Pure Jeanius. Denim’s Revival is Daring and Different

Kendall Jenner may be responsible for the revival of denim in this decade. Whether it was from her infamous “You’re Cute Jeans” comment on Hulu’s The Kardashians, or her iconic “My Calvins” campaign with Calvin Klein, she qualifies as an influencer in the denim revival. If you follow TikTok trends or if you are a fan of The Kardashians, you probably know the reference to when Kendall Jenner compliments Kris Jenner saying “You’re cute jeans.” Kris didn’t quite understand, and then her confusion was followed up with Kendall putting an aggressive emphasis on her words saying, “No. You are cute jeans.”

            This comment was a pivotal moment in pop culture and fashion history. Everyone has different cute “genes” represented by their cute “jeans.” After the pandemic, there is a resurgence of individual style shone through unique pieces. There is a resurgence of the denim trend which has happened in previous decades, but this time it is a little different.

            When denim first came on the scene, it was meant for the exact opposite of being a fashion statement. In 1873, Levis Strauss, inventor of the first denim jeans, was not too concerned with fashion, but rather with creating a reliable and durable work pant. During this time, only men, mainly miners during the Gold Rush, would wear jeans as their uniform. Unlike the trends we are accustomed to today, denim was meant for the working class and never worn by the upper class.

Today, this has entirely shifted and now you can buy a pair of jeans for $1,000 jeans from brands like Dior, Celine, Ralph Lauren, and Chloé, if you so choose. However, jeans that range from $100 to $400 are the most popular today, which is still astronomically more expensive than anyone would have paid when jeans first appeared on the market. Although, interestingly, a pair of denim work pants were recovered in 2022 from a shipwreck that occurred in 1857, and the pants were sold for $144,000. This may seem absurd, but to buy a pair of vintage jeans that survived a shipwreck, from the Gold Rush era, for only 114-times more than some jeans can be bought, may actually be a pretty good deal — especially, with vintage denim coming back into style.

            2024’s denim revival is all about creativity and uniqueness. With the revival of baggy jeans, the possibilities are endless. Adding a chain that runs from a belt loop to a pocket creates a cool biker chick vibe. Embellishing a pair of wide-leg jeans with studs gives an Elvis and Abba collab vibe. And, an unfinished hem makes a baggy pair of pants extra edgy.

            Denim is a styling tool that helps to curate looks based on individual style. It can be shaped, ripped, and embellished in any way necessary to create individual looks.. 2024 is a new era of excess and people are eager to find themselves, and represent their personality through their individual style. Denim is the perfect tool and tailoring it makes the sky the limit.

Jaime Miller, store manager of the GAP Jeans store on Preston Rd in Dallas, Texas, has noticed a significant shift in the sales of denim in the past two years.

“It used to be all about tight jeans that made your butt look good, but now everyone, our customers, even the girls who work here are wearing bigger, wide leg pants. That is most of what we sell,” Miller said.

Store manager of Vineyard Vines in Northpark mall, Jason Calandres, has expired the same trend with a different outcome.

“It’s weird,” Calandres said. “We used to always get the Highland Park moms who would buy our slacks and track pants for their sons. And they still do, but the sons will walk in wearing almost-like concert clothes. They look like they just left a Bon Jovi concert with oversized t-shirts and all these baggy pants.”

Denim’s revival has affected the fashion industry greatly, helping some clothing companies and hurting others. The most important aspect of the denim revival to think about is sustainability. Denim can be incredibly destructive to the environment in the way it is made, circulated, sold, and thrown away. One way to help mitigate the damage to the environment is to buy jeans from brands such as Reformation that focus on sustainability.

Avid Reformation shopper, Carly Hart, shared her opinion.

“The Black Friday deals at Reformation have been so good this year,” Hart said. “I always get my favorite denim pieces from there. I’m always looking forward to the drops, especially this year. The great thing about them is they reuse fabric to make more clothes.”

Shopping from sustainable brands such as Reformation, is impactful, important, and on trend. It’s pure “jeanius.”