It’s that bittersweet time of year again, when we bid farewell to our flip-flops and summer dresses and refocus our fashion energies on boots, fall sweaters — and those all-important jeans.
As Brooke Shields suggested in her iconic Calvin Klein ads, nothing comes between us and our jeans.
Not even a strained economy.
U.S. jeans sales rose 5.9 percent, to $16.3 billion for the 12 months ending in June, compared with a 1.6 percent dip in total apparel sales, to $192 billion in the same time period, according to the NPD Group. In the past three months, jeans sales rose 18.8 percent, compared with a 0.8 percent increase in total apparel sales.
Levi’s, the founding father of the modern blue jean, continues to rule the roost, accounting for 30 percent of jeans purchased, according to a March report from market research group Mintel.
But thank premium brands — those $100-and-up Citizens, True Religions and Rock and Republics — for keeping the industry alive and kicking. In the past two years premium denim sales rose 47 percent, to $1 billion from $680 million, while the total jeans market rose 5.7 percent in the same time frame, the NPD Group said.
The impressive 28 percent growth in jeans sales from 2002 to 2007 was driven by the premium denim craze, Mintel says, though growth is expected to return to normal over the next five years.
At the start of the decade, when 7 For All Mankind opened in L.A. and premium jeans started to move from celebrities’ bodies to the mass market, having a pair of Sevens was de rigueur for the fashion-conscious.
Today, with so many brands and styles available, the logo on the back pocket matters less than how the back pocket makes your butt look, fashion stylists say.
“It’s a little bit more cool to have a jean that not everyone has,” said Stephen Stopulos, a sales clerk at the Blues Jean Bar in Lincoln Park. “It’s so much more about fit now.”
Ah, fit. Therein lies the challenge. More than half the respondents to Mintel’s survey said it’s difficult to find jeans that fit properly, which says nothing of finding jeans that actually flatter.
There are guidelines to follow for both men and women, fashion experts say.
If you have an ample rear, keep the back pockets small and high, says wardrobe stylist Amy Salinger, who works in Chicago and New York. Wider, lower, longer back pockets are best for people who don’t have a butt, she said. Go with a mid-rise to avoid muffin tops.
Skinny jeans are back again this fall, but pear-shaped bodies should stay away, Salinger said. Instead, go for straight-leg jeans if you want something to tuck into a boot. Make sure that the bottom of the pants are the same width as the thigh, and pick jeans with elasticity if you want them to suck you in and slim you down.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is wearing baggy jeans to hide a heavier figure, Salinger said.
“You have to wear pants a little more fitted when you’re bigger, otherwise you look like a potato sack,” she said. tribune contributed.
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THE PERFECT FIT
How do you like your jeans? Skinny? Straight? Boot cut? Flared? Relaxed? Wide leg?
Whichever makes your butt look good? Thought so.
RedEye went on a mission to find the best jeans for the booty, dispatching two RedEye staffers with completely different body types to serve as guinea pigs: curvy reporter Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, who will never forget the first time she was complimented on her “child-bearing hips;” and slender designer Rex Chekal, who struggles to find jeans that don’t give him “diaper butt.”
At the Blues Jean Bar in Lincoln Park, manager Amanda Lunacek and sales clerk Stephen Stopulos helped navigate the wonderful world of denim.
Here’s some of what they found. (Of course, every body is unique, so the only way to know what’s right for you is to try ’em on.)
Sacred Blue-Luc ($157)
Flattering features: Longer, lower pockets are supposed to make a small or flat butt look perkier. Also, the flap on the pockets enhances the rear.
Rex’s impression: “On me, flap pockets just look homosexual, which would be fine, but I already have that tattooed across my forehead. Not a favorite, plus, I would lose those buttons in a heartbeat.”
Sacred Blue-Alex ($135)
Flattering features: Straighter and slimmer through the leg, these jeans are good for guys with thinner legs or no butt because there won’t be a lot of extra fabric.
Rex’s impression: “Here I think the stitching isn’t so much decorative, but butt-enhancing. It draws the eye, and the low rise helps my rear appear much perkier than it is. Best of all, no diaper butt! Love ’em!”
Kasil-Triumph ($203)
Flattering features: The slim-fit, boot-cut jeans have wider pockets than normal. The denim is very soft.
Rex’s impression: “I think the distance between the pockets really makes my backside appear wider. Normally that would be OK, but the pancake effect happening because of the looseness makes me pass on this pair.”
J Brand-Walker ($233)
Flattering features: These relaxed, straight-fit jeans have a higher rise. It’s good for guys who want a straight cut but still want the looseness they’re used to.
Rex’s impression: “I am used to a low-rise jean. The high waist that is hiding under my shirt, while it tamed my belly and love handles, felt too weird after years of riding below my hips.”
7 For All Mankind-classic boot cut
($155)
Flattering features: Generally Sevens are good comfort jeans, and “a good stepping stone for people who are just getting into designer jeans,” Stopulos said.
Rex’s impression: “Love how soft they felt, but a bit big. I worry they would stretch out to a horrible shape in the current size, obscuring my rear completely.”
1921-Surplus flare ($169)
Flattering features: These are considered good “booty” jeans, as the low, flap pockets are supposed to lift and enhance the butt.
Alexia’s impression: “They are very low-rise, which gave me major muffin top. Also, the low pockets just seemed to make my legs look short. These would be better on someone with no butt.”
Stitch’s-Seminole ($217)
Flattering features: These straight-leg jeans have larger back pockets and should be flattering on all butt shapes.
Alexia’s impression: “I was told the pair I tried on was too loose, but they looked like skinny jeans to me! The back pockets, which are wider-set than normal, also made my butt look wider than normal — something I don’t need.”
Paige-Hidden Hills ($176)
Flattering features: These mid-rise jeans have a double button, and the wider waistband flatters the hips. The smaller, centered back pockets are flattering to fuller bums.
Alexia’s impression: “Perfect fit, with a smooth line from every angle and no muffin tops to be found. The jeans didn’t hide my hills; they celebrated them!”
James-Hector ($169)
Flattering features: The flap pockets sit higher on the backside, which makes a fuller butt look perkier.
Alexia’s impression: “I thought they looked great — until I lifted my shirt, and saw that the higher waist actually lengthened my backside. Said the RedEye photographer: ‘Those make your butt look big.’ Sigh.”
Union-Diva Wide Leg ($171)
Flattering features: Trouser jeans like these are in this fall. The wide opening at the bottom balances out wider hips. The dark indigo wash is slimming and can be worn for dressier occasions.
Alexia’s impression: “They’re very comfortable, and the wide leg helps ease thigh anxiety. I felt good in them, and maybe that’s the most important thing.”
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aelejalderuiz@tribune.com
