Denimandjeans | Global Trends, News and Reports | Worldwide

Author: Sandeep Agarwal

  • Fall 2007 Denim trends – Wide legged and Skinny Jeans

    Denim for fall 2007 is going to be a story of two extreme styles – Skinny and Wide Legged . Skinny jeans has been in for quite some time with various celebrities including Kate Moss endorsing the same. Now Kate Moss , Lindsay Lohan, Naomi Campbell, Angela Basset and others have been seen in Wide Legged Jeans(see my previous post).
    However, wide legged jeans is going to have more appeal as it can fit a larger range of bodies and is a fresh look since it has not been around quite a while. It is also expected that both the trends will go on simultaneously and skinny jeans is not going to fade away so easily.

    Among the Wide legged Jeans there can be a simple Casual style and a Trouser style. Both are same silhouette but with different details. Trouser style has slash pockets and trouser style waistband and crease whereas the Casual will be much more casual.
    Wide legged jeans are not and neither expected to be Distressed. They are very clean and flat – an indication of influence of 70s……
    The CLEAN and FLAT look required for Wide Legged Jeans may create further demand for the already popular FLAT FINISH DENIMS (mercerised).. Washing treatments may be less rigorous thus saving the manufacturers some bucks ( which they will spend on the extra fabric they use !)
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  • Premium Denim Brand providing the best fit ?

    We all know about the importance of fit in the buying decision of a premium denim. It is estimated in various polls that fit contributed almost 85% to a buying decision related to Premium Denim.

    I think then its in place to know which brand – out of so many out there – provides the maximum satisfaction related to fits. Though I know that this is a subjective question – since a brand providing a good fit for one may not be good for other – it would be good to know which brand takes the most votes. I have considered important brands like 7 for all Mankind, True Religion, Earl Jeans, Rock & Republic,Paige, Nudie, Miss Sixty, J Brand,Evisu, Diesel etc etc.. Sorry for boring.. NOw you can go ahead and poll – Click here to reach the poll and select the Brand with best fit

    Click on View Results to see the result of this poll.. We have received over 200 votes till 21st Sept 2008

  • US imports of women/girls’ jeans 2000-2006

    In continuation of the figures that I provided on the imports of Mens/Boys Denim trousers in US, I think the next step was to clarify the status of imports of Women/Girls Denim Trousers(commonly known as Jeans!) into US.
    The figures are again quite interesting. The total imports in this category is LESS THAN THE IMPORTS OF MENS/BOYS Jeans.. Amazing isn’t it..There is a general impression that the women and girls buy more jeans. However, when we delve deep into the figures , we find that MEN are not to be left behind. Though the average price of a Women’s Jeans is more than that of Men, the men score in quantities.

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    Year Girls(qty in mill.) Women (qty in mill.) Average price (Girls) Average price(women) Total (mn. pcs) Value(USD Bn)
    2000 41.04 144.84 5.87 7.96 185.88 1.39
    2001 45.00 167.64 5.75 8.13 212.64 1.62
    2002 52.80 186.36 5.66 8.29 239.16 1.84
    2003 48.60 179.52 5.57 8.47 228.12 1.79
    2004 40.20 201.96 5.94 8.84 242.16 2.02
    2005 50.04 234.84 5.09 8.90 284.88 2.34
    2006 49.32 202.80 4.94 8.54 252.12 1.97
                 
                 

    Source : US Customs

    All price figures are in USD
    Some other important things to note are :

    a)The average price of a Girl Denim Trouser went down almost 16% in 2005 when quota was removed. However, the price of Women Jeans hardly dropped and showed great resilience.
    This was probably due to continued craze for Premium Jeans in 2005 – which had a fallout effect on normal jeans also.
    b)The imports of Women Jeans in 2006 has shown a drop of more than 10% ‘over 2005 figures. This is a clear indication of the slowdown in the imports of ‘Expensive denims in 2006. I had previously mentioned that the rate of growth of Premium denims has halved in the first few months of 2007 and it was reflected in the last few months of 2006 also.

    I feel that 2007 will also not be giving very good figures on imports of Women Denim trousers. Lets wait and see..

  • US Imports of Mens/Boys Jeans & Breeches 2000-2006

    US is the most important market for the Jeans. US imports huge quantities of denimwear from around the world.
    The following figures will reveal how big this market is really. I am giving herebelow the figures of only the Mens/Boys Jeans and Breeches into the US from the year 2000 to 2006.

