NEW YORK — Talk about a revolution. In the saturated world of denim, where designers tend to wax on about how they are “taking jeans to the next level” with various finishes, it’s often difficult to distinguish one pair of jeans from the next. And now that cleaner, more tailored looks are moving to the denim forefront, jeans are becoming more about the fiber and fit and less about the wash and embellishments.
Enter XFIT Lycra, a four-way stretch version of Lycra created especially for denim, which Invista officially introduced at its Denim Lounge during September’s Olympus Fashion Week. The fiber, which took nearly four years to develop, is being hailed by denim leaders as the biggest advancement to hit the market in a long time. It can be used alone or with Invista’s T400 yarn and offers “360-degree comfort,” according to Jean Hegedus, Invista’s ready-to-wear marketing manager. “Bi-stretch has been in the market for 15 years, but the problem has always been that the product was too stretchy and rubbery.” It is often difficult to incorporate a bi-stretch into the denim weaving process, she added, because there are challenges when using an indigo warp. “Jeans made with the fiber don’t feel like denim because there are none of the normal fit issues that plague denim: pinching, binding.”
At its fashion week lounge, Invista also launched denim looks from designers such as Derek Lam, Zac Posen and
Doo.Ri that used the XFIT Lycra fiber, but it’s the premium denim brands — Serfontaine, J Brand, Rock & Republic and Gold Sign, for instance — that are the strongest supporters of the technology.
“What this offers us is a way to get as close to a perfect fit as possible,” said Mik Serfontaine, president of seven-year-old Serfontaine, who has embraced the technology since its infancy. “Fit is something we are always on the quest for,” he said. “It’s why we offer so many different styles, and now, with XFIT, we’re closer than ever to offering our customers a great-fitting product that works on a number of shapes.” Serfontaine’s XFIT Lycra jeans, which include T400 yarn and will retail for nearly $200, hit specialty stores such as Fred Segal, Kitson and National Jeans later this month. Serfontaine also created a special program with Saks Fifth Avenue; the jeans will make their debut there in February.
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“Just like any other denim lover, I am always looking for the next big thing. This is it!” said Kaci Wilson, the denim buyer at Fred Segal Fun, the denim section of Fred Segal that carries more than 40 brands. “They’re so incredibly comfortable that you could probably do yoga in them — I never thought I’d say that about a jean.” Another advantage, she added, is that the XFIT Lycra fiber allows denim to keep its shape, something that was a problem with a regular stretch jean.
Jeff Rudes, cofounder of J Brand, describes the new fiber as “revolutionary. As denim manufacturers using stretch, our goal is to make stretch denim look rigid. The biggest problem has always been bagging with stretch. But because XFIT stretches both ways, there’s more recovery.” J Brand’s first pair of jeans with the fiber will bow at Barneys New York in December. The exclusive style, retailing for $250, is made of premium Japanese denim combined with the XFIT Lycra and T400 yarn. Other J Brand versions will hit stores, including Intermix and Ron Herman, at the end of January, retailing for $190.
Terence Bogan, vice president and divisional merchandise manager of women’s Co-op at Barneys, said he challenges his core resources, such as J Brand, to make exclusive product for the store. “We’ve had a huge problem with jeans that bag, so this product really stands out because it essentially solves that problem.” While the price of the jeans should not be a deterrent — Rag & Bone styles retail at the same $250 and a version by Azzedine Alaïa for Seven For All Mankind sells for $325 — it is still something that will be communicated to the customer. “Looking at the jeans, you wouldn’t know they have such special properties,” Bogan said, “So J Brand will be conducting training seminars for our denim bar specialists, so that they can accurately communicate the benefits to the consumer.”
Both Serfontaine and Rudes agree that, in the end, what will make customers buy the product is not only the comfort factor, but the fact that the fiber allows them to maintain the integrity of authentic denim without bagging. “This fiber is explosive,” said Rudes. “It is the future.”