The trusty department store is no longer the only go-to place for blue jeans, thanks to the garment's continuing evolution and explosion in popularity.

	A pair of Dolce & Gabbana jeans epitomizes the trend toward paying and arm and a leg for fancy-legged jeans. Click photo for larger image. Related article The most expensive jeans in Pittsburgh

Small, independent boutiques always make space for a few pair among a wide range of apparel and accessories.

And specialty stores continue to narrow that focus mainly to premium denim jeans, those whose quality and prices are a cut above. Pittsburgh has seen the opening of several since 2000, including Denim Heaven in Castle Shannon, Zipper Blues in Mt. Lebanon and Pittsburgh Jeans Co. on the South Side.

Some wonder if the jeans market, like other consumer categories, could reach a saturation point and see the weakest competitors succumb to supply-and-demand market forces. Others contend that the popularity of jeans, rather than fading, will only get stronger, and that a market glut is inconceivable.

"Denim will always be here, just like there will always be garbage," said Jennifer Colosimo, who opened Denim Heaven in August to cater to the denim desires of both men and women.

Retail survival is simply a matter of adapting to trend shifts and providing styles that customers want, she said.

Ms. Colosimo stocks her cozy Route 88 store with Paige, 1921, Hudson and about 15 other brands that range from $60 to $300. A self-described denim lover -- she owns about 75 pairs herself -- she has seen customers come into the store and spend $800 on jeans in a single visit.

That might be easier than it sounds, considering that the amount the public is willing to pay for jeans is steadily climbing. Customers pay an average of $125 and as much as $300 when choosing from more than 50 labels at Pittsburgh Jeans. Choices in Shadyside reaps hundreds of dollars for Chloe and Roberto Cavalli designs. Across the street, e.b. pepper gets $300 for Tavernitis while Dress Circle, just around the corner, can get $130 to $450 all day long for jeans by heavy-hitters Michael Kors and Zac Posen.

There's also a growing segment of style-conscious guys who don't mind forking over big bucks for blues, as evidenced by the success of premium denim lines for men at MODA in Shadyside, Charles Spiegel for Men/the Garage in Squirrel Hill and Saks Fifth Avenue, Downtown.

"The designer customer by and large does not have sticker shock in designer stores, so that a $400 jean, when next to a $400 pair of gray flannels, is basically just a change in fabric," said Bonnie Levy, owner of Dress Circle.

Variety, as well as celebrities' taste in jeans, has fueled denim's popularity. It's not uncommon to see Hollywood luminaries dressing up blue jeans with more formal attire at red-carpet functions.

"The fashion icons have changed from Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy to JLo and Kate Hudson," noted Ms. Levy. "And most certainly the California icons, because of their bodies and because of the casualness of California life, wear jeans with a spectacular top to possibly the most dressy of occasions."

Lawrence Scott, owner of Pittsburgh Jeans Co., called celebrity impact on the jeans industry "huge."

"You don't have to have a great body to wear jeans," he said, "but there are jeans that will make your body look great -- or show off your great body."

The juggernaut popularity of jeans derives partly from the garment's universality. They are worn by men and women, young and old, rich and poor, those who crave haute couture or troll flea markets.

"Everyone from Bill Gates to a pig farmer can wear jeans," said Mr. Scott. "I always call them 'the great equalizer.' They're more popular now because of the premium brand business and the status of certain brands."

At pricey specialty shops, jeans are a courtesy, an extra sale, a small part of a larger mix of merchandise. Some owners of such shops wonder if mainly-jeans stores will meet their demise by putting too many of their eggs in one basket.

"They have to sell a lot of jeans to be successful," said Ms. Levy.

"Jeans are at the prime of their time right now," said e.b. pepper, who owns a store of the same name in Shadyside. "Fashion always goes through phases. Pretty soon [jeans] aren't going to be in their prime and stores will have to look for something else."

Not necessarily so, others contend.

"I don't think there's ever going to be a slowdown in denim," said Mr. Scott. "There never has been, not even when there was not as much competition as there is now."

His optimism is buoyed by a robust and growing local clientele, regular call-in orders from across the nation and the occasional customer who drops $5,000 on jeans in one visit.

"We have a very loyal following," he said. "People develop brand loyalty, as with anything that helps them look good."

Jeff Malkin who owns Choices in Shadyside foresees casualties elsewhere in the denim industry -- the weakest labels among the hundreds currently flooding the market.

"There's a new denim line every minute," he said. "Denim is booming. But I believe there will be a little bit of fallout and shakeout. Some will prosper. Others won't if the quality and know-how aren't there."