Women denim jeans 2021: what's the trend?

If there is one type of clothing everyone has in their wardrobe, it’s a pair of jeans. Since its inception in 1873 by Levi Strauss, the fabric has been used for more than just denim pants. Whether one has many pairs or only one, everyone knows denim will never go out of style. However, some cuts or fits might. Let’s discover with Retviews what types of denim are trendy in 2021.

Product lines continuously increasing

Though Covid 19 might have disrupted the entire world and heavily impacted the fashion industry, jeans seemed to be a resilient category. When looking at the volume of women’s denim jeans, the number of products increased by 14% for the market (which includes analysis of top brands in France, Italy, and Germany).

Among the top mass market brands, leaders H&M and Zara have increased their volume substantially, while Uniqlo and Mango went the opposite way.

What leg shape is hot right now?

Despite the fight between millenials and Gen-Z on social media over skinny jeans, fashion retailers still focus mainly on skinny jeans. Mango stands out from its competitors with a higher share of straight-leg styles (including wide straight cuts), gaining popularity with the resurgence of the ’90-’00s style trends.

Looser leg shapes, such as baggy and “family” shapes — think Mom jeans, boyfriend cuts, and Dad jeans — together make up the second top category.

Will we see straight- and loose-leg shapes overtake skinny jeans? Maybe. But one thing is sure — skinny jeans are never going to disappear.

What’s the best fit?

Regarding denim fits, slim and skinny are still the biggest category among top mass market brands. Uniqlo, however, stands out with a clear focus on stretch types of fits for its denim jeans.

However, loose fit is getting closer and closer to the slim-fit share. Is it an attempt from fashion brands to appeal more and more to the younger generations?

High waists are still in

Runways and fashion magazines are predicting the comeback of low-rise denim jeans. However, today’s snapshot of the collection shows that high-waist jeans dominate the market.

Low-rise styles are still relatively minor in terms of assortment, and that is probably the best strategy. Through Retviews data, we can determine what consumers are looking for and find out if low-rise denim jeans are making a comeback.

Skinny jeans with high waists are still winners

Despite predictions in 2020 that loose, wide, and low-rise denim jeans will be the big trends, fashion retailers have shown that they are still cautious about shifting their entire assortment toward those styles.

On a side note, loose types of legs and fits are gaining in popularity, which we can see in the product lines. Only low rise is still not quite part of the trend — but who knows?

One thing is sure: Skinny high-waisted jeans are not going anywhere.