What Is The Transformation That Makes Cowboy Clothing Producers And Sellers All Over The World Involved?

　　 Levis It's the famous jeans brand. Jeans The "originator" symbolizes the American feral, fortitude, rebellion and the spirit of American pioneers.

However, the situation changed two weeks ago. The 501 Jeans and 501 CT series of jeans will stretch to increase elasticity, the cowboy clothing production company said at a news conference. This is the first time this 143 year old company has done so.

For a pure cowboy, this can be described as an angry change.

"Our aim is to enable customers who buy 501 series jeans to identify this stretch process." Levi's global chief designer Jonathan Cheung said so. "Only when you wear it will you feel different." He added.

This is a major change. Elasticity has always been The Mini Skirt Yoga pants and bottompants are also concerned with the tough, durable and work clothes image of jeans in the long history.

This change is not limited to Levi's, but jeans producers and distributors all over the world will be involved.

Consumers are now more inclined to choose clothes that are more comfortable and more suitable for their current lifestyle, and value the performance advantages of the latest synthetic fibers. Another 100 year old cowboy brand, Lee Jeans, has just announced that it wants to carry out "brand innovation", specifically to turn jeans into sports pants. "We know that modern people need clothes that are more suitable for them to move around, and they also demand fashion, comfort and simplicity." Kim Yates, deputy director of marketing at Lee Jeans, stated.

Jeans are now quite different from what they used to be before: workers and cowboys were wearing clothes at the beginning, and jeans have become popular recently, and even the CEO of presidents and technology companies are beginning to wear jeans in offices and churches.

From the global market, sales of jeans are still rising. This is mainly because jeans, like developing countries such as China, are very popular among the middle class. But the original sales market of jeans has reached saturation, and these markets are the dominant force in deciding the sales of jeans. According to data provided by Euromonitor, jeans sales in Western Europe dropped by 10%. Meanwhile, sales in the United States, the birthplace of jeans, also declined by 16%.

Jeans will not disappear in the foreseeable future. But the pressure is increasing, so it needs to be changed. Under the influence of more than 100 years of dressing style in the United States, jeans need to be more flexible, more flexible and functional.

Can't stop sports and leisure

The jeans made by Levi's have a special button and dye their trousers blue, which is also the prototype of modern jeans. Levi's is still the largest jeans manufacturer in the world. Levi's has gone through many trials and hardships during its development, but recently there are some signs that this brand is facing unprecedented challenges. In 2015, the company's sales volume was $4 billion 500 million, down 5% compared with the previous year. This data is even bigger than the $7 billion in 1996.

The reason for the decline of Levi's's sales is not only that consumers choose cheaper clothes, but also the competition from "vertically integrated professional stores, fast fashion retailers and new business providers".

But what really threatens Levi's is a growing trend of consumption known as "sports wind". According to Bloomberg reports, the NPD group's findings show that in 2014, the sales of yoga pants in the US for the first time caught up with jeans because of the desire for comfort.

"Sports wind is actually a recognition of people's pursuit of comfort, and it is also related to the pursuit of sports lifestyle." Levi's brand director James Curleigh said.

He also said directly that Levi's is not a sports brand. But his company has been trying from other aspects. For example, the 700 series designed for women has enough flexibility to satisfy human activities. To meet the fitness needs of buyers of jeans that are more comfortable to move, Levi's launched its 541 sportswear a few years ago.

Although Levi's uses various tools, including lasers, to try to create a material similar to cotton, more than 60% of the jeans still use elastic fabric. This elastic fabric is increasingly used to produce jeans, even with traditional clothing such as Lee. Lee is the first jeans brand that wants to use elastic materials, and now it has provided consumers with more comfortable dressing feeling.

Levi's still has an inflexible jeans production line, and the most popular Wedgie series is still made of 100% pure cotton. Curleigh says. "We believe that in Levi's gene, pure cotton as jeans material is the heritage and essence of our corporate culture. We will continue to uphold this. But at the same time, in order to provide more comfort and fashion sense, we also have the responsibility to make changes.

But even so, the jeans with elastic characteristics will still be in sharp contrast to the original blue jeans. Specifically, "you use tough and durable materials, but the products you produce are contrary to their characteristics." Emma McClendon, deputy director of the Museum of fashion technology.

　 Jeans are no longer just worn on a leisurely Friday.

This change reflects the transformation of jeans in American wardrobes.

In 1873, a young man named Jacob Davis (Jacob Davis) suggested to Mr. Strauss that a copper rivet should be placed in the corner of Levi's pocket to improve the fastness and appearance of the pocket. As a result, the jeans were very popular among workers, and they shared the first patent in the Levi's improvement process.