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    Year Qty (Million pieces) Value (USD Billion) Average Price(USD/pc)
    2000 194.19 1.41 7.28
    2001 196.86 1.46 7.42
    2002 235.69 1.73 7.36
    2003 249.31 1.87 7.50
    2004 259.74 1.93 7.45
    2005 295.02 2.16 7.33
    2006 293.62 2.10 7.15

    Source : US Customs

    We can see that the market is really huge with almost 300 million jeans imported only for Mens/Boys in 2006 .
    The average price figures are though a little odd. It was expected that the average prices of jeans imported into US would have fallen significantly after quota removal. However, the figures do not reveal such a story. The prices are more or less stagnant around USD 7 – though a fall of about 5% is visible from 2004 to 2006.

    But we must not forget that the character of jeans imported into US has changed a little over a period of time. Previously the majority of jeans imported were made of Basic denims and in basic styles. However, slowly the composition of fabrics have changed and more value added – like rings, slubs ,multicounts etc – are being used. These have contributed in increasing the average prices of jeans sold to US. However, it still needs to be remembered that a huge quantity of jeans are still exported to US at prices of USD 4-6 on one hand and on the other ,jeans of USD 10-15and above are also imported in sizeable numbers. Thus bringing average prices to these levels

  • Selvedge Denim and Loop Dyeing..

    What is Selvedge/Selvage Denim ?
    selvage-denim.jpg
    Selvage Denim is the denim made on Old Style Shuttle Looms rather than the modern shuttleless looms. Simply stated it is ‘Self – Edge’ denim which is created since the Weft goes back and forth as a single thread rather than individual threads for each weft weave..As the weft loops back from the end, it creates a ‘Selvage’. Traditionally the denim made on the Shuttle Looms was so narrow that about 3 yards were required to make a jeans. To maximize fabric consumption, the jeans makers used the Selvage also which can be seen when the Jeans is turned up.The color of the thread in the Selvage was used to differentiate between fabrics. True Vintage Jeans can be recognised by the Selvage thread.

    Traditionally , American Denim was considered superior. However, the Americans replaced all their Shuttle Looms by faster looms. Many of these looms were bought by Japanese who felt that there was a market for Traditional Denim. And when the Premium Denim craze began after 2000, many Jeans manufacturers introduced the Jeans made from Shuttle looms and Quality Dyeing .. . Quality Dyeing?
    Quality Dyeing is Indigo Dyeing done using Loop Dyeing machines – which are themselves rare and vintage machines. The Rope of Cotton Yarn goes through a Vat of Indigo and then is taken to the ROOF of the factory where it is allowed to oxidize and then brought back to dip. Some companies do as many as 30 DIPS creating a rich blue Indigo character.
    Another traditional thing that goes in the process of creating a Traditional Premium Denim is the Chain Stitch at the leg opening – which gives a thick stitch line at the hem.

    Denim produced on Shuttle Looms is naturally irregular . Accompanied with the additional details in dyeing and stitching, it produces a unique product and as the Jeans age, they produce a unique pattern. Like Fine Wood, Selvage denim will become more beautiful with age and acquire a patina which is impossible to create artificially.
    Many of the Japanese Denim brands are using Selvage Denim. The most famous of them is EVISU. Their HERITAGE Collection is made entirely of Selvage Denim only , produced on 30″ looms and dyed by LOOP Dyeing method. With a minimum of 16 dips, they go upto 30 dips . For Chain stitching, they use the ‘Union Special Machines’ which are considered to be the ‘ROLLS ROYCE’ of stitching machines in 1950s..

    Heritage Jeans - EVISU

  • ‘Kato’ – Original Denim from Japan

    I just do not seem to be stopping to write about Japanese denim. There actually is so much to learn from them that it feels great to write about them.
    ‘Kato’ is a brand from Japan which is making special Natural Jeans. Their Jeans are made from Zimbabwe Cotton and are dyed by the ‘Hank System’ in natural indigo . This is the oldest system of dyeing cotton in Indigo in which the yarn spends one day in dyeing to the core and another day is spent hanging in a steam room.. The Denim is then woven on 32″ slow shuttle looms ..The jeans are hand riveted and details hand stitched..
    All these slow processes add up to the cost a lot . However, Connoiseur items are not made easily and by everyone and are also not affordable by everybody (prices in range about USD 300)..
    ANd the looks are COOL…..Kato Denim

    By the way, pertinent to mention that Hiroshi Kato of ‘Kato’ also designed some selvedge denim for Arvind in India..

