Lee Jeans in Europe Are Cool

Lee Western Shirt

Don't believe me? See for yourself. Look at the jeans here (EU website). And compare them to the jeans you find here (US website). Isaiah scored a cool western shirt and some stylish jeans at a denim shop in Zürich during the last few months we were living in Switzerland. In fact, Lee jeans are considered a boutique product in Europe, charging four or five times as much as you would pay for Lee jeans in the States. That's because there is an entirely different design team behind the European products.

You know how hard it is for ladies to find flattering jeans? Well, it's just as hard for some dudes. Luckily, the EU site ships to the States. Lee. Who knew?

My question is: Why does Europe get the cool Lee and we get the Dad jeans (sorry Mike Rowe)? This article hints that Lee designers in the States don't think Americans will respond well to high-end Lee jeans because they have come to rely on Lee jeans as a mid-tier, affordable product. But if Jordache can reinvent their jeans and introduce a high-end label (Jordache Legacy) to the American market, why can't Lee?