Women and their jeans; a love story

By CANDICE SHIH

Women dominate the denim marketplace, 75 years after Lady Levi's were introduced.

Years before jeans were worn in the boardroom and on the red carpet, they functioned as work wear. Back then, denim was made only for men, and today's popular boyfriend fit for women was developed when women, having no other choice, wore men's jeans.

Seventy-five years after the first jeans made for women, the Lady Levi's, were born, women now dominate the denim marketplace.

"They're part of our staple now. Women wear jeans every single day for so many different kinds of events and activities," said Lynn Downey, historian of Levi's, which has been celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Lady Levi's across the nation this fall.

The first jeans for women, from Levi's lot 701 in 1934, were manufactured to be sturdy and feminine, she said. They were preshrunk, used a softer fabric than the men's 501s and featured a high, pinched-in waist.

Denim, which is any twill weave of a white cotton thread and a colored cotton thread, has taken on many forms since then.

As interest in women's denim picked up in the decades after its introduction, slimmer silhouettes dominated the market, foreshadowing today's popular skinny style. The '70s brought about a much more voluminous shape, the bell-bottom.

"It's all about flare," Downey said, "from the really modest flare to the complete crazy, you can stick a small child up its leg."

Premium denim made its first significant mark in the '80s, with brands such as Diesel leading the way. During that time, Calvin Klein and Guess promoted the cotton twill's sex appeal and the cache associated with a fashion label. Actress and model Brooke Shields is still remembered today for her famous declaration that "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins."

The '90s were characterized by denim's entrance into formerly more sacred areas, such as the office and the red carpet. Downey thinks the casual style of Silicon Valley and, in particular, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, helped make jeans acceptable for the workplace.

"It was a mental change for a lot of people. It was Generation Y or maybe Generation X that decided that jeans weren't their mom's jeans. They reflected the way young men and women live their lives," Downey said. "Every single generation since jeans were created has changed what jeans mean."

The amount of choices in fit, wash and embellishment blossomed during this time as women became the primary consumer. The variety has grown in the past decade as new premium brands have entered the marketplace, often demanding well over $100 and occasionally up to $400 for each pair of jeans.

Among these labels, 7 For All Mankind arrived in 2000.

The Los Angeles-based brand took "a very utilitarian, almost workwear type of product and built in a sophistication and wash and finishing that gives consumers the ability to wear that product day to night, on the red carpet and out to dinner," president Topher Gaylord said. "It's a much more versatile product than it's ever been."

Women have shown they are willing to pay for that added level of versatility and style.

"If you have a pair of jeans that fits you well, it is one of the most powerful and emotional experiences you can have," Gaylord said. "They give you unrivaled self-confidence."

True Religion, which was founded in 2003, wants to differentiate itself, too.

"What the consumer gets from premium denim is quality and comfort, but it's mostly about fit," CEO Jeff Lubell said.

For Lubell, jeans are not just jeans, particularly True Religion's women's jeans, which run from $172 to $341.

"Levi's or 7 For All Mankind, compared to them, I could spend two hours describing the intricacies," said Lubell, referring to True Religion's elongated stitches, multi-colored thread and hardware.

There's no slowing down the customer's desire to appreciate those differences. True Religion plans to open 20 to 25 stores a year around the world, with 70 in the U.S. by the end of 2009. 7 For All Mankind will have opened 12 this year by its end, for a total of 27 in the country.

Still, more designers are getting into the arguably saturated premium denim market. Los Angeles-based MEK Denim, which launched in 2006, is one of the latest. Founder and creative director Kevin Chen, who has a background in custom menswear, admires jeans for their Americana appeal.

"All the cowboys and even the president wears denim," he said. "It's not the blue-collar work wear anymore. They mix it with couture now."

Chen infused the idea of travel into each design to make it unique; each model is named after and inspired by a destination from around the world. And he wasn't put off by the immense amount of competition.

"I saw a tremendous opportunity in the premium denim market. Many premium houses are over their heads (with) $300, $400, $500 jeans," said Chen, whose jeans retail at $125-$135.

Whatever a woman's budget, it's now practically unthinkable for her not to wear jeans. Magazines and makeover shows regularly provide tips on what fits, washes and styles work on what kinds of bodies.

Clinton Kelly, a co-host of TLC's "What Not To Wear," didn't return a call requesting a comment. But there's a good reason for that.

"Clinton and I are sick of answering questions about jeans," begins co-host Stacy London on a video on the "What Not To Wear" Web site. It's a subject they must tackle often, if not always, with their makeover clients.

On this video, the longest of 11 style tips on their show's Web site, Kelly and London describe the basics of denim: Don't wear mom jeans. Do wear boot-cut, skinny, straight-leg or trouser jeans.

So what's the next stage in women's denim?

Said Downey of Levi's: "I think it's going to be a surprise."

WOMEN'S LEVI'S AT 75

17th century: Denim is likely to have originated in France and was called "Serge de Nimes," reflecting its beginnings as a serge, or twill, fabric in the city of Nimes.

1873: Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a patent for an "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings" and begin making jeans with metal rivets.

1920s: Levi's Waist Overalls are the most popular men's work pants in the western states. Women begin wearing their husbands' or brothers' Levis 501 jeans.

1930s: Lady Levi's are created in 1934 and assigned lot 701 to distinguish them from the men's 501.

1940s: American soldiers introduce denim to the world when they wear them overseas while off duty. Due to the popularity of dude ranches, sales of women's jeans take off and their styles switch from button-fly to zipper.

1950s: Denim becomes the symbol of the teenage rebel on TV and in the movies.

1960s: Jeans becomes an icon of rebellion adopted by both men and women. Levi's introduces a slimmer fitting jean while stretch jeans become popular among teenage girls.

1970s: Levi's offers a variety of fashion fits, including full leg, straight leg, flare and bell-bottoms.

1980s: Levi's 501 jeans for women are introduced in 1981, then stonewashing in 1983.

1990s: Levi's offers a series of premium denim along with a wide range of women's jeans, including the 501, 550, 512 Slim fits.

2000s: Super Low jeans for women are launched in 2002.