Vintage Denim Trends - The Impact of ‘Heritage' on Denim Fashions

August 31 2020
Vintage Denim Trends - The Impact of ‘Heritage' on Denim Fashions
In a previous post on the Calik blog, we studied the concept of a fashion trend and highlighted some key denim looks from recent decades. From cowboys and cattle ranchers to hip hop MCs and New York City punks, denim has seen it all. Due to the universal nature and mass appeal of the fabric, denim has arguably seen more trends than most. And of course, it’s not only responding to trends, but it’s setting a fair few as well
Will VarnamAugust 31 2020

In a previous post on the Calik blog, we studied the concept of a fashion trend and highlighted some key denim looks from recent decades. From cowboys and cattle ranchers to hip hop MCs and New York City punks, denim has seen it all. Due to the universal nature and mass appeal of the fabric, denim has arguably seen more trends than most. And of course, it’s not only responding to trends, but it’s setting a fair few as well. Interestingly, a recent trend within the denim world harkens back to the early Twentieth Century and the humble beginnings of denim, recalling its original purpose and intended use - as workwear. Due to the strong and robust nature of denim, as well as the demands of a post-industrial revolution landscape, hard-wearing garments were needed for factory and mill workers, ranch hands, miners, and manual laborers. Setting the foundation for the modern western world, denim was tried and tested in the toughest way possible. Levis Strauss & Co. even acknowledged this through their famous ‘two horse’ logo on the back patch of their jeans - the horses pulling the jeans in opposite directions with a free pair offered to the customer if they rip. Over the decades that followed denim entered the mainstream and became accessible for all, regardless of age, gender, occupation, or race. With the advent of mass production and the rise of fast fashion, jeans became a staple for every wardrobe. But in the late ’00s, something changed. With the onset of a financial recession in 2008, many were forced to take stock of the things they own and how they spent their hard-earned cash. With disposable income taking a hit, the consumer had to be more pragmatic about purchasing, investing in items that would last and look good for more than just one season. Enter: denim. With a back catalog as good as Bruce Springsteen, denim was the first choice for the disconcerted buyer who was looking for more. With a focus on heritage-inspired silhouettes and styles due to their classic and timeless feel (meaning they’d last longer and wouldn’t go ‘out of fashion’), independent homegrown denim brands found their time to shine. With a focus on high-quality small batch production, brands like Railcar Fine Goods, Raleigh Denim, and Rogue Territory rose to prominence. As well as making jeans, these brands would also offer workwear-inspired garments like chore coats, chinstrap collar work shirts, and trucker jackets. Of course, selvedge denim was the new buzz word, and fading your ‘raws’ was the task at hand. Generally denoting slow made and higher quality, selvedge denim made on traditional shuttle looms was a key component to the heritage look. Raw denim (unwashed and un-sanforized) took on a life of its own, with a newly found platform called Instagram showing pictures of boots with cuffed jeans and that all important self-edge. Larger brands also paid dividends to this new trend, including the ‘Big Three’. Although it was established prior, Levi’s Vintage Clothing (LVC) - the arm of Levi’s dedicated to direct reproduction clothing from historical archive garments - came into its own and gained a new following under the direction of Miles Johnson, who introduced some of the brand’s most notable concepts to-date. Similarly, both Lee Wrangler played to their strengths and offered archive-inspired versions of classic garments. Another socio-cultural factor that contributed to the rise of heritage-inspired denim was a reinvigorated male consumer who took pride in his appearance and was no longer shy about liking clothes. One platform that was pivotal in this shift, was Tumblr. The visual microblogging site created in 2007 set the stage for a new movement known as #menswear (pronounced ‘hashtag menswear’), which cemented the view that it was cool for guys to care about clothes. Sites like Michael Williams’ ‘A Continuous Lean’ became a constant source of inspiration, especially when highlighting classic American Heritage brands like Danner, Filson, and Red Wing, as well as showcasing timeless garments which never fell out of favor. This movement was also inspired by, you guessed it; the Japanese. Having been early adopters of the ‘heritage’ trend (or even setting the trend some might argue), Japan had already created an entire social and commercial infrastructure around the concept. With brands like Full Count, Sugar Cane, and Warehouse leading the charge, the Japanese consumer was already well aware of the ‘buy less, buy better’ approach to purchasing, and just why workwear was cool. Amongst the back alleyways of Harajuku and the streets of Kojima, Japanese micro denim brands were fixated on replicating the perfect five pocket jean of the 1950’s, even down to the thread count. With the western consumer now obsessed with similar details, the influence of the Japanese market solidified the trend even further. Entering the 2010’s, the passion for heritage continued to grow at an unprecedented rate, with events like Pop Up Flea and Inspiration LA providing a space for the culture to thrive. The uniform of the day was selvage denim, a trucker jacket and Red Wing moc toes and the conversation centered around vintage clothing and shuttle looms. Continuing for a number of years - the traces of which are still very visible in the menswear and denim world today - the heritage denim trend was more than just a passing fad or momentary fixation. It raised awareness of the importance of educated purchasing, brand transparency and the notion of re-use / repair, while enabling many small independent businesses to thrive.

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