Denim Remains Popular

On average, consumers own 11 denim apparel items, including 5 pairs of denim jeans. Since 1999, ownership of denim apparel increased in half of the countries surveyed and declined in the other half. Other than jeans, denim apparel items owned include shirts, shorts, jackets, dresses, and skirts. After jeans, the most popular denim item is a jacket; most consumers own at least one. Denim shirts are most popular in Japan, Germany, Brazil, and the United States, where consumers own 2 on average, while ownership of denim shorts exceeds 3 per person in Brazil and the United States and 2 per person in Japan, Germany, and Colombia. Female respondents in Japan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, India, Colombia, and Brazil indicated owning at least 2 denim dresses or skirts on average. 

North Americans, Latin Americans, and Germans own the most pairs of denim jeans. According to the Lifestyle Monitor survey conducted among U.S. consumers, the average number of denim jeans owned has increased 7% since 1994 and has grown fastest among consumers 25 to 34 and 56 to 70.

Approximately half of consumers know that denim is made of cotton. Even in India, where ownership is lower than in any other country surveyed, 55% are aware of the origin of denim. But owning denim apparel does not mean that consumers are aware of its fiber content. In Latin America, where denim ownership is relatively high, over 40% of consumers do not know what denim is made of. The country where consumers have the least knowledge of denim’s fiber content is Taiwan, where 70% reported not knowing, consistent with findings from 1999. 

Excluding India, where 68% of consumers say denim is not for them, at least 50% of consumers globally either enjoy or love wearing denim. While over 70% are satisfied with the current styles in jeanswear, 74% agreed with the statement “I prefer jeanswear that is lighter in weight.” However, only 41% agreed with the statement “I think current jeanswear offerings are too heavy,” leading to the conclusion that, overall, consumers are satisfied with the current assortment of denim apparel.

Fiber Content Is Important to Consumers

Before purchasing a garment, consumers consider several factors, such as price, color, quality, and fiber, and 75% of consumers in the survey cited fiber content as one of their top concerns. When given a choice between knowing the fiber content or brand name of a garment, 67% chose fiber content, and 65% said they would pay more for items made from natural fibers (up from 61% in 1999). The consumers most likely to pay more for natural fibers reside in Taiwan (87%), Italy (80%), India (78%), and Hong Kong (72%).

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Globally, the percentage of consumers who usually or always check fiber content labels on garments remains 50%. Over 60% of consumers in Japan, Germany, and Italy always or usually check labels, and over 50% in the United States, Taiwan, and Korea do so. Consumers in Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong are least likely to check content labels.

Similarly, more than half of consumers avoid particular fibers when buying clothes. Based on the frequency with which they check fiber content labels, it is not surprising that Germans (66%) and Italians (63%) are likely to avoid certain fibers. But even though only 33% of Hong Kongers frequently check content labels, a surprising 70% say they avoid particular fibers. In all countries other than Brazil, Colombia, Korea, and Hong Kong, avoidance of particular fibers increased from 1999 to 2001. The fibers most often avoided were polyester/Dacron and nylon. Polyester was most likely to be avoided by Indians (46%), Europeans (31%), and North Americans (32%), while nylon was avoided primarily by Indians (57%) and Asians (31%). 

These results indicate that consumers are both responding to and influencing changes in the global landscape of apparel retailing. Globalization, casualization, and “fiberization” all are important trends for retailers and manufacturers to consider when targeting new markets.