Jeans, Which Everyone Wears, Are About To Get More Expensive
If you’re anything like us, you probably wear a lot of denim. We could, would and have worn jeans every day of the week, to press previews, breakfasts and really fancy parties where everyone else’s trousers were made of some kind of wool. And if our jeans-loving practice sounds anything like the way you dress yourself, you should probably be concerned: The latest forecasts predict the costs of denim is going to rise.
WWD reports that as cotton prices have increased, denim makers have had to find creative ways to avoid pushing the cost of that increase onto customers. Cotton reached its peak price $2.44 a pound in early March, but as of last Friday it cost $1.57 a pound. It’s a big drop, but that price is still way above the historical average. Companies that bought cotton when its price was on the uptick have had to produce less expensive washes (this generally means darker, which is not good news for summer), outsource their labor to other countries, or even use cheaper zippers and buttons to defray the cost of jeans.
A lower-quality product for the same amount of money hardly seems like a good way to keep customers happy, but neither does hiking the price. Still, that’s what some companies have had to do. Levi’s, one of the world’s most famous denim makers, recently had to increase the price of its best-selling men’s jeans.
“We face an unpredictable cotton market and unpredictable consumer response to rising prices,” said John Anderson, chief executive officer of Levi Strauss, on the company’s April earnings call. “We took selective price increases on Levi’s spring 2011 men’s product. Those price increases are still working their way into the market, and the long-term impact to consumers’ shopping habits has not yet been determined.”
Even if the increase is gradual — say something like $2 to $5 per pair over the next few months — how would that impact your shopping habits? Would you keep on buying your favorite brands if they pass the cost onto you, or would you go find your denim somewhere else?
[WWD]
Most Popular Articles
Follow Us
Tips
Style Dish
Login
Style Sheets
Upload your own looks, shop your favorite brands, and see what other people are wearing!
RSS
