Denimandjeans | Global Trends, News and Reports | Worldwide

Category: denim

  • 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..

  • 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..

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Xfit Lycra and Black lycra for denims

    Two new innovations from LYCRA are expected to give a great fillip to the usage of lycra in Denims and add value to the denim garments.

    Xfit Lycra: Xfit lycra is a latest patented technology which allows 360 degree movement in the fabric besides fabric stability and shape retention.All this allows a user to move in any way. How would this help the denim garment manufacturers??
    The manufacturers will be able to produce garments for a wider range of buyers. Currently stretch garments are mainly limited to the Ladieswear and Childrenwear. Xfit may help in increasing the usage of stretch garments by Men also.. Let’s wait and watch how the brands are able to encash this development.

    Black lycra fibre: A very interesting development for the Denim and the Lingerie Industry.. What traditionally happens is that when stretch fibres are used in the garments and they are washed repeatedly, the strech fibre shows up due to discoloration.
    With the Black lycra fibre, the black and dark garments will remain dark even after washes(provided the other fibres in the fabric do not lose color)..
    This fibre would be very useful for the Dark and Natural denim garments and help them to remain darker for a longer period. Some of the ladies Stretch Jeans may even end up looking a little darker(if designed so)..

    On the whole it is a good news for the denim industry …

  • Toyoda Shuttle looms for great denim manufacturing

    There is a growing interest in the shuttle looms in the denim industry to produce the authentic denim. The Japanese and the Italians are the ones using these looms the most.
    Lets take a look at how does a typical denim shuttle loom from TOYODA and its shuttle looks like:
    toyoda-shuttle-loom.jpg
    toyoda-shuttle-loom-shuttle.jpg

  • Victoria Beckham launches her own dvb line of denims

    dvb-denim-launch-photo-of-victoria.jpg
    Victoria Beckham launched her debut denim collection this week in New York to a multitude of photographers, television cameras and journalists.

    Beckham has boosted her profile by unveiling her dVb collection of denim jeans, skirts and shorts at Saks department store on Fifth Avenue.

    Wearing her own white jeans, silver heels, and a sparkly, silver vest, Victoria posed for photographers before heading upstairs to sign autographs for fans waiting in line.

    The dvb jeans will have large star stitched on the back pockets and will cost around USD 250/- (dark denims). The dVb range also includes retro style sunglasses.

    I think its a lot easy for these celebs to launch their own labels which ride comfortably on the strength of their popularity. However, the real test comes within a year of the launch when the publicity dies down a little and the Jeans has to perform.. Lets wait and watch how dvb performs.

  • US Jeanswear Industry facts

    Here are some quick facts of the US denim industry :

    2006 US Jeans sales     : USD 15.8 billion
    % of total apparel sales : 12.7% (thats a lot isn’t it?)
    Premium denim as % of total Jeans sales : 4.3% in 2006
    Growth of Premium denim sales in 2006 : 23% !
    Average price of jeans purchased by 19-24 years old : USD 32.88
    Average price of Jeans purchased by 25-34 years old : USD 28.29
    Average pairs of jeans with the US women : 8.1 and they wear it 4.19 times a week .. WHEW..