Sustainability- In with the old, out with the new
By Sophie McGuire
Denia Graham loves jeans, but the Southern Methodist University senior in Dallas increasingly finds that she reaches for her leggings daily, leaving her jean collection in her closet. “I used to always reach for my jeans, but now I am too lazy, so I always put on my leggings,” says Graham.
Graham is not alone. Since 2021, jeans sales are down 6% nationally, according to Reuters API online Fashion Network study’s January 25, 2023 issue. The popular Levi Strauss & Co is expected to report a fall in quarterly sales for the first time in six quarters as “penny-pinched shoppers shift away from pricier jeans.” The report concluded that the downturn is due to the rise of athleisure wear and inflation, but trend observers say it won’t last. Euromonitor estimates the market will grow “a modest 3.8% between 2022 and 2027.” Consumer preferences say that the pendulum will swing back jeans for two reasons: heritage and sustainability.
The California Gold Rush in the 1880s was full of the American dream and lots of Levis’ denim. Entrepreneur of 1873, Levi Strauss had the genius idea of combining serges de Nimes, a twill fabric from France made of wool and silk, and a stiff canvas fabric to create the durable denim blue jeans that America came to love because of its longevity. Strauss and Jacob Davis, a tailor in Nevada who added the copper rivets to jeans for durability, designed the pants for heavy farm and industrial wear. Strauss opened his first dry goods store in San Francisco, selling blue jeans to miners. One hundred fifty years later, blue jeans remain today’s favorite work and leisure pants.
Bert van Son, the founder of MUD Jeans, a frontrunner in circular denim and sustainability, said over 1.2 billion pairs of jeans are purchased yearly, consistently showing the popularity of denim. Dr. Catherine Leslie, a professor at the Kent State School of Fashion Design and Merchandising specializing in the history and technique behind textiles, says the average American woman has nine pairs of jeans in her closet.” Leslie believes that a “well-worn pair of jeans tells a story through its rips, tears, and fraying edges; the history of the garment — how it was produced, marketed and worn — reflects a constantly-evolving culture and modern society, with all its glories and its failures, its prosperity, and its wars.” Each pair of denim tells a story not only by the consumer wearing them but by the process and history behind the making of the garment.
Experts say it is only a matter of time before jean sales jump and consumers realize why denim beats athleisure every time. “As athleisure is trending currently, denim will always trump due to its sustainable and unshakeable history in fashion.” Paulina Levia Reward Style said.
Consumers crave sustainable materials, and denim generally is considered more sustainable than athleisure. Consumers love the sustainability aspect of denim, as this continues to be a trend for the future. Although activewear is one of the significant reasons denim is decreasing in sales, according to experts from The Business of Fashion, it does not have the same sustainable aspects as denim. Based on a recent Mintel study, brands such as Marks&Spencer and Levis strongly emphasize the sustainability aspect of denim that athletic wear does not have. The fashion industry is struggling due to the harm that they are causing to the environment. Communicating sustainability positively will be crucial for brands in this upcoming year.
Lycra is a stretchy synthetic fabric, and the production uses toxic chemicals. It is made from non-renewable resources, which is unsustainable. In a recent article in Business of Fashion, Levi Strauss reported having intense pressure on their gross margins as more Gen Zes and Millennials wear more leggings. It seems odd how Millennials are overly concerned with sustainability yet wear leggings.
At The Slow Label, a major retailer for sustainability working with ethical suppliers for more conscious consumerism, experts believe using natural fibers obtained from plants is better for the environment. Synthetic fibers, like lycra and polyester found in athleisure wear, are not biodegradable and are likely to sit in landfills for up to 200 years before decomposing.
Most denim in its purest form is completely free of destructive toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers that, unlike microfibers, can harm the aquatic organisms that ingest them. Although they might be comfortable, they could be better for the environment; denim is typically made of 100% cotton, a natural biodegradable material making it more eco-friendly than most other fabrics, such as synthetic leggings. Companies are hard at work creating solutions for more sustainable denim fabric. According to a recent article from Treehugger, Sustainability for All, Levi’s began using hemp blended with cotton to decrease the carbon footprint of its jeans.
Countries with high denim production, like China and Bangladesh, focus on new innovative machinery and circularity, producing denim from post-consumer waste. Leading stylist and founder of Cool Pretty Cool and Viva’s contributing fashion editor Chloe Hill met with Levi’s senior director of global sustainability, Jennifer Dubuisson, and Levi’s vice president, head of global product innovation Paul Dillinger to discuss the sustainability of producing denim. In Hill’s article in VIVA, June 5, 2022, she says, “Levi’s has released its most sustainable product ever.” Levis was able to turn old jeans into new fibers that could be more integrated and blended to create denim with the look and feel of great Levi’s denim.
Denim defies all odds regarding durability. The durability comes from the twill weave, which makes the fabric rugged and sturdy, allowing for the more durable fabric to last an incredible amount of time and seldom need replacing. Giorgio Armani’s Raw Denim Capsule Collection has heads turning, offering consumers a lifetime warranty on their product. According to CEO Carolos Alberni, raw denim is the purest form of denim, carefully constructed to last a lifetime.
Denim tells a story. “Denim is a fabric that can tell you many things about the person wearing it. It is not just something you purchase, but a feeling of heritage reminding you where you came from, stemming back to your roots,” Clara Young at ELLE Magazine says. Finding a garment that is as well-loved as Denim is challenging. It is a classic American West symbol and a staple in wardrobes globally. Most people love the comfort and durability denim offers, and everyone has a personal love story regarding their denim heritage.
Expert designer Ralph Lauren, from Ralph Lauren Corporation Inc., debuted the “Wear Your Story” Denim Campaign in 2019, a global campaign created to capture the “nostalgic feelings and stories created when wearing your favorite denim pieces.” Lauren featured several models and influencers, including students, a father, and a mother, all sharing their “unique stories of how their favorite pair of jeans became unforgettable.” Lauren’s successful campaign introduced new washes, treatments, and details and responsibly resourced and produced cotton in numerous styles. Ralph Lauren is committed to creating sustainable denim and has begun partnering with suppliers who collect and recycle old denim. The brand’s sustainable journey continues, and the goal is to reduce water use by 20% by 2025.
Denim is a wardrobe staple worn casually or dressy. Anna Wintour shocked the world by featuring jeans on the debut cover of Vogue in the November 1988 issue. Wintour’s bold move proved denim could be paired with designer accessories showcasing denim’s accessibility. At the 2021 Met Gala, denim rocked the red carpet expressing images of the rugged cowboy. Denim sales may have dipped, but the beloved blues will never go out of style and remain constant in fashion.
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