjacks, and rail workers. Strauss appointed his in-law David Stern as the manager, while he collaborated with tailor Jacob Davis to get the patent of the jeans.
Davis is credited with using copper rivets to hold the points of strain in the jeans.
Levi’s is known for being the first blue denim jeans to be made, while Levi Strauss is known as the Great Father of blue jeans.
They were originally made from a tent canvas called Hemp Sailcloth, and they were mostly made of straight-leg jeans.
However, the straight-cut jeans developed by Levi’s some 100 years ago are still in existence today and still look just as much as they did with only a few changes.
The Levi’s jeans also rum in the regular waist and have a long-lasting appeal that does not change with fashion trends.
The production process used in making these jeans presents them as form-fitted jeans, which makes some of them run small, but they are quite true to size. They are also a high-end jeans brand with a considerable price.
Their jeans specialty encompasses both men’s and women’s specifications, including children; while offering styles that reek of vintage appeal and have a mix of retrospect and introspect.
Comparison of AG Jeans and Levi’s
I will be setting up these two denim brands against each other on my scale of comparison.
Most of us know Levi’s to be the father of modern jeans, but I am going to examine how AG Jeans matches a jeans brand that has been for over 100 years.
And I will weigh their strengths and weakness and give you the platform to decide which is better and which has more potential.
Design/Style
The design pattern of AG Jeans reflects a culture of jeans deeply rooted in the current flow and trend.
AG has most of its finest designs made for women, which suggests that it is the denim for the moment since most women are synonymous with the fashion in vogue.
Their products like the AG Women’s Farrah Skinny Jeans; speak volumes about this fact and it further substantiates this with the AG Jeans Women’s The Prima, which molds the erotic silhouette of a woman in a very fascinating way.
On the other hand, Levi’s design and style are a mixture of introspective and retrospective fashion.
The former seeks to address the fashion of the moment, while the latter is a variant of the fashion of the 70s and 80s, which brings to you a feeling of nostalgia once you hop in them.
One of its finest designs and cuts is the Levi’s Original 501, as it is the first to be made under Levi’s brand name. Other designs include the 511 slim jeans, 510 skinny jeans, and 505 regular fit jeans, among many others.
Build Quality
AG Jeans try very hard to improve the quality of their jeans even during the production process and it is obvious in the outcome.
In a bid to do this, the brand introduced newer approaches to making denim like the adoption of laser technology in distressing jeans and using energy-washers and dryers for the washing process.
All these results in soft and lightweight jeans, which shows how good the build quality is.
Similarly, Levi’s jeans are to be found wanting in this aspect as they maintain one if not the best approaches to making jeans, whether raw or selvage.
Their procedures are done with less hassle, but the product is magic itself, right from the production process.
I cannot emphasize how much quality the makers of these jeans put into the effort to get them done. From the prewashing process to the designing and cutting, Levi’s jeans are really good, I must say.
Price
AG Jeans are not jeans you can get with a budget of $100; some even go up as high as $200 and it is understandable.
This set of jeans goes through 15 rigorous steps for just one to be made, and you know that involves a whole lot of workforce for it to be accomplished.
Therefore, the price reflects the quality and standard. This is what I know scares most people from buying or even thinking of buying any high-quality jeans.
AG Adriano Goldschmied Women’s Isabelle – $225
Some go to the extent of tagging the brand as unworthy of the price but we know that not all jeans are priced together. The higher the price, the likelihood of its high quality.
In a not-too-likely manner, Levi’s is also priced high but not as high as the AG Jeans, which are generally seen as designer jeans.
Their prices are affordable only for those who wish to reckon with quality jeans and those who want to have a bite of the legendary first-blue denim.
You can get Levi’s from the $60 mark-up up to $100 or $150; if they are premium jeans like raw denim.
Durability
I once had a girlfriend who had an addiction to AG Jeans, because of how long they stay put even after so many wears and washes.
And I attribute this feat to the wonderful build quality of these jeans and how well the materials are treated before being used.
They have a stretch feature, which makes them take the form of your body after some turns of wearing. The Levi’s jeans are also durable, as they were initially made for workers who needed stronger pants for their work to be done.
This idea never changed even after their jeans were commissioned as wear for the military during the 1 World War.
The idea of durability has always been incorporated into the production of Levi’s jeans even to date. Using copper rivets to hold points of strain and the bold stitching under the crotch area add up to this actualization.
Quality
The quality of both jeans is good and is also worth the price. Though there have been complaints of heavy shrinkage in Levi’s jeans, I still believe their quality standards have not dropped significantly.
The same goes for the AG Jeans, which are renowned for their ingenious quality, since when they made a grand entry into the denim fashion scene in 2008.
After their well-cut-out designs and sewing formula, the jeans have been amazing.
Fit and Sizing
This is the part where questions about which fits better and how are asked? Before you buy any jeans, you’d normally go through their size chart and determine your size in their jeans; especially if it is your first time buying from them.
AG Jeans have a very clear and comprehensive size chart that explains their size variations excellently.
If you are to go with the chart, bear in mind that they are true to size and can even run small.
So you can size up a little bit. The same goes for Levi’s jeans, which are prone to heavy shrinkage. Therefore, it is advised that you size up, to avoid having jeans that fit snug, after a round of washing.
Material
The type of materials used by AG Jeans are prewashed and pre-shrunk jeans, which are done right in their in-house facilities especially the one in South Gate, California, which is their Headquarters.
They also use denim blends like spandex and polyester to make their jeans stretchy and long-lasting. Unlike that, Levi’s jeans are made with raw denim for their series like the 501s and 511s styles, while others are made with selvage.
The other styles and cuts of Levi’s jeans take the same form as AG Jeans in materials like the 510 (Skinny), 514 (Slim-Straight), and 502 (Taper); They are produced as form-fitted jeans.
Final Verdict
My drawing on these jeans is in favor of Levi’s Jeans, and this is not because of how popular they are.
I am picking Levi’s brand of jeans as better jeans because of the culture of denim production that they represent. I look classic wearing my Levi’s jeans and I know most of you feel the same way too.
But the thing is that Levi’s gives you quality, finesse, and confidence, all for a price that is worth it.
Conclusion
Both of these jeans are high-end jeans, and they live up to their status as luxury brands.
Regardless, the volition to pitch your tent with any of them is totally on you, but I hope this article gives you the pointers you require to draw your conclusion about them.
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