  • VF acquires ‘7 for all Mankind’

    VF Corp. has announced the acquistion of the iconic Premium Denim Brand ‘ 7 for all Mankind‘. They paid about USD 775 million for the purchase of ‘Sevens'(as it is commonly known) which is currently having a turnover of about USD300 million.

    ‘Sevens’ was started in 2000 by Peter Koral and based in LA ,launched the craze for premium denim in the US. The brand quickly earned critical acclaim due to its innovative use of fits,fabrics and washes in denim.The company is growing as a true lifestyle denim brand and expanding its product line to include sportswear,handbags,footwear etc. It is sold at luxury stores like Barneys NY, Neiman Marcus,Saks and speciality boutiques in over 80 countries around the world.

    It seems a sensible purchase for VF since they were struggling to have a recognised premium denim line in their collection. Also with about 20% margins and an expected growth of 15% p.a, the ‘Sevens’ makes financial sense. ‘Sevens’ will be included in the VF’s new lifestyle based brand coalition – ‘ VF Contemporary Brands‘ which will currently also include another acquired brand – Lucy Activewear.

    Lets wait and see how VF will retain and add value to the ‘Sevens’ brand as till now most of premium denim brands have been personality driven entities.

  • Exports of Denim fabrics from Japan to USA (Years 2000-2007)

    It may be interesting to see how much Japan exports to the US and the EU. I did an analysis and here are the results.The results are not very surprising because exports to both the markets show some similar trends.
    The year 2004 & 2005 have been the best for exports to both EU and US. Though for exports to US , 2006 has also been the best
    The prices have been more or less stable over a period of time . In EU also the prices /kg have been more or less stable and so is the case in US. However, US shows an increase in average prices in 2007
    The decline in exports of denim fabrics is visible in 2006 in EU and in 2007 in USA
    If we extrapolate the figures of 5 months of 2007 for USA, then approximately 5.5 million square mtrs will be exported to US in 2007 against 6.2 million sq mtrs in 2006.
    Lets have a look :

    Year Quantity(Sq.Mtrs) Value(1000 Yen) Value(million USD) Price(USD/Sq.Mtr)
    2000 765045 379121 3.13 4.09
    2001 600841 323281 2.67 4.44
    2002 2047052 1013449 8.37 4.09
    2003 3534981 1768710 14.61 4.13
    2004 7987713 3943224 32.58 4.07
    2005 6132694 3137537 25.93 4.22
    2006 6219223 3441724 28.44 4.57
    2007(Jan-May) 2230106 1272908 10.51 4.71

    Source: The Customs Deptt of Japan

    Note: The exchange rate of USD to Yen has been taken as the current rate of
    121 Yen/USD

  • Imports of Japanese Denim into EU from 1999-2006

    Lets have a look at the import figures of Japanese denim into EU over a period of 7 years from 1999 to 2006

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    YEAR Import Value(Million Euros) Quantity(100 kgs) Value/Kg (Euros)
    1999 9.96 9895 10.06
    2000 5.19 4847 10.72
    2001 2.80 2504 11.19
    2002 3.56 4637 7.68
    2003 5.66 6035 9.38
    2004 14.37 15811 9.09
    2005 14.49 14357 10.09
    2006 8.98 9120 9.85

         TOTAL IMPORT  : About USD 65 million
    over 7 years          

    Source : Eurostat       

        

    Now what are the trends that we notice?

    Years 1999 to 2001 : the exports from Japan fell continously.
    Years 2002 and 2003: the exports increased at a good rate.
    Years 2004 : exports increased exponentially.
    Year 2005 : maintained the sales of 2004
    Year 2006 : again witnessed a fall in exports

    The hype for the Japanese denim started to surface in 2003 -2004 when Premium denim labels were starting to become a craze in the US and it EU. Japanese denim became a byword for many of these labels. Hence we see a great surge in the exports from Japan.
    However, in 2006, the downtrend has begun and it remains to be seen whether it continues in 2007 also. The figures of the growth of Premium denim labels market in the US and EU seems to growing at a slower pace in 2006 than in 2005 and hence it is affecting the market.

