| Industry execs say consumers are showing no resistance to price either, and have plenty of interest when it comes to denim with unique washes or more interesting fashion.
“Within the past few years, the denim market (unlike other fabrics) has really evolved and is much more sophisticated for both the consumer and the retailer,” says Ken Girouard, vice president and creative director of denim for the Gap brand. “At the moment, there is so much excitement continuing to happen around denim in terms of fit, silhouette and wash. In addition, the laundries are getting better at recreating ‘natural’ looking washes. If given a choice, denim and jeans continue to be the wardrobe of choice for youth and adults based on comfort and fashion.”
On a consumer level, denim’s widespread popularity can clearly be seen in the closets of consumers nationwide. When Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor? asked consumers ages 16-70 how many denim garments they own, the average figure was 16.7 items, up 1.7 percentage points from the year-ago quarter. Asked to describe their feelings about denim, the majority, or 51% of consumers, said they enjoy wearing denim, up 2 percentage points from last year.
Despite already owning a substantial amount of denim, consumers are still eager to buy even more; 44% of Monitor respondents said that, while they don’t need any more denim, they might buy one or two more items, and 28.5% said they will probably buy several denim items.“If given a choice, denim and jeans continue to be the wardrobe of
choice for youth and adults based on comfort and fashion.”
KEN GIROUARD
Vice President and Creative Director
of Denim for the Gap brand
This is good news for retailers and confirms what they already know ? that the demand for denim isn’t showing any signs of slowing.
“We can’t keep jeans in the store in any of our brands ? they’re still the best-selling bottom of any category,” relates Steven Strickland, senior vice  president of creative and marketing for Wet Seal, which also owns the Zutopia and Arden B. retail concepts. “If anything, the price points keep going up, and there doesn’t seem to be any resistance from consumers as long as there’s a new wash, a new finish, or an interesting detail. As long as the fashion’s there, the customer wants it and is willing to pay for it.”
Confirms Eddie Bauer’s Stephen Donnelly, vice president and GMM of apparel, “Our denim business in both men’s and women’s has been, and continues to be, strong. There seems to be no ‘negative effect’ from any sort of denim glut.”
Donnelly says the company’s basic replenishment business is still the biggest contributor to its overall denim volume. “However, we continue to offer new washes and finishes as well as newer silhouettes and fits. For example, in men’s, our carpenter fit has had strong sales; in women’s, our five-pocket capri has been difficult to keep in store. Denim as a fabrication ? not only in traditional five-pocket styles, but also in jean jackets and women’s skirts, is a bestseller.”
Rick Gomes, spokesperson for Levi Strauss & Co., reports, “We’ve had a lot of success on the premium end with low-rise jeans. We’re leveraging this success and learning from this experience by offering low-rise jeans in our Red Tab line for Fall 2002, which offer both comfort and signature rock ‘n’ roll sexiness.” Indeed, it is innovation in denim that is separating the players from those sitting on the bench. “The consumer still has a huge appetite for denim and will be looking for the next new thing,” affirms Patty Lee, president of merchandising for J.Jill.
Looking ahead to fall, Lee says that J.Jill’s denim collection will be “trend-relevant, but far from trendy,” featuring looks with vintage appeal, new silhouettes, and styles that mix denim with other fabrics. Also key, she notes, is the firm’s emphasis on versatile denim looks beyond jeans. “We’ve done jackets, shirts and skirts that are appropriate for casual days in the office because they can be combined with office-appropriate separates,” she says.
But for those on the front lines of teen fashion, denim sales are still all about the latest must-have detail, be it lace-ups or the newest wash ? or, increasingly so, several such details combined. “Denim is part of the American landscape, a part of the
global fashion landscape and it always will be.”
RICK GOMES
Levi Strauss & Co. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen so much happening with denim at once ? every style detail you could think of, and every finish,” says Jo Ann Jacobsen, a partner and design director with Mudd, widely considered the number-two juniors denim brand. “I’m having trouble eliminating things, because everything’s important.”
“Our philosophy continues to be that we don’t dictate the trends, we reflect the trends. And the trend continues to move toward denim,” affirms Sharon Pommer, vice president and general merchandise manager at Alloy.com. “Denim is
a category that teens continue to relate to.”
Among the looks selling well now across Wet Seal’s retail brands are innovative washes and lace-ups. But that, of course, is today’s trend. Says Strickland, ever mindful of the fickleness of teens, “If you ask me what my prediction would be 60 days from now, I wouldn’t want to be sitting on a floor of lace-up denim.”
Gladly, there seems to be no end to the different styles and treatments that can be applied to denim, and it’s a trend retailers and manufacturers feel confident will continue.
“Denim is part of the American landscape, a part of the global fashion landscape and it always will be,” concludes Gomes of Levi’s |