If you want a really nice pair of Jeans check out Natural Selection, they do various stages of distressing from broken, bruised and buried.
I've bought loads of jeans in the past and never paid that much for them, I was always winging at the misses that I'm not happy.
She said just pay whatever it takes but make sure your 100% happy as I normally decide after a few months I don't like them and it would be cheaper in the long run to get a decent pair.
I went in to a shop asking for my usual style of loose fit jeans and the guy shrugged, he said get some nice fitted jeans, it's not 1990. Check out these I'm wearing he said, they are made from 14.5oz red selvedge denim from Kurabo Mills in Okayama.
Anyway tried them on, loved them and now pride of place in my wardrobe.