Womenswear Articles       5/18/2009

WOMENSWEAR

MENSWEAR

HOME FASHION

ECO-FASHION

ALL ARTICLES

AllWomenMenHome  Eco-fashion Print This Page Despite the tough economy, consumers can likely afford to be charitable with their denim; according to Monitor data, the typical consumer owns seven pairs of denim jeans.

TRUE BLUE – AND GREEN, TOO

It is unsurprising that Americans have had a longstanding love affair with denim, thanks to its practicality, fashion-forwardness, and comfort – but these days, they can chalk up yet another reason to love the wardrobe staple: it is also sustainable.

“Denim is cotton and cotton is natural and recyclable,” says Marissa Barlin, Director of Consumer Marketing - Strategic Alliances at Cotton Incorporated. She points to one important vehicle for delivering that message: the Cotton. From Blue to Green.® program. In the past three years, the Cotton. From Blue to Green.® denim drive traveled to 37 colleges throughout the nation and worked with retail partners and corporations to collect more than 89,000 pieces of denim.

The donated denim is converted to UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation and has aided in the building of more than 100 Habitat for Humanity houses throughout the Gulf Coast region. The 2008 collections will create more than 75,000 square feet of UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation. The denim drive is also a means to increase college students and consumers’ awareness about cotton’s natural sustainability.

“The program is a driving force in speaking with consumers and reminding them that denim is cotton,” Barlin adds. Though most consumers are aware of this, some could use a reminder; according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ survey, 65% of consumers correctly identified cotton as the fiber from which denim is made, compared to the 27% of consumers who said that they did not know.

One out of two consumers demonstrates an altruistic side when considering his or her old denim. When asked by the Monitor survey what they do with a pair of denim jeans that they no longer plan to wear, 51% of respondents say that they donate them to charity.

“People are really excited to donate their jeans and be part of such a great initiative,” Barlin continues, adding that even the youngest of students are getting involved.

In conjunction with its April 2009 Special Ocean Issue, which encouraged readers to protect the planet, National Geographic Kids magazine invited readers around the world to donate their old jeans to set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Collection of Clothes to Recycle; the call-to-action will also be featured in its May 2009 and June/July 2009 issues.

A robust microsite at kids.nationalgeographic.com provides weekly updates on the number of donated jeans, videos detailing the recycling process and information about the denim drive. All previously worn denim of any brand, size or color will be accepted through June 30, 2009. After a final official tally, National Geographic Kids will donate the jeans to the Cotton. From Blue to Green.® denim drive.

Despite the tough economy, consumers can likely afford to be charitable with their denim; according to Monitor data, the typical consumer owns seven pairs of denim jeans. The average male and female respondents say that the oldest pair of jeans that they still wear is approximately five years old. Women, however, appear to have a tougher time parting with their jeans. Female respondents report that the oldest pair of jeans that they own, but no longer wear, is just over seven years old, compared to an average of six years for male respondents.

Denim designers are doing their part to keep denim on the cutting edge with new washes, details and enhancements in fit. “For the new season of Spring 2010, we are going to focus more on our washes and come up with new vintage wash tones and add interesting details,” says Lauren Lee, a designer for the Miss Me line of denim. “We are also going to add more color to our jeans by using colored threads and adding some color to our artwork. We also had so much fun coming up with new embroidery methods that we have never done before and incorporating them to our current designs that have done so well for us. We want to take the risk of offering our customers a new variety of jeans and also attract new customers,” Lee adds.

“DL1961 is made with XFIT Lycra, a four way stretch, the XFIT nips and tucks to make you look slimmer with unparalleled fit that is universally flattering,” offers Will Redgate, Brand Manager for the premium denim collection. “There is no sag, bag or loss of shape even after repeated wear. They really act like a body slimmer built into your denim. It is totally new and totally unparalleled in the denim market.”

Given denim’s altruistic and all-American appeal, the Cotton. From Blue to Green.® program might also be called the “Doing Good While Looking Good” denim drive.

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