According to Mastercard, denim’s rising popularity has fuelled an 8 percent increase in apparel sales this holiday season — the biggest jump since 2010. Some of the hottest athleisure brands, including Lululemon Athletica and Gap’s Athleta brand, are diversifying into the denim business, as athleisure seems to be losing market to jeanswear.
Lululemon has added more five-pocket jeans to its offerings for men, including the $128 ABC and Commission pants, which are made from stretchy material but shown with leather dress shoes.
Athleta is offering more dresses that can be worn to work, including the $108 Wilder long-sleeve or the $89 Santorini high-neck dress.
American Eagle recently witnessed a record-setting season for its jeans business. It was the best quarter for denim sales in the history of the 41-year-old company with the trend continuing into the fourth quarter.
According to the data by NPD, the sale of sneakers, sporty and fashion-focused alike, increased by 12 percent year to date through November, to $9.4 billion, but that was a third less than their growth rate over the same period last year.
Meanwhile, sales of fashion boots increased by 9 percent from September to November this year compared with a 7 percent decline over the same period last year, according to NPD. Customers also are buying shorter sweaters to pair with their jeans and boots instead of the longer tops that typically go with leggings.