Jeans have gained many new cultural meanings in the past few years. Around 1950, it represented a rebellious spirit, and wearing jeans in mainstream culture was considered "cool." Then it became the outfit of radical young people in the American anti cultural movement. In 1969, Levi's jeans were even more brilliant at the Woodstock Music Festival. In 1971, members of the rolling stones appeared on the cover of their album Sticky Fingers, wearing jeans. In 1984, Bruce Springstein, the super rock star "worker emperor", did the same thing when she released the album "Born in the U.S.A.". Protesters in Berlin wore Levi's jeans while pushing down the Berlin wall, and Kurt Cobain, the successful Nirvana leader, appeared in his tattered Levi's jeans.

As mainstream culture slowly accepts jeans and American dress code constantly being broken, jeans play a more positive role. With this change, consumers no longer wear jeans as trousers for work, or jeans can be worn in different jobs.

After 1990, jeans, which once used to be miners' uniform, became the professional attire of technology companies. Under the influence of Apple Corp founder Jobs, jeans are widely seen in Silicon Valley and other offices. On various occasions, Jobs always appeared in public in jeans and his trademark black turtleneck sweater.

After the first technological revolution of the Internet, there was the first casual trend of office attire. McClendon explained, "in the past, you can't do anything in jeans except on a leisurely Friday, but things are different now."

After 90s, luxurious jeans began to appear, contrary to the original intention of making jeans. For example, Tom Ford's 1999 spring Gucci series jeans have a pair of feather decorations. Finally, the jeans were labeled with a price tag of US $3000. After the jeans were sold, the era of high-end jeans began to come. Jeans sell for over 200 dollars. The status of jeans in the American wardrobe has changed and even become a symbol of some identities.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is still wearing his standard uniform: jeans, grey T-shirt and Hoodie. At the same time, twitter and founder of Square Jack Dorsey preferred Rick Owens, the designer's luxurious trousers with a price of up to $550.

Jeans are still part of casual wear, but our society is changing all the time. For example, our requirements for clothing comfort in social activities are constantly improving, so we constantly create new requirements for casual clothes.

　 The "elastic revolution" has arrived.

The history of jeans is also a century of American clothing development. Because of the frequent migration of population, Americans are constantly changing their styles of clothing, and they prefer the comfort and leisure of wearing.

"The randomness of clothing is directly related to the rise of the middle class in the United States." American clothing evolution expert and historian Deirdre Clemente said. "Everyone thinks he's a middle class. This is also the basis for our self belief as a democratic country. Casual clothing provides uniform uniforms for such self - Thinking democracy.

According to Clemente, the "adjustment" of social dress starts earlier than most people think. This process began in 1900, when sportswear began to enter everyone's wardrobe. The rise in income has led to changes in the United States, and Americans are beginning to want their clothes to reflect their individuality. At the same time, as Clemente mentioned, both day clothes and evening clothes are beginning to lose their "specificity".

Sportswear shows people that clothes can be mashup. What's more, its purpose is to involve people in expensive sports. People often take part in a sport according to the sportswear they wear. The quality of clothing including comfort and body freedom is the first priority. It creates a perfect opportunity for the elastic "invading" American wardrobe.

In 1939, DuPont chemicals company launched the first synthetic fiber nylon in the market, which caused a great sensation, but also created a business opportunity to sell new man-made fibers to people. Over the next few years, DuPont Co has developed Orlon acrylic and polyester polyester. Eventually, DuPont Co achieved great success by selling all kinds of synthetic fibers.

Since then, garment manufacturers have made great progress in the use of natural materials to synthesize synthetic fibers, and they also try to make synthetic fibers feel the same in visual and tactile aspects. This also attracts more consumers, even though they actually enjoy the benefits of new materials. In general, it provides conditions for elastic material clothes to enter American wardrobe.

The elastic material is highly comfortable and versatile, and the middle class regards it as an ideal way of life. Italy designer Emilio Pucci predicted in 1961 that the elastic fabric will change not only our clothes but also our whole life style. He once predicted that "the emergence of elastic fabrics will end people's sense of bondage."

DuPont Co has made a huge profit. Its total sales increased from US $648 million 700 thousand in 1946 to US $3 billion 600 million in 1970. According to Blaszczyk, a business historian, "by the end of 60s, fiber materials accounted for 1/3 of all sales, which accounted for 40% of DuPont Co's total profit of $356 million. When new elastic clothes become fashionable and come onto the stage, DuPont Co successfully brings democratization of consumption through the new market favorite of synthetic fiber.

