Levi’s big stretch: the jean icon is thriving on baggier fits and changed waistlines

RIP skinny jeans... When you realize that skinny jeans are no longer in fashion — a year too late. Levi sales plunged last year as we forgot what waistbands feel like (#legging-life). Last quarter, the company that invented blue jeans made a big comeback.

• Earnings, unzipped: Levi's sales more than doubled from last year, and it swung to a $65M profit as you traded in yoga pants for "going out" fits.
• Bring out the party pants: Levi's stock is up 46% this year as reopening drives "revenge spending" on non-stretchy clothing.

Mom jeans FTW... While the days of 24/7 sweats are behind us, consumers are now seeking sweatpansy qualities in going-out clothes. Call it a pandemic hangover: the quest for comfort has carried over to jeans. Levi's CEO said that baggier fits made up nearly half of both men’s and women’s sales last quarter, a major shift from two years ago. Case in point: "balloon pants" are sold out.

• Trends change: Gen Z revived high-waisted, loose fits, which have become uniforms on TikTok. Now, Madewell is even releasing gateway styles to help hardcore skinnyjeaners transition, calling them: "training wheels for people coming out of skinny.”
• Waistlines change: One in three US consumers have seen a change in their waistlines since the pandemic, according to Levi's CEO. And nearly 40% of people say they no longer fit in their clothes from last year. That calls for a wardrobe change.