The short answer is ‘no’. According to Euromonitor, denim shows absolutely no sign of slowing down in terms of popularity. Huge rises in sales and online searches show it’s still on top of the world.
So what are the trends that we can expect from denim in the next year?
Coats takes a look at everything from colourful designs to sustainable materials – and gives you the lowdown on what we’re doing to meet the changing needs of designers, buyers, production managers and more…
Trend #1: Comfort is king
Was it the extra pounds we all put on during the endless lockdowns? A Gen Z rebellion against the tyranny of skinny jeans? Or did we simply spend a lot more time in casual clothes while working from home?
No-one can say for certain, but what we do know is that, according to Trendalytics online searches for looser fits have more than doubled since 2019, and continue to grow. On average, 640,000 people are searching for baggy styles, up 74% since last year, with a heavy emphasis on mom jeans.
As customer demand rises, brands have responded with the “One-size-fits-many jeans” concept, which are jeans which fit multiple sizes. For example, Silver Jeans Co. unveiled its Infinite Fit jean, made with fabric that has 90% elasticity, allowing for one size to fit up to four waist sizes. Even Levi’s have recognised the “casualisation” of denim and promoted more relaxed/comfortable fits.
We say: At Coats, when trends change, we’re adaptable.
Our Coats Eloflex stretch sewing thread offers high performance and high extension. It’s suitable for stretch rinse wash applications on denim, too.
For heavier bleach and stones washes, Coats Nylbond with superior abrasion resistance provides the enhanced stretch required.
Trend #2: The mainstream’s gone green
Did anyone seriously think that eco-awareness was just a flash in the pan? Research has shown that Gen Z and the Millennials who came before them aren’t just shunning unsustainable brands; they’re actually willing to pay an ‘eco premium’.
But in the midst of what many are calling a climate crisis, going eco isn’t just good business sense – it’s vital for the survival of the planet.
Jeans have a terrible reputation for using up vast quantities of water in their production (6,800 litres of this precious resource per pair) so anything that can reduce denim’s environmental impact is welcome.
The Jeans Redesign; a project launched in 2019 by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation acts as a framework for companies across the industry to start designing with circular economy principles, and to work collaboratively and learn from each other. Coats is now collaborating on The Jeans Redesign as an innovation expert on threads that enable recyclability. It’s a step in the right direction, and one that lots of manufacturers are taking.
We say: Coats’s sustainability initiatives are so vast and wide ranging, that they deserve their own article (you can read about them here). But when it comes to threads that help make your denim greener, here are four below:
EcoCycle for end-of-life recycling (suitable for light wash denim)
We know denim is in great demand with vintage resellers. But when the time comes to say goodbye, this ground-breaking water-dissolvable thread concept helps make recycling easier. When washed at 95°C or above, it allows the seam to dissolve so that components can be easily separated for recycling. We’re currently trialling EcoCycle with key partners – if you’d like to join our journey to circularity, get in touch.
EcoRegen for light wash and laser fading in denim
This range of 100% lyocell threads is made from sustainably sourced wood pulp. It’s recyclable, biodegradable and compostable due to its cellulosic origin. And, as well as lowering your carbon footprint, it offers comfort and durability to boot (cut).
EcoVerde 100% recycled threads
The original recycled polyester thread offers the same durability and quality as virgin materials for denim and includes Dual Duty EcoVerde, Epic EcoVerde and Gral EcoVerde.
Tre Cerchi Vero and Vero+
These 100% cotton thread are made from premium quality, sustainable raw materials and add beautiful, lustrous seams to a wide range of products.
Trend #3: We’re banishing the blues
As consumers move on from the pandemic, they’re looking to inject a bit more colour into their wardrobes. That’s according to Grazia. Pinterest seems more downbeat, suggesting black is back in the shape of goth (but they also note that hellenic and colourful fashion could be key trends for 2022).
But remember Trend #2 – sustainability. Brands will need to balance colour demand with an eye on sustainable dyeing techniques like dope dyeing.
We say: Coats is here to help put the colour back into denim with a range of multicolour threads.
Coats Epic Multicolour is injection-dyed with up to 6 different colours to give an attractive, varied multicolour effect especially on darker fabrics and washed-out denim.
Meanwhile, we offer hundreds of different colours for our standard thread range to match to coloured denim collections, which you can download here.
What’s more, we also offer Coats Colour Express, a revolutionary web-based service that provides you with the world’s fastest, most accurate thread sampling service for industrial sewing thread.
Trend #4: The metaverse? Not quite yetaverse…
During the pandemic, doing business online became the norm. So digital tools to aid sourcing decisions needed to start working seriously hard.
And the feeling is, while we may be heading back to our offices, that’s not going to stop anytime soon. According to FashionUnited.com, “many buyers prefer to switch between offline and online engagements depending on practicality and timing” to make sourcing decisions.
So while we won’t be doing business via avatars in the metaverse, we will still need digital tools that provide customers with an authentic/real life experience, and allow them to get as close as possible to the denim material without physically having it in their hand.
We say: Tapping into this trend for digitaliation, we teamed up with leading denim designer Mohsin Sajid (Endrime), Jeanologia, Orta Fabric and Jawaid Bros to create the Denim Visualiser.
Featuring 20 stitched real life denim samples in a range of base colours and washes, the tool helps denim designers source the right threads and colours at the touch of a button, at their own convenience.
Customers can actually zoom in and see the threads and colours Coats have highlighted before finally downloading their selection. Why not take it for a spin today and start creating your next award winning collection?
So there you have it. Four top denim trends for 2022, with many more bound to pop up over the year. At Coats we’ll be ready – in fact, we’re already working on a few surprises of our own. Get in touch to find out more.
