Reflecting on the denim trendsseen during Spring/Summer 2025 men’s fashion week, Lauren Williams, Trend Forecaster, Cotton Incorporated, notes, denims are gettingmore ornate and detailed with feminine touches like ruffle trim, jewel hardware on lightweight twill sets, and pleats being added to them.
For past several seasons, Cotton Incorporated has been tracking metallic denim, achieved through innovative finishing and construction techniques. According to Williams, this look is evolving into a more futuristic aesthetic for 2025-2026. Denim with an indigo warp and black or gold Lurex yarn in the weft adds a subtle shimmer. Metallic blue foil on a black base offers a cool, modern look, while gold foil gives a cotton denim garment an antique finish. Christie Rhodes, Manager - Women’s Product, Cotton Incorporated, also projects a textured honeycomb fabric with a natural warp and weft, accented with pink foil on the raised areas.
Coatings are making a comeback, particularly those that give jeans a laminated effect. Clear polyurethane coatings are creating a high-shine finish with other techniques offering a fresh take on vintage styles. A fabric that features a white coating, hand-sanded at the garment stage to reveal a bright blue indigo hue underneath is being preferred by designers, adds Williams.
The influence of artificial intelligence is also evident in denim trends, with glitched and glowing effects making their mark. Denim garments with prints and finishes inspired by this technology, ranging from pixelated digital prints to washed and overdyed pieces are in the vogue, Williams pointed out.Ozone technology is being used to create a ‘blotchy, splotchy’ effect on fabric surfaces, adds Rhodes.
Traditional check patterns are being reimagined in unexpected ways.For instance, an inlay plaid fabric is being infused with a denim-inspired colorwaywhile a black jean is being lasered with a windowpane check pattern, overdyed in brown. Laser etching is also creating checkered textures or ombre checkered patterns, affirms Williams
Denim is being mixed with traditional suiting fabrics, leading to a wide range of silhouettes that vary from sophisticated to edgy, explainsRhodes. A blue yarn dye in the warp gives a mixed dobby herringbone fabric an indigo effect with a suiting look and feel. Additionally, yarn-dyed fancy twill with an exaggerated surface is being brushed to mimic the look and feel of corduroy, he adds.
Post-pandemic, designers shifting towards a quieter palette with unique constructions and washes giving denim a muted, powdery, and chalky appearance, notes Williams. This look can be achieved through special washes and yarn choices. Extreme washes on jeans with sulfur black yarn in the warp and indigo weft are being used to create a sun-bleached effect. Fabrics with recycled denim content are allowing brands to reduce garment processing steps, adds Rhodes.
According to Williams, colors are increasingly being drawn from nature, with shades like rusty red, orange, and brown gaining popularity. Designers are also blurring the lines of traditional denim with prints and finishing effects that create an illusion—making it hard to tell if garments are made of denim, leather, or suede.
A standout product from Cotton Incorporated is a fabric that conceals the twill line of a 100 percent cotton jean through needle punching on the back, making it difficult to determine whether the fabric is knit or woven. Trompe-l’œil prints of denim on non-denim materials are further enhancing the surreal aesthetic in both men's and women’s fashion.
