Will Levi’s succeed in its comeback?

In the 80s, everyone had, or wanted, a pair of Levi’s jeans. Today, they are rarely the first choice. Besides, the market has for years been saturated with alternatives for comfort and casual trousers, sweeping denim jeans aside as the go-to category for staple bottoms. 

Despite this, Levi’s still has a storied history and a growing denim market that makes its position such an interesting one. According to Statistica, a US-based data platform, “The global denim jeans market was forecast to be worth around US$95 billion by 2030, up from US$64.5 billion in 2022.” 

It’s therefore no surprise that it partnered with Beyonce, who immortalised the brand in pop culture with the song, Levii’s Jeans, in its Reimagined with Beyonce campaign last year. It would appear the world needs reminding of the iconic place of Levi’s blue jeans in fashion history — as hardy work pants designed for labourers in 1873 during the California gold rush that eventually became a daily wardrobe essential.

Imbued into its legacy is Levi Strauss and Co.’s once-patented innovation — fastening copper rivets into the stress points of the thick cotton twill trousers — that made the fabric less exposed to wear and tear.

From necessity to statement

Fashion historian Emma McClendon writes in Denim, Fashion’s Frontier that “Denim is inextricably linked to the romance of the ‘Old West’, the legendary figure of the cowboy, and the ‘American Spirit’”. By the mid-20th century, the Levi’s jean, with its signature arcuate stitch across the pointed back pockets, became synonymous to youthful rebellion and cool through film and advertising. 

Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones (1954) popularised the Levi’s 501s in his role as a rebel without a cause. In The Misfits (1961), Marilyn Monroe wore a pair of Lady Levi’s to gallivant in the Wild West with a crew of cowboys. The cut was a long-rise and slim fitting that Monroe then cuffed at the bottom. The fresh tom-boy look was a foil to her usual glamour, encouraging women to do the same. 

Gen Xers should remember the high-waist carrot leg or “mom jeans” that the hit TV show Friends helped to popularise. In the 2000s, Steve Jobs introduced the latest iPhone wearing the Levi’s 501s alongside an Issey Miyake black turtleneck and New Balance sneakers, ushering in the period of normcore (a uniform that was then replicated by tech-bros and fashionable folk alike). For Gen Zs, the trend revival of the 90s in 2019 was so strong it brought Levi’s back to the stock market.

Throughout history, Levi’s told stories of authenticity, experimentation, and non-conformity — but they appear to be waning in resonance today. The modern fashion landscape is drastically different. Post-pandemic, comfort dethroned the ubiquity of rigid denim as the world got used to a work-from-home environment. This was compounded by the athleisure trend, fuelled by the Kardashians, which spawned successful brands like Lululemon, Alo, and Skims that conquered wardrobes with soft, stretchy leggings —- leaving denim, and Levi’s, increasingly sidelined.

Contemporary resonance

As one of the longest-standing brands in the industry, Levi’s heritage is a complicated one. Its American identity sometimes makes it cumbersome when talking about authenticity in a globalised world. In its latest Blue Tab collection, premium Japanese denim from the renowned Kaihara Denim Mill was the draw. Touted to be its “most elevated, sophisticated, and premium denim line yet”, the range features work-wear basics and introduces selvedge denim, a now-trending textile, into the collection. 

However, selvedge denim, which is known as a highly durable type of denim that has the characteristic of fading according to the wearer’s use, had originated in the US. It was abandoned when factories shifted away from producing the labour-intensive textile in favour of a different quality of denim in order to produce in bigger quantities at faster rates. 

This is where the general perception of selvedge denim’s Japanese origins began, due to the fact that Japanese mills bought up these discarded machines to produce for themselves the very same fabrics they once had to import from the US. Today, the machinery required to produce selvedge denim can only be found in Japan, giving the textile its rarity and desirability. Except for several high-end “Made in USA” collections in the past, even its regular premium-labelled offerings are now manufactured in Asia.

While Levi’s has continued to reinvigorate its brand equity through the decades, many of its components to success have shifted through the years. Once led by the perception of quality and durability, Levi’s has turned to celebrity star power to stay top of mind. In the Reimagined with Beyonce campaign, the pop star penned a love letter to Levi’s jeans referencing the garment’s cowboy roots. Also having donned bootcut Levi’s jeans were Timothee Chalamet in Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and Kendrick Lamar at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Another strategy Levi’s has employed are collaborations with trending hype brands. According to a Levi’s representative, this “played a key role in keeping Levi’s at the forefront of fashion and culture. Each collaboration partner allows the brand to reimagine Levi’s iconic silhouettes through a new lens and engage with a new audience”. 

Its series of link-ups in the past with niche brands such as Sacai, Stussy, JJJound, and ERL Clothing have garnered interest from a fashion-conscious crowd. Nonetheless, the jury is still out on how much new coolness it will bestow on the brand’s image since the fresh takes would originate from the collaborators.

Changing perceptions

The category of women’s denim, with faster turnover of trends, highlights how different the ballgame is for Levi’s compared to luxury denim. Fashion brands such as Diesel have introduced boundary-pushing techniques and experimental silhouettes to create buzz and lead trends. Younger brands like Khaite and Toteme have the ability to focus on specific consumer profiles. 

In this case, the desirability of the understated “quiet luxury” look could partly be attributed to these two brands, with this niche focus allowing them to create virality based on a few products, compared to Levi’s multi-pronged approach. 

That is not to say that Levi’s never had a cult fashion moment of its own in recent history. Levi’s Engineered, a now-discontinued line from 1999 that referenced baggy jeans in hip hop culture, has continued to fetch decent prices among denim aficionados and fashionable youths on the second-hand market. This is due, in part, to the influence of niche enthusiasts with a sizable following online digging through fashion history and reviving certain styles. 

Amsterdam-based vintage showroom, Nhogirl, popularised the baggy jean look specifically with Levi’s Engineered jeans. With twisted side seams and a darted yoke, the jean is oversized yet follows the natural curves of the body. On Nhogirl’s social media, this is usually accessorised with a YSL Mombasa, pointed heels and a slinky top for an air of nonchalance. Fashion enthusiasts, especially trend-setting Gen-Zs, scour resale platforms for rare vintage Levi’s with unusual details to set themselves apart. 

And while Levi’s indelible connection to US culture and its long history has kept the brand going for over 150 years, a few uncomfortable questions hang in the air: Today, how appealing is Americana core in the face of global socio-politics? And for how long is it sustainable when fashion conversations have long shifted to technology and sustainability?

What’s more, the denim market is now fragmented, niche, and fiercely competitive. More agile independent brands with a style niche of their own will continue to excite the market. Celebrity endorsements and streetwear partnerships aside, we’d like to see Levi’s engage meaningfully with its design and manufacturing processes, given its long-held claim to originality and innovation.

On top of chasing the youth dollar, perhaps it could also rethink ways to draw older, well-heeled consumers who most definitely had a pair in their earlier days. After all, if there is one brand forever associated with jeans, it is Levi’s.