fall school looks grounded in denim

This fall, young men's back-to-school is all about denim and track jackets, denim and novelty tees, denim and blazers. If there's only one thing a young guy can buy for back-to-school, it had better be denim.

"We expect denim to remain strong for BTS and beyond with the continuing influence of niche brands; those looks are now filtering down to more moderate price points," says Anne Brouwer, senior partner with Chicagobased McMillan|Doolittle, LLP, a retail consulting firm. "While premium denim will continue to sell, it appears to be more important in women's than men's, and is still a small segment of the denim business. The looks, however, are filtering down to moderate price points. While this is a new concept, the trend to freshen denim and offer distinctive cuts, finishes, logos, etcetera, will be strong across the board."

According to Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle MonitorTM, when young men age 16 to 24 are shopping for a new pair of jeans, the large majority of them, 55%, concentrate on those in the $25 to $50 range. Only 6% shop for jeans that cost more than $70.

The Monitor finds that one-third of all males age 16 to 24 have a need to buy BTS clothes. And guys and girls in this age range expect to spend about $227 on their new gear.

"Denim is the biggest thing for back-toschool," says Lauren Deatherage, men's wear trend specialist for Cotton Incorporated. "It's always been important but now denim has definite status in fashion. It's functional, practical and stylish for the college-age man. Subtle details update this season's denim such as contrasting stitching, the pocket placement and its size or shape, and embellishments such as grommets."

The Monitor shows 92% of young men would wear a pair of nice-looking jeans to school.

Brouwer says denim, tees and woven shirts should continue to perform well overall, with dressier looks continuing to sell for the 18-and-older crowd. "Dressing up is new for this group, and has a decidedly fresh look with colored dress shirts and sport jackets mixed with tees and denim."

At JC Penney, preppy looks are in since more young men are dressing up, says Daphne Avila, spokesperson. The adopted wardrobe for the older student includes colorful polos and blazers.

The same holds true for Gap stores. "Men are a little less afraid of wearing a blazer because it's less formal than a suit, and worn essentially as outerwear," says Erica Archambault, spokesperson. "Our cotton blazers can be worn with a vintage rock tee. We have a great corduroy blazer that's perfect for campus. And the textured striped blazer is more of a going-out weekend look."

Meanwhile, for the younger set, JC Penney is offering "Camp Cool," a casual, rugged look for laid-back teens "who prefer the contradictory mix of blanket plaids with '70s outerwear and classic denim." Penney's has also stocked up on track and puffer jackets as an integral layering piece, usually worn over a vintage rock tee or baseball shirt.

With all the looks, Avila says denim is the preferred bottom. JC Penney "has put a lot of emphasis in offering premium styles in a variety of cuts and finishes. Given the resurgence of cargos and utility jeans, we expect denim to be a core fashion piece."

At Gap, BTS bottoms are also "all about denim," says Archambault. Gap pairs them either with zip-front hoodies or tees layered with a striped button-down shirt, or dresses them up with cotton blazers. Other hot BTS items include the iconic jean jacket, which has been cut a little slimmer with a darker, more authentic wash, and a heavy canvas pea coat.

At Up Against The Wall, a 23-store specialty retailer, young men's is dominated by an eclectic mix of "urbahemian," according to Paul Donnellan, vice president. He describes the style as something like "LRG, Z Brand mixed with retro and futuristic track jackets along with premium denim. There's printed T-shirts from Drifter and Monarchy, which are distressed gauzy tees with sepia prints."

Higher-end product is the name of the game at Up Against The Wall. Brands like Lacoste, RMC and Evisu continue to be very strong in denim. "Denim is definitely a major part of BTS and premium denim is definitely part of the BTS college crowd," Donnellan says. "There is definitely room in BTS for other sub-categories in denim. There is always a price ceiling for a product or category with certain consumers."

Donnellan says denim is trending up at his stores, including sales from Guess and Levi, which appear to be a response to those looking for a more popularly priced jean. He expects business as a whole to do well for back-to-school, with items like "track jackets, rugby's and other European-inspired athletic tops becoming a factor."

Old Navy, too, is looking to do well with denim, according to Andrea Lui, spokesperson. Here, it's about "preppy with attitude, track jackets layered over polos, graphic tees. Layering is big for both boys and girls. Accessories are hot. We have a great offering that we expect the customer will really respond well to."

This story is one in a series of articles based on findings from Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitorª tracking research. Each story will focus on a specific topic as it relates to the American men's wear consumer and his attitudes and behavior regarding clothing, appearance, fashion, fiber selection and many other timely, relevant subjects.

Publisher: cotton inc
A research and promotion company funded by US cotton producers and importers of cotton goods into the United States designed and operated to build demand for cotton in the US market and for US cotton in world markets.
Published: October 2005
Region: usa

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