Hot Stuff: How Denim Brands Make Jeans Cool for the Summer

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said there is a 99 percent chance that 2024 will rank among the five warmest years on record.

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All it takes is one hot day to be reminded of the record-breaking temperatures of summer 2023—the warmest since global records began in 1850—to understand why retailers and brands are emphasizing natural fabrics like linen and cotton this summer.

“When it comes to marketing denim for summer, there’s an even greater emphasis on lightweight fabrics than there was before and this is reflected in the data,” said Kendall Becker, Trendalytics’ fashion and editorial strategy director. Searches for lightweight denim are up 58 percent compared to last year while social engagement around the topic has increased 143 percent in the last three months.

“This has been most prominent amongst contemporary brands, and the Trendalytics platform is marking the style as a ‘top market mover’ for the season,” she explained.

“Even when temperatures heat up, cotton is a comfortable option in the summertime. It’s breathable, comfortable, and doesn’t stick to you like some other fibers will. Denim has a long history as the go-to workwear because of its durability and comfort in all weather conditions,” said Seth Winner, Cotton Incorporated’s technical manager, wovens product development.

“Heatwave or not, August is one of our best-selling months for denim,” said Natasha Ziavras, Dynamite’s director of merchandising.

Cotton is the go-to fiber for denim for the women’s apparel brand. “The fabrics that we use in our denim are year-round fabrics and are mostly in 100 percent cotton or a mix of cotton and spandex for more stretch. “Cotton is a popular choice for summer since it’s naturally breathable and absorbs moisture, so a comfortable fiber to wear in hotter weather,” she said.

The simplest way to make denim more comfortable for warm temperatures is to use lighter fabric, Winner said. Denim fabrics that are 10 oz. or lighter and chambray fabrics woven with warp-dyed indigo and natural filling gives designers many options for tops and bottoms. There are also ways to add more comfort through the construction of the weave itself. “Seersucker has a long tradition of keeping wearers comfortable in summertime. Seersucker uses differential tension in construction to create stripes of pucker in the fabric. These raised surfaces keep most of the fabric off the wearer’s skin and create channels for airflow,” he said.

Designers can go a step further to enhance denim’s moisture management properties, Winner said. With Cotton Incorporated’s Wicking Window technology, they can print a pattern of water resistance on the inside of the fabric to help move sweat away from the skin, resulting in the wearer feeling dryer. TransDRY technology is another way to make denim more comfortable via moisture management. “Yarns treated with TransDRY technology are water resistant. When they are used in the filling of denim, the warp acts as a wick, and draws the moisture away from the wearer for more comfort,” he said. The technology also makes the fabric dry faster.

“Summer denim means ultimate comfort and the right combo of fibers, weave fits and fabrics,” said Ebru Ozaydin, The Lycra Company’s global strategic marketing director, denim, wovens and ready-to-wear.

Consumers are aware of branded cooling technologies like The Lycra Company’s Coolmax fiber family. The Coolmax brand is in the top three of the most recognized cooling technologies among consumers worldwide who associate it with the key comfort feature of cooling, she said, adding that 7 out of 10 consumers are likely to purchase garments made with Coolmax technology.

Coolmax and Coolmax EcoMade , a fiber made from either 100 percent recycled PET bottles or 100 percent pre-consumer textile waste from cutting rooms, delivers proven moisture management (absorbency, wicking, fast dry rate and thermal resistance) that helps keep the wearer cool and dry. “Specially channeled cross-sections are designed to wick moisture away from the body,” Ozaydin explained. “It’s a fiber, not a finish, so it lasts and gives durable cooling performance.”

The Coolmax family aligns with consumers’ growing love for being outside, be it for physical activities or leisure. “Brands use Coolmax technology not only for standard denim bottoms and tops but also in performance denim for extended summer and humid climates,” she said, adding that the technology is “an inevitable part of fabric design” for items like traditional chinos, non-denim woven parachute pants and workwear silhouettes like cargo pants, jackets and overalls.

“Increasingly, non-traditional denim categories are gaining market share over classic jeans, providing new product development opportunities. In recent seasons, there has been a rise in looks featuring unconventional denim pieces beyond five-pocket styles,” said Francisco Ortega, Evlox’s R&D manager

The Spanish mill is weaving performance into fabrics for these styles. Evlox uses Coolmax technology in in Technim, a fabric collection that incorporates Regenagri-certified cotton. Benefits include moisture management, high tear and abrasion resistance and retaining stretch.

“Without a doubt, customers are looking to add performance to denim,” said Mark Ix, Advance Denim’s director of North American marketing. “They are looking for wicking/moisture management options that keep you cool and dry in hot muggy weather. The key is that these performance denims must have a true vintage character on the face and cooling and drying technologies against the skin.”