    Also, an important fact is that the Japanese labels are themselves becoming stronger and consuming more denim locally. Brands like Evisu, have developed a large fan following in the US and EU and hence more of Jeans made from these denims is being exported to these countries.

    Prices: The prices are given in Euros/kg and look to be more or less stable over a 7 year period except in 2002 when they were at their lowest. However, a better picture may emerge when we see the prices in Euros/mtr (we shall be providing that shortly).

  • CDI Italy gets into Joint Venture with GFM Textiles of Mexico

    Calitri Denim Industries of Italy, the manufacturer of premium Ring Spun denims , has entered into Joint Venture with GFM Textiles of Mexico . The Denim division of GFM is also commonly known as Parras.

    GFM is a diversified group with interests in Minerals, Energy,Electronics and Textiles. Its denim division Parras has four plants and an annual production capacity of about 100 million metres.
    On the other hand , CDI is a much smaller plant with a capacity of about 15 million metres p.a.

    Probably due to their relative sizes, the Joint Venture GFMT Italy, will be 80% owned by GFM and 20% by CDI. GFM also has an additional option to acquire all of CDI’s assets within next 12 months.
    The Joint Venture gives advantages to both the sides since GFM gains from the CDI’s design , development and quality and its premium image of an Italian manufacturer in the market and CDI gains from the size of GFM.

    It needs to be noted here that the exports of denim and jeans from Mexico has been continously falling over a period of time . However, the exports of Denim from Italy to USA had been growing due to the increased imports by premium and high-end Denim brands like 7 for all Mankind, Chip and Pepper and numerous others. The Mexican manufacturer not only benefits from the image of an Italian supplier (that is why the name has been changed to GFMT Italy), but also gains access to some high-end customers of CDI.

  • Levi’s ties up with the world’s most expensive artist to create new collection

    Damien Hirst is suppposed to the most expensive artist in the world because of the astounding prices at which his creations sell – whether it is Diamond covered skull, or Sharks in Formaldehyde(!) etc.

    Damien Hirst is lending his talents to Levi’s and helping them develop the collection of Spring 2008 Warhol Factory X Levi’s Label(to be launched at New York Fashion Week in September) . The Warhol Factory X Collection was first launched in 2006 and paid tribute to Andy Warhol’s famous pop-culture art. This collection is priced between USD 190 – USD 250/- for Jeans and USD 80-300 for tops. The full name of the collection will Warhol Factory X Levi’s X Damien Hirst

    Why is Levi’s doing this?

    The answer is very simple. They want to strengthen their image as an important manufacturer of Premium Jeans . Levi’s has been able to grow its profits in 2006 largely because of their increased sales of Premium high-end Jeans. And they want to make more profits by selling more of these jeans.
    Premium Jeans is about 4.3% of the US Jeanswear market and had been growing at a rapid pace of about 40-45% p.a – though last year the growth rate declined to about 23%.
    But still there is a lot of space in this segment to make profits from..

  • Old Navy – Fall 2007 Denim Collection – Latest trends in Denim

    Old Navy debuts its Fall 2007 line in stores featuring various striking trends.

    Color Denim:
    As I previously mentioned , Color Denim trend is likely to be picked up by various brands. Old Navy is offering its skinny denims in crimson red, yellow, gunmetal grey, cobalt blue, and pastel purple(USD 29.50) .
    A complete antithesis of skinny jeans is the Wide Legged denim – which is also being taken up
    in a small way. The jeans are priced at USD 34.50 .. Wide legged jeans trend is not expected to grow as big as skinny jeans , simply because wide legged jeans can be carried by very few females(normally) gracefully.

    New Fits
    Old Navy aims to introduce three new fits :

    Diva – sexy low rise waist and body hugging .
    Flirt – Classic fit with a medium rise
    Sweetheart – Casual fit and high rise

    It remains to be seen whether the customers find these fits novel or they are just novel names…

    Old Navy is a division of Gap Inc and brings customers on-trend apparel and accessories at amazing prices, all in a fun and energizing shopping environment.
    Gap Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Piperlime brand names. Fiscal 2006 sales were $15.9 billion. Gap Inc. operates more than 3,100 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Ireland and Japan