Thursday, November 24, 2005
Reengineering Levi’s Engineered Jeans
By Ayn Veronica L. de Jesus
When you are nearly 150 years old, how do you reinvent yourself?
That hurt sales for a company that had been making jeans since 1873 and played an enormous part in pioneering America. Jeans that had survived a second industrial revolution, two world wars and a few other minor battles, is the apparel of choice among baby boomers and the geeks of the modern technological age.
The first generation of Levi’s jeans were designed as overalls and used by laborers who needed protective, sturdy clothing to wear at work.
The company was established by the German Loeb Strauss (who later changed his name to Levi) was immigrated to the United States in 1847. In 1872 the tailor Jacob Davis of Reno, Nevada, wrote to Strauss on the idea of using copper rivets to make overalls sturdier. Davis did not have the finances to apply for the patent and asked Strauss to share the cost. The first riveted Levi’s pair of jeans—made of brown cotton duck and blue denim—was produced the following year.
After the Second World War, America began to wear jeans for leisure, and thus started the history of jeans pop culture.
Can Levi’s be cool again?
While jeans never go out of style, the brand itself has reflected market struggles through lackluster sales and the impression of merely riding the wave of newer, hipper brands, as well as the proliferation of frauds. Still, there’s no doubt that owning a pair of Levi’s jeans places the owner as part of a heritage and a culture all its own.
Today, Levi’s is the only jeans brand whose value appreciates the more it is worn. The older, the better, the more expensive.
The introduction of Engineered Jeans in 2000 was hailed as reinventing jeans for the new millennium and boosted sales. The brand introduced a new twist, which is exactly what it was: Twisted side seams to make the jeans more ergonomically fitting.
“You see, the straight seams made the jeans look flat,” explained Ronaldo Celestial, brand manager leader of Levi Strauss Philippines Inc. “But the twisted seams give the jeans a more rounded, cylindrical fit and made movement easier for the wearer.”
Of course, it didn’t hurt that the new marketing tack also attracted a much younger market and resuscitated Levi’s hipness.
Not just a new twist
Inspired by the success of the first launch, the Engineered Jeans collection was, “reengineered,” and complemented with a new wardrobe collection to boot. “The inspiration for this is movement, sport, music and dance,” Celestial said.
The foremost consideration remains functionality, and the second was the active lifestyle of today’s youth. These days, you can see sports apparel crossing over to casual wear, and that’s what Levi’s is banking on.
The twist isn’t all there, though. This time around, panels of black stretch fabric have been inserted into the jeans from the hips and knees for greater comfort, movement and individual fit. A textured Levi’s Engineered Jeans jacquard tape runs along the inside and outside of the waistband. Back pockets have been enlarged, dropped and skewed for easier access and the iconic Levi’s Arcuate—that double row of stitching on the back pockets—is painted on with black silicon ink. The “running leg” logo signature of the collection is imprinted on the shank button, belt loop rivets and front pocket zips.
For the younger set that previously declared that the jeans just weren’t cool or stylish enough, they should know that the Levi’s now comes in two fits. For guys—comfort and straight, with finishes ranging from pure-worn with an aged look; mercury-worn, aged but slightly darker; and pure-worn lazer with imprints of the Engineered Jean logo.
Girls can choose from tight, boot cut, loose crop and tight crop fits. And who ever said that only pants could be engineered? So too can skirts, which come in knee-length and mini-fits. The collection of jeans also comes in two finishes—pure-worn and mercury-worn.
Levi’s aficionados will also see an array of separates that aren’t just comfortable, but also trendy. The guys can choose from jackets, terry pullovers and cotton jerseys, while the girls can opt for cropped, zip-front or hooded jackets, cotton span jersey pullovers and cuffed pants. Muted colors are old school. Striking colors and bold lines accentuate the clothes.
With a steep price ranging from P2,500 to P4,500, will the 15 to 19-age bracket be able to afford the jeans? By the time they’d have saved up for a pair, it’s possible that a new collection will have been launched.
“It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we’ve penetrated their mindset, that we become an aspiration,” answered a confident Celestial.
The collection will be available in select Levi’s stores in December.
Reengineering Levi’s Engineered Jeans
By Ayn Veronica L. de Jesus
When you are nearly 150 years old, how do you reinvent yourself?
Levi’s Engineered Jeans is inspired by
human movement—sports, dance
and music.
