Denim boasts an array of new looks
Denim never goes out of fashion -- but the styles are always changing.
While women who love wide-leg jeans still have the choices they love, women whose tastes in jeans favor a more classic look will embrace new trends -- including shrinking leg widths and a greater simplicity.
"I think it's trended back to more five-pocket silhouettes versus fashion," says Lawrence Scott, owner of Pittsburgh Jeans Company on the South Side. The store carries an average of 40 brands of jeans that cost from just under $100 to $250.
"I think people just want a great-fitting jean with a great wash."
That's not a bad idea, given that at least one solid pair of jeans is about as basic in a woman's wardrobe as a pair of black flats. And other denim clothes -- jackets, skirts, capris -- also provide long wardrobe mileage.
"I think that denim is definitely the No. 1 outfit piece that everyone has," says Kathy Thomas, mid-Atlantic area manager for Lucky Brand. "It has replaced the black slacks."
Thomas says all of the best sellers now have five pockets.
"It goes back to that traditional (Levi's) 501 blues," says Thomas, whose Lucky Brand is available at The Buckle in Robinson Towne Center. "It's the optical illusion -- when you wear denim and you don't have pockets, it can make you appear larger. It kind of breaks the pattern across the whole back side of you."
The flare-legged look, which has dominated jeans and pants for at least half a decade, still appears in many jeans styles, and retains a strong fan base because the cut makes thighs look slimmer, Thomas says. However, sellers say pairs with a narrower opening are hot sellers this year.
For instance, two of Gap's newer and trendier jeans styles -- slim fit and pencil cut -- have been among the clothing giant's best sellers, says Katie Hall, public relations coordinator. Slim-fit jeans, loose around the calf, go straight down from the knee and have a slimmer leg opening than the boot cut -- one of the long-term best sellers, she says. The pencil cut also has a straight leg but is slightly tapered to the ankle.
"They have kind of that feminine, sophisticated feel," Hall says. "They can be worn casually to the office or out in the evening."
The slim-fit jeans are especially popular in spring, she says. "It's really kind of reminiscent of another era; it's a feminine silhouette and fitted features, tailored to a slimmer look."
Complementing jeans are the other articles of denim clothing, which retailers describe as evergreen "in" items. Popular everywhere this spring and summer, for instance, is the classic frayed denim miniskirt, which runs an average of 4 to 5 inches above the knee. Denim jackets also are not limited to the fall and winter: Many clothiers, such as Gap, sell lightweight jackets in the summer, useful for cool or windy nights, Hall says.
Denim capris and crop pants are especially hot sellers this year, although some inseams are longer than in seasons past. Lucky Brand's crop pants, for instance, have increased since last year from 23 inches to 25 inches, which hang about three inches above the ankle, Thomas says. Sales of these bottoms have exploded this year, she says.
Denim, indeed, does not describe a very specific or exclusive article of clothing. Even the "blue" in blue jeans can have many different meanings in denim, ranging from the darkest navylike blue to stonewashed hues to even the vintage, '80s-style acid-washed jeans -- although it's a long shot that anyone has seen the likes of these in recent memory.
The Levi's brand sells much of its sand color, a very light stonewash, in the spring, spokeswoman Amy Gemellaro says. Gap also sells more lighter stonewashes in the hotter months, and darker denims in the winter months, Hall says.
One especially popular spring and summer color for Cambio America is its denim streak, which is woven to appear as an indigo blue with a white sheen.
"It looks like a subtle striation ... a really happy, summery blue optic," says Marybeth Martorana, director of sales for Cambio America, which is available at Carabella in Oakmont, Pamar Boutique in Shadyside, and Saks Fifth Avenue and Larrimor's, Downtown.
White jeans, popular in the '80s, also are making a comeback and sell particularly well in the summer, Hall says. Their counterpart, black jeans, sell mostly in the fall and winter.
Colors seem to be like waistlines: It all boils down to personal preference and comfort, fashion experts say, although trends apply to some degree. Gemellaro says waistlines seem to be inching up from the low-riding, hip-hugging styles that have been so popular. Scott says rises, from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the zipper, can range anywhere from 5 1/2 inches to 8 1/2 inches.
"There's always going to be a trend each season with jeans," Scott says. "The bottom line and the great equalizer -- if it doesn't fit, it doesn't mean anything. No two brands fit the same. That's the truth."
Waistlines can depend on the brand. Cambio, for instance, caters to sophisticated, 30-and-older women, and the three rises settle at about a quarter inch above the belly button, at the belly button or just below it, Martorana says. The jeans have about 2 percent stretch fabric in them.
"It's more of a generous rise -- when she sits down, the jean doesn't scoot down her body," she says. "This woman is really comfortable with who she is; she's not trying to look like someone she's not. It's all about the comfort in the jeans."
The vast variety of brands and styles guarantees that every woman can find a pair of jeans to wear comfortably and confidently, regardless of what direction the fashion wind blows.
"There's a reason you buy a pair of Sevens versus a pair of Chip & Peppers; there's a lot that has to do with fit, construction and wash," Scott says. "It's a very personal thing ... the same thing as when finding a bathing suit."
Regardless of what is particularly hip on the hips at the time, you can't go wrong with just about any pair of denim jeans, experts say: The basic cloth has never gone "out."
"Denim has been in style since the 1870s; it's not something we're worried about," Scott says. "It's a real commodity -- a wardrobe staple that can always sit on the shelf, and five years from now, it works."
A jean for everyone
The chameleon quality is perhaps the greatest hallmark of denim, which can morph itself from the beach bum's outfit to the professional's uniform to the date's sexy dinner outfit. It all depends on what you wear with it.
"I think jeans are a popular item in general because they are so versatile," says Katie Hall, public relations coordinator for Gap. "They can be dressed up for a more sophisticated look with heels, or they can be paired with flip-flops and a tank for a more casual feel. Jeans are always in style."
In the spring and summer months, silk camisoles complement jeans beautifully for a more elegant or professional look under a light jacket or cardigan. The camisoles can go under Gap's popular new denim flyer jacket, a $78 lightweight jacket with a tropical floral-print lining that is useful for cooler days in the summer and evenings, Hall says.
Gap also has put out a new, $44 frayed-cut jean for the summer, cropped in a capri-style for casual days. These and any jeans go well in the summer with brightly colored tank tops, and sandals on casual occasions.
Denim skirts, another evergreen wardrobe staple, are popular in above-the-knee versions during the summer and pair well with tank tops and floral halter tops, Hall says. Gap's denim mini costs $34.
In a more business-casual work setting, jeans look sleek under a blazer, and dark jeans look more professional and more slimming, says Lawrence Scott, owner of Pittsburgh Jeans Company on the South Side. For a top, you can wear anything you would wear with trousers, he says.
For evening wear, slim-fitting jeans with a glitzy, beaded top and high heels look dazzling, Scott says.
"To me, the sexiest thing is a girl who's got a beautiful, fitting pair of jeans with a beautiful, tailored jacket -- a la Chanel -- a plain white T-shirt and a beautiful pair of shoes," he says.
Catherine Ferris, owner of Catherina women's clothing boutique in Oakmont, has observed many Pittsburgh women following Scott's favorite look. They buy her Blue Willi's jeans and pair them with Chanel-inspired jackets, such as those from Bernard Zins. The jackets have a fringe with shredded tweed and come in beautiful colors such as hot pink and turquoise, she says.
"The denim jeans became a little more popular in our store because the ladies were so interested in buying the jacket for the season," Ferris says.
-- Kellie B. Gormly
