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Designer Jeans Thrive in Tight Times
Pants provide 'affordable luxury'
By Matt Cantor
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Posted May 22, 09 9:16 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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The economy may be tight, but consumers aren’t cutting their pricey denim loose, the Los Angeles Times reports. Sales of premium brand jeans climbed 17% in 2008 and continued a smaller increase into this year—one of the few bits of good news for retailers. A new “focus on fit” and “women's never-ending quest for the perfect pair of jeans” means “the passion for denim is alive and well,” said an analyst.
Jeans are in a marketing world of their own, the Times notes: for example, making them in the USA, though more expensive, is key to sales. For many, the pants are an “affordable luxury” at up to $300, notes an analyst. “If I wear them every day, they really are not that expensive,” notes a fashion blogger. And “nothing more than jeans represent the spirit of America,” said an Italian designer.