The first few turbulent weeks of 2026 has people reminiscing fondly about 2016, a year that has been designated online as one of the last happier, carefree and uncomplicated years in recent memory.
Tik Tok reports that searches for “2016” have increased 452 percent and throwback photos from the year are populating Instagram.
Pop culture and fashion contributed to the year’s positive reputation. Beyoncé surprised the world with “Lemonade,” Hamilton was dominating Broadway and ’80s nostalgia was running high with the release of reboots like Full House and Ghostbusters and the debut of Stranger Things. While the world lost music and fashion icons David Bowie and Prince, the year gave rise to Vetements’ ironic T-shirts, Alessandro Michele’s eclectic Gucci aesthetic and Virgil Abloh pushing the boundaries of luxury streetwear.
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Here, SJ Denim looks back at 2016 through a denim lens.
Denim brands were experimenting with fresh ideas and celebrity endorsements, while sustainability began to make headlines and shape corporate strategy.
A leader in open-source data, Levi Strauss & Co. shared its 21 water saving techniques to the public. The steps were to reduce the water used in garment finishing by up to 96 percent through a range of applications like ozone and wash cycle combinations.
Levi’s also dabbled in wearable technology with Project Jacquard with Google. The result was a commuter jacket with a “smart tag” that could connect to the wearer’s smartphone to access apps and perform other functions like GPS.
True Religion addressed the industry’s water consumption issue with (D)Hydrate Denim, a collection of men’s and women’s jeans made with wash technology that requires less water.
Gap joined the Better Cotton Initiative to improve cotton sourcing for its products, reduce environmental impact and provide aid to individuals involved in its global supply chain.
Calvin Klein betted on the star power of Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Kendrick Lamar, FKA Twigs and more for a Spring 2016 campaign aimed squarely at millennials. Lamar would go on and ignite a flare jean trend following his 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
Guess introduced JeanCare, a line of denim with moisturizing properties. The fabrics were made with Slimtex technology, which enriched the fabric with nutrients like ginkgo extract and vitamin E that soothe, hydrate and nourish the skin.
Mavi launched Feather, an ultra-light denim collection, as part of its 25th anniversary. The brand also tapped Lucky Blue Smith as the face of its spring campaign.
Stone Island was also in the pursuit for light denim. The brand weaved a polypropylene yarn into an indigo dyed cotton warp to make 10 oz. denim fabrics that had the look of 19 oz. denim.
7 For All Mankind touted a collection of “foolproof” denim for men. The jeans were said to not shrink or stretch regardless of daily wash and wear. At the time, the brand was owned by VF Corporation, the then-owners of Wrangler and Lee. In June 2016, VF sold 7 For All Mankind as part of a $120 million sale of its contemporary brand portfolio to Delta Galil Industries.
Stretch denim was a focus for American Eagle, which included new low- and high-rise fits for women’s jeggings in its fall Denim X collection. Flex fits—in slim taper, slim boot and slim crop—were part of the men’s line as well as new selvedge jeans.
Other brands emerged as early adopters of broader shifts in the denim market. Mother and Levi’s introduced gender-neutral collections, reflecting a growing move toward gender-inclusive fashion. Tommy Hilfiger pivoted to a “see now, buy now” runway model, responding to consumers’ increasing desire to purchase styles instantly—often straight from Instagram. Meanwhile, Khloé Kardashian and Emma Grede launched Good American, bringing size-inclusive denim to the mainstream.
Collaborations within the supply chain were laying the groundwork for more sustainable jeans. Archroma, Garmon, Lenzing and Royo collaborated on a project to produce denim garments based on the most efficient possible use of resources.
Four-way stretch become a ticket for denim to enter the activewear scene. Calik Denim bowed Curve, a technology that blocked bagging in the weft while creating a push-up effect for the bottom without sacrificing comfort. The innovation eliminated unflattering creases along the back and puckering along the inseam.
Long before it pioneered Coreva, Candiani Denim introduced a trio of elastic constructions called Warper, Sling 360º and Shaper-X. The fabric concepts addressed shrinkage in stretch denim and offered a greater freedom of movement compared to what was available in the market during this time.
Cone Denim was deep in a heritage cycle. The mill expanded its Natural Indigo Collection featuring indigo produced in Tennessee by Stony Creek Colors and rebooted the Pinto Wash, a streaky, bleached denim inspired by a mishap at its warehouse in the 1970s. Cone also launched White Oak Shop, an online shop for small quantities of selvedge denim.
Retro and Americana-inspired colors trended. Prosperity Denim introduced Sweet Indigo, a purple retro tone derived from sugar. ADM’s bright Parliament Blue tied back to the ’70s.
Denim mills were also beginning to experiment with unconventional ingredients. US Denim tested out spider silk in denim—a combination that’s still being explored by mills. The mill’s X-Stream Gossamer fabric included two percent spider web, resulting in a soft hand feel and other benefits that spiders naturally build into their webs, including antiseptic, antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
