The work-from-home era is a challenge for Levi's and jeans brands - Quartz

The work-from-home era is a challenge for Levi's and jeans brands - Quartz
Mary-Kate Olsen Wore the Perfect Skinny Jeans and Boots - Who What Wear
SecondHand News: Levi's Buying Back Its Old Jeans 10/07/2020 - MediaPost Communications

Posted: 09 Oct 2020 07:58 AM PDT

It's hard out there for a denim company.

Before Covid-19 struck in the US, jeans were on the rebound after years of activewear stealing away sales. The pandemic put a halt to that. Not only has it hammered overall sales of clothes in the US, but with countless offices closed and many workers doing their jobs from home, shoppers have given priority back to comfortable, stretchy products. It's been tough on formal clothes, such as suits, and for jeans, which despite being a casual staple aren't known as the comfiest option to sit in for long periods.

Data from Panjiva, a division of market research firm S&P Global that tracks shipping data, found seaborne imports of denim items—including jeans, jackets, and other products—into the US took a deep plunge in the second quarter compared to last year. While they have since bounced back somewhat, they remain down. Imports of formal clothing, including suits, shirts, and blouses, are sluggish too, while athleisure imports—think items such as sweatpants and yoga pants—have grown.

Denim makers have registered the effects. In April, denim company True Religion filed for bankruptcy. Lucky Brand and G-Star Raw followed in July. Even a category leader like Levi's isn't immune.

This week the company reported a 27% drop in total sales in the three months through Aug. 23 compared to last year. That included a 29% decline in the Americas, its largest market. And those results were better than Wall Street analysts expected after the prior quarter, when Levi's reported a 62% fall in its total sales.

The company's efforts in recent years to build out its direct-to-consumer sales, especially online, and to appeal to more women have helped shore up its business. Levi's is also working to adjust to the current environment. "As people seek out more casual comfort, we're defining and leading trends with the launch of new, looser, more relaxed silhouettes across bottoms and tops," CEO Chip Bergh told investors and analysts on a call this week.

Jeans, which started out as the workwear of choice for miners and cowboys because of their toughness, may still face an uphill battle, however, to become the preferred workwear of the work-from-home era.

Mary-Kate Olsen Wore the Perfect Skinny Jeans and Boots - Who What Wear

Posted: 08 Oct 2020 04:01 PM PDT

While celebrities like Rihanna and Bella Hadid change up their style on a near-daily basis, others are a bit more predictable sartorially speaking. They're the ones who have a signature style that's incredibly consistent and recognizable. At the top of this list is Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

What can you count on from them fashion-wise? Baggy shapes, muted colors, and pared-down styles have been Olsen hallmarks for years, and we certainly can't fault them for having a go-to uniform. If it's too body-skimming, overly embellished, or flashy in any way, they probably won't be wearing it. Which brings me to the most recent photo of Mary-Kate Olsen in New York City. Oversized maxi coat? Slouchy beanie? Basic black boots? Check, check, and check. Scroll down to see how she styles jeans with boots in October.

SecondHand News: Levi's Buying Back Its Old Jeans 10/07/2020 - MediaPost Communications

Posted: 07 Oct 2020 04:04 AM PDT

Levi's spokesperson Hailey Bieber

Denim is a dirty business, and in its latest effort to clean up the blue-jeans world, Levi's is launching a global buy-back program. Called Levi's SecondHand, it aims to create a circular marketplace for its biggest fans.

Many retailers sell used clothing, making the secondhand market the fastest-growing sector in apparel. A study from Raymond James, published early this year, finds that 18% of U.S. shoppers -- and 21% of women -- are buying used clothes, up from 15% last year.

But Levi's says this is the first secondhand program of its kind from a global denim brand. Consumers can drop worn jeans and jackets off at Levi's stores, getting a gift card for a later purchase. The San Francisco-based company says it is offering between $15 and $25 for denim that can be resold, and up to $35 for vintage. If the denim is too worn for resale, customers still get a $5 credit.

Clothes sold in the SecondHand marketplace are priced between $30 and $100.

Levi's, which has made sustainability a key corporate issue, says that buying a used pair of jeans saves about 80% of carbon dioxide emissions and 700 grams of waste compared to buying them new.

The apparel business remains one of the worst polluters, producing about 5% of greenhouse gasses. Clothing production has doubled in the last 15 years, the company says, with people wearing clothing for shorter periods. And while many brands and consumers have tried to do better, less than 1% of the world's textile waste is recycled into new clothes.

"Our belief is that you should love what you wear and live with it longer," says Jennifer Sey, the company's CMO, in the announcement. "Make sure you really love the things you buy. And what could be better than a perfectly worn-in pair of Levi's jeans?"

Marketing efforts for SecondHand include a campaign featuring Levi's spokesperson Hailey Bieber.

Separately, Levi Strauss reported that its revenues dropped 27% in the third quarter, falling to $1.1 billion as COVID-19 closed many of its stores. A 52% jump in its ecommerce sales partially offset the decline. The quarter's net income came in at $27 million, compared to $124 million in the comparable period a year ago.

In announcing the results, Chip Bergh, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., says it continues to focus on "elevating our already iconic brand, investing in digitization, and accelerating our efforts to diversify across geographies, product categories and distribution channels, including doubling down on our fast-growing direct-to-consumer business."

He says those investments are already yielding results: "Our total digital business has doubled as a share of total net revenues, and Levi's remains the global leader in denim, where our women's business continues to take market share."