So you can buy Lee jeans at jcpenney.com and Calvins at macy.com -- but to buy Levi's from these retailers you must visit their real-world stores.

FORBES: Digital denim

Everything, in other words, but what consumers really wanted, which was to buy some jeans.

FORBES: Digital denim

The rule is hammered home when I try to buy a pair of Levi jeans.

CNN: WINDOWS SHOPPING

Consumers in the United States buy approximately 450 million pairs of jeans every year.

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When we buy a pair of Calvin Klein jeans we're not just buying a few pounds of denim, we're buying the Calvin Klein experience, whatever that is.

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Why buy a 100-euro pair of jeans that have been put through a machine to get that distressed, worn-in look when you can buy the real thing for 15 euros?

BBC: In Paris, boutique looks at bargain prices

And, as with rock 'n' roll and blue jeans, the Brits have rushed out to buy.

FORBES: The U.K. has joined the REIT revolution. Buy sparingly.

Every time you buy an imported handmade carpet, an embroidered pair of jeans, a beaded purse, a decorated box or a soccer ball there's a good chance you're acquiring something fashioned by a child.

FORBES: Magazine Article

They borrow much more money than they lay out to buy homes and autos, which leverages the importance of that spending compared to buying a new pair of jeans or a new smart-phone.

FORBES: Housing data is more important than jobs data!

Burson says that if someone told him that a brand of jeans is made in "sweatshops by 8-year-olds, " he wouldn't buy it.

NPR: Shoppers Face Hurdles In Finding Ethical Clothing