Many years ago, I found some $10 Chinese made cotton jeans that were almost indestructible - 'normal' jeans were many times that price. They took over 15 years to finally die, the main hassle was that the pocket liners decayed first, but were great for painting, gardening etc.

They took about 30 washes to turn the most beautiful pale sky blue, which I found comforting and relaxing. the texture just got softer and softer, and more comfortable to wear.

The Chinese have moved 'upmarket' since then, and even their jeans don't last as long any more.