It is generally believed that the Nakash brothers were responsible for the trend known as designer jeans: exorbitantly priced, often skintight, high-fashion denimwear that functioned more as status symbols  than as a form of comfortable, workaday clothing. When they launched their Jordache line of jeans in 1978, they probably didn’t dream that people would still be paying through the nose for such items of clothing three decades later.

There are no less-and probably a lot more-than fifty premium designer labels that produce these denim status symbols today. It’s difficult to pin down which ones count as the most stylish or sought-after in a given time frame, as fashion is fickle and a style that is revered today will no doubt be passé tomorrow. Still, among the purveyors of designer denim, there are a handful that stand out.

There’s Genetic Denim, a favorite of many a celebrity, from J. Lo to Jessica Simpson. Drawing inspiration from the 70s and using fabrics gathered from all over the world, they stand for glamour and individuality. Then there’s Deener Denim, which goes beyond just jeans to reimagine the fabric in the form of dresses and outerwear (but of course, their jeans are still fabulous).

Ijin Jeans earns points for ensuring that their jeans fit better than anyone else’s. Maise Label Denims knows that details are important, and are what elevate an otherwise unexciting pair of jeans into a work of near-art. Finally there’s Lofli Denim, which uses only the highest grade cloth, and fits the female form like a dream. None of these come cheap, needless to say, but then quality could be said to be always worth it.