Pants on Fire: Cargos, Chinos and Trousers Enjoy the Spotlight
Consumers still love their jeans, but they are also seeking dressier bottom options. Interest in non-denim pants is rising as many consumers return to their pre-pandemic routines of going to a workplace and attending social functions.
According to the New York-based data analytics firm Trendalytics, variations of cargo pants have been a top search item over the past six months. Searches for “parachute cargo pants” rose 6,533 percent over the past six months, while “wide leg cargo pants” were up 138 percent. Searches for “women’s linen pants” rose 70 percent over the same comparable period. Other items that saw increases on the search front were “baggy trousers,” ahead 59 percent, and “wide leg joggers,” growing 52 percent.
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Seasonal changes also impacted consumer searches, with many non-denim items performing better in the early fall from August through October. Denim searches typically pick up in late fall and winter from November through January.
“Although we specialize in denim, our customers always love our non-denim options. Since 2021, we have seen a significant rise in our faux leather pants, and we expect this trend will continue through 2023,” said Estelle Dahan, NYDJ vice president of design.
Dahan said that as spring approaches, NYDJ will see a rise in non-denim sales as “those months lend themselves to cooler fabrics with breathability.” During resort season, NYDJ’s stretch linen offerings are a top seller, available in Bermuda shorts and cropped and ankle pants. “Twill also grows in popularity during the spring and summer because of its classic laidback style,” Dahan said, adding that the fabrication is offered in a variety of styles from Bermuda shorts to trousers.
Though denim continues to be a “strong driver” for J.Jill, the warmer season allows for more options. Elliot Staples, J.Jill’s creative director and senior vice president of design, product development, technical design and creative marketing, said there’s typically a “resurging preference for color” among customers during the warmer months, a period when the company flows more trousers into its assortments, particular in fabrics such as linen.
And in a post-covid world, he said customers—even those returning to the office—are seeking out J.Jill’s “comfort” offerings, sophisticated trousers that look “tailored and sharp” but featuring more fluid leg shapes, wider legs, pleating and softer fabrics.
“We’ve been flowing partial or full elastic waists in fabrics to meet customers’ dynamic needs,” Staples said.
In addition to comfort, performance fabrications have become a key factor in consumers’ purchases, whether in women’s or men’s. Chico’s brand director Suzi Reynolds said customers consistently choose its Brigette pant, which can be dressed up or down and features a 360-degree hidden slimming technology. The pant, available in various lengths, also includes a pull-on waistband to provide all-day comfort.
Over at Chico’s sister brand White House|Black Market (WHBM), seasonality plays a role in whether customers opt for full-length, ankle and cropped pant lengths. “This preference is across the board in all of our bottoms in both denim and tailored fabrications,” said Julianne Hobbs, WHBM brand director.
She said that while customers are buying denim and non-denim trousers, the brand has seen non-denim bottoms trend faster post-covid. “Trousers have been a staple at WHBM within our customers’ work wardrobe, with a trend into more stretch fabrications and utility details.”
High-rise bottoms are still trending, and Hobbs said there aren’t any major shifts now, although bootcut has become a staple.
Men are also shifting gears and adding more clothing options to their closets. At Tommy Bahama, denim represents nine percent of its men’s business, while “non-denim is growing at 48 percent,” according to Dawn Brandl, senior vice president of men’s design. Regardless of fabrication, bottoms are currently 25 to 27 percent of the overall men’s business. She said that in the last seven years, Tommy Bahama has added stretch, performance yarns and movement to its five-pocket denim business.
Customers love the “soft hand,” as well as being able to feel comfortable in what they are wearing, she said. The denim business is steady and has grown alongside its knits and woven counterpart in bottoms. “Usually, you don’t have such a strong bottoms business and you see growth in only one area, but [our customers love] what we are giving them,” Brandl said.
When she started, Tommy Bahama’s business was primarily camp shirts and silk pants. Options have expanded to include different wearing occasions. One option that performs well is the Boracay five-pocket jean, a soft and slightly stretchy cotton blend that includes Tencel lyocell. The Boracay is also offered in a flat-front chino in 13 colors. With the non-denim business showing growth, Tommy Bahama is getting ready to introduce a new men’s pant line in August called Harbor Point, a brushed knit pant.
Over at Kontoor Brands Inc., chairman and CEO Scott Baxter said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in February that its U.S. denim business grew 11 percent in 2022, while non-denim rose 13 percent and now represents 38 percent of its global mix. Both Kontoor’s Wrangler and Lee brands are well-positioned for 2023, according to Baxter. At Wrangler, diversified strategies that include tops and non-denim bottoms now account for over 40 percent of the brand’s business.
While there’s opportunity for Kontoor to expand in categories beyond denim, “We still focus a lot of our demand creation in our consumer platforms around our denim categories, and we will stay laser focused on that going forward,” Baxter said.
Among younger consumers, one fashion item that’s “new” to younger millennials and older Gen Z cohorts is the “pant” category. According to Fran Horowitz, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “They’ve never worn them before. And now they’re going back to the office and they’re going out socially,” she said.
A favorite dress-up option among Abercrombie’s women customers is the Sloane tailored pant, an ultra-high rise tailored wide-leg bottom with pleating and a partially elasticated waistband. One fabrication option is a polyester/viscose/elastane blend. Another is a 100 percent polyester crepe. The Sloane is also available in a linen/cotton combination.
Abercrombie’s younger sibling Hollister is seeing teens buying both high rise and low-rise options. While bottoms in cargo and utility options in different fabrications are newer additions to their closets, Horowitz said they still love their denim.
The shift from skinny fits to wider legs is ongoing but Horowitz added that consumers are looking now for cleaner denim looks. “Denim is still a very important category for us. It’s still a fashion category for us,” she said. “There are still some exciting things happening in denim.”
This story appears in Rivet’s spring issue. Click here to read more.