Today, the trend of using synthetic fibers has not disappeared. Tecnon Orbichem, a research company serving the ski industry, recently predicted that polyester materials will form industrial production. This indicates that the production of polyester garments will continue to grow in the next ten years, while the production and sales of wool and cotton materials will continue to decline. What should awaken people is that because the synthetic fiber will cause pollution when washing, the damage to the environment will be very serious.

　　 The way to wear jeans

People continue to pursue more casual and comfortable clothing, which also makes jeans into the "formal dress" ranks, and provides more room for competition in casual wear.

(flexible jeans) flexible buttocks design is very common in fashion design at this stage, but it has limitations in the cotton material and clothing market. Another view is that jeans are losing their "cool" characteristics, because wearing jeans is often considered inappropriate for many formal occasions, including churches.

"What I think is interesting is the elastic character. It has become the pronoun of comfort, the driving force of consumers buying clothes and the standard of choosing clothes. It has brought great changes to the entire garment industry. The new design of jeans is the most obvious example. " McClendon said.

There is almost no evidence that this trend will disappear. By 2020, 40% of American workers will be freelancers, most of whom will work at home and spend the day in soft and comfortable clothes. At the same time, many children like casual, unrestricted dressing styles, and jeans are regarded as a positive dress by them.

It can be said that Americans have been looking for new dressing styles. Some people will criticize that wearing a sports suit and yoga pants is too casual for a day, but this is consistent with the long wearing style of Americans. Whether the rise of jeans in the past or the popularity of sportswear nowadays is due to the casual way Americans dress.

　 The future of jeans

Although there are some deficiencies in elastic materials, applications in jeans and other clothing will continue. The new 501 series is a good example. After 2010, Jeggings, the peak of elastic jeans, became very popular. Synthetic fiber will account for 40% of the clothing material.

According to a survey report from the Deutsche Bank AG on the cowboy market in August, Jeggings accounted for 46% of all the styles of American jeans, which were far more than other jeans styles.

After the appearance of the new jeans, retailers began to feel sorry for losing their lasting jeans. But if it can be converted into a more comfortable style, jeans will still be popular.

At the same time, textile enterprises are strived for lighter, more wearable, waterproof and more breathable, Perspirant and easy to clean in developing new materials. They also require soft touch and lower cost. Wool has more advantages, but the quality of high quality wool is very high. Cotton is very comfortable, but once it gets wet, the quality will drop.

While looking to the future and striving to have more advantages in sportswear competition, cowboy producers also pay attention to maintaining and developing the advantages they have in the past. The extreme sports brand Volcom, such as skateboards and surfing costumes, is opening a new production line for its sweaty jeans, while Levi's's "commuter" jeans allow buyers to cycle to work without having to change at work. The jeans are more flexible and waterproof and stain resistant.

The material of jeans is more intelligent. Jacquard is a project jointly developed by Levi's and Google. The conductive yarn is used as the material of jeans, which can make jeans react to human touch and other actions. This effect is like the screen of a smart phone. "Because these pants can help you plan your life, Levi's calls him a" copilot ". Curleigh said. In theory, if you ride on this special material jacket, you can change your songs at will, and use your sleeve to change direction easily. Now the interactive cowboy is undergoing the final test, and Levi's is going to launch its first product in 2017.

While jeans are adapting to consumer demand, customers are starting to make changes, at least for now. NPD said its sales of jeans in the United States increased in June this year, due to renewed attention to comfort and fitness.

By the end of June 12, 2016, driven by a 4% increase in sales of jeans, the sales volume of men and women in the United States increased by an average of 2% and sales were close to $13 billion.

In spite of optimism, the results achieved at this stage are gratifying, but the battle is far from over. Curleigh says. "In the 501 style jeans, the original innovation lies in a rivet. We can imagine: this patent has failed in 1898, so we need to maintain this cultural correlation in the next 120 years.

He believes that Levi's's greatest asset is to maintain the status of "cultural center" in history. As long as we keep up with the times and dare to change, the reliability of the brand will ensure that it can occupy a place in the wardrobe of customers. "For female customers, our concern is also our advantage in providing them with a pair of jeans that are made of new material with great visual sense. Our products will be used more than yoga pants. This versatile nature, coupled with the reliability of our brand, means that we have an advantage in the global women's jeans market. " He went on.

Even though jeans and sportswear have been competing for a long time, they have been influencing the dressing style of the United States for a century, and they are also under the pressure of changing their jobs.