This was the problem of Levi’s jeans a few years ago, when sales suddenly hit a plateau and the iconic image sagged temporarily. Many in the below 25 market had begun to think that Levi’s jeans were only for “old people” and were not fashionable or trendy enough for generations X, Y and Z. human movement—sports, dance
and music.
That hurt sales for a company that had been making jeans since 1873 and played an enormous part in pioneering America. Jeans that had survived a second industrial revolution, two world wars and a few other minor battles, is the apparel of choice among baby boomers and the geeks of the modern technological age.
The first generation of Levi’s jeans were designed as overalls and used by laborers who needed protective, sturdy clothing to wear at work.
The company was established by the German Loeb Strauss (who later changed his name to Levi) was immigrated to the United States in 1847. In 1872 the tailor Jacob Davis of Reno, Nevada, wrote to Strauss on the idea of using copper rivets to make overalls sturdier. Davis did not have the finances to apply for the patent and asked Strauss to share the cost. The first riveted Levi’s pair of jeans—made of brown cotton duck and blue denim—was produced the following year.
After the Second World War, America began to wear jeans for leisure, and thus started the history of jeans pop culture.
Can Levi’s be cool again?
While jeans never go out of style, the brand itself has reflected market struggles through lackluster sales and the impression of merely riding the wave of newer, hipper brands, as well as the proliferation of frauds. Still, there’s no doubt that owning a pair of Levi’s jeans places the owner as part of a heritage and a culture all its own.
Today, Levi’s is the only jeans brand whose value appreciates the more it is worn. The older, the better, the more expensive.
The introduction of Engineered Jeans in 2000 was hailed as reinventing jeans for the new millennium and boosted sales. The brand introduced a new twist, which is exactly what it was: Twisted side seams to make the jeans more ergonomically fitting.
“You see, the straight seams made the jeans look flat,” explained Ronaldo Celestial, brand manager leader of Levi Strauss Philippines Inc. “But the twisted seams give the jeans a more rounded, cylindrical fit and made movement easier for the wearer.”
Of course, it didn’t hurt that the new marketing tack also attracted a much younger market and resuscitated Levi’s hipness.
Not just a new twist
Inspired by the success of the first launch, the Engineered Jeans collection was, “reengineered,” and complemented with a new wardrobe collection to boot. “The inspiration for this is movement, sport, music and dance,” Celestial said.
The foremost consideration remains functionality, and the second was the active lifestyle of today’s youth. These days, you can see sports apparel crossing over to casual wear, and that’s what Levi’s is banking on.
The twist isn’t all there, though. This time around, panels of black stretch fabric have been inserted into the jeans from the hips and knees for greater comfort, movement and individual fit. A textured Levi’s Engineered Jeans jacquard tape runs along the inside and outside of the waistband. Back pockets have been enlarged, dropped and skewed for easier access and the iconic Levi’s Arcuate—that double row of stitching on the back pockets—is painted on with black silicon ink. The “running leg” logo signature of the collection is imprinted on the shank button, belt loop rivets and front pocket zips.
For the younger set that previously declared that the jeans just weren’t cool or stylish enough, they should know that the Levi’s now comes in two fits. For guys—comfort and straight, with finishes ranging from pure-worn with an aged look; mercury-worn, aged but slightly darker; and pure-worn lazer with imprints of the Engineered Jean logo.
Girls can choose from tight, boot cut, loose crop and tight crop fits. And who ever said that only pants could be engineered? So too can skirts, which come in knee-length and mini-fits. The collection of jeans also comes in two finishes—pure-worn and mercury-worn.
Levi’s aficionados will also see an array of separates that aren’t just comfortable, but also trendy. The guys can choose from jackets, terry pullovers and cotton jerseys, while the girls can opt for cropped, zip-front or hooded jackets, cotton span jersey pullovers and cuffed pants. Muted colors are old school. Striking colors and bold lines accentuate the clothes.
With a steep price ranging from P2,500 to P4,500, will the 15 to 19-age bracket be able to afford the jeans? By the time they’d have saved up for a pair, it’s possible that a new collection will have been launched.
“It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we’ve penetrated their mindset, that we become an aspiration,” answered a confident Celestial.
The collection will be available in select Levi’s stores in December.
Levi's....I'll have to check these out....I always wanted a pair of the engineered jns.....or was it the Type 1???? can't remember