China’s oldest denim mill Advance Denim offers several fiber-based solutions. Wafer Technology moves moisture away from the skin by utilizing the fiber’s special hollow core to transport sweat away from the skin. Aircore Denim uses a specially designed fiber that has added channels like a sponge to keep the wearer cool and dry. The technology is especially good for brands that want the look of traditional denim without the weight.  The mill also uses Naia Renew fiber for Ecocool Denim, a line of cool-to-the-touch fabrics with wicking properties.

Cool by design

Fabric choice is crucial for summer denim collections.

“We have spent decades obsessing over our fabrics, so we really believe we’ve got the perfect fabrication,” said Chelsia Solari, Garage’s senior product manager for denim, woven bottoms and outerwear. The brand uses a loose yet structured weave denim for its core styles, “providing more drape to our garments making them relatively seasonless,” she said.

“We are always inspired by what’s happening in the world, how things are affecting our culture and how people are reacting. Consumers today expect comfort year-round, regardless of the climate,” said Janine Chilton-Faust, Levi’s global VP of men’s design. “We continue to innovate our fabrics and fits, delivering new summer essentials.”

Levi’s is building on its 12.5 oz. cotton/Tencel shrink-to-fit fabric offerings this summer with the 501 90s, 501 Crop and 501 Mid-Thigh Shorts. The Spring/Summer 2024 collection also features a range of denim lifestyle looks featuring indigo cotton/linen blends, chambray and Levi’s lightest denim fabric to date. The lightweight Tencel and cotton fabric is used for women’s High Baggy jeans, Ribcage Bermuda shorts, carpenter shorts and a range of skirts, giving consumers the look of classic denim with a soft and breezy touch.

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Chilton-Faust added that the new 6.5 oz. lightweight corduroy fabric is “remarkably soft, drapey and beach-ready.”

The season also marks the global launch of Levi’s Performance Cool line, a technology originally launched in Asia engineered to cool the wearer and wick away moisture. The cooling technology is offered in men’s slim and tapered fits, complementing the new 511 Tech 5-pocket. Modeled after the 511 slim jean, Chilton-Faust said the pant “delivers ultimate comfort in a non-denim knitted fabric” and boast moisture-wicking, quick dry and UV protection properties.

“There’s definitely a natural decline in denim during the hotter months, but that doesn’t mean we’re taking a break. We’re always on the lookout for fresh ideas,” said Mary Pierson, Madewell SVP of denim design. “It’s all about keeping it chill and comfy.”

This summer Madewell launched the Airy denim line, a women’s collection that offers lighter weight and softer denim fabrics to bring comfort and ease for the hot months ahead. Styles like the Harlow Wide-Leg jeans are made with a blend of cotton and Tencel lyocell woven in a looser construction, resulting in a soft, flowy feel. “Seriously, it’s like you have nothing on,” she added.

Summer denim is something Madewell has been pursuing for a decade. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the brand’s Perfect Summer Jean. The style—a light wash, rigid straight leg— was a bit of an anomaly when it launched in 2014.

“It’s crazy to think back to when I first started at Madewell 11 years ago, and the denim landscape was dominated by stretchy skinny jeans ,” Pierson said.

Madewell is celebrating the style’s milestone this summer with a whole Perfect Summer Denim capsule in the original Fitzgerald wash. “Our approach with this collection was all about that lived-in feel. We broke down the fabric through washes to achieve that perfectly worn-in look,” Pierson said. The collection includes a wide-leg crop, ’90s straight crop and low-slung straight jeans, an A-line sleeveless mini dress, a button-front tank, shorts and midi skirt. Some styles are made with 100 percent Regenagri certified cotton; others with a cotton and Tencel lyocell blend.

Summer hits

Consumers are making the connection between loose and baggy and cool and comfy.

Pierson said Madewell is embracing the trend for looser and relaxed fits, especially for summer. “Our new low-slung straight fit, low-rise boyfriend shorts and relaxed skirts are all about easy, breezy summer dressing,” she said. A new lightweight stretch denim by Cone is available in the Kick Out Crop Jeans, a mid-rise jean with raw hems that Pierson said will make you “forget you’re even wearing jeans.”

“In the summer, we introduce more wider leg styles, lower waist options and more distressing that’s conducive to warmer months,” Solari said. “Our girl will style the same pair of denim with a plain white tank in the summer, and a cozy knit and leather jacket in the winter.”

The women’s market is also leaning into cuffed jeans. “On TikTok, we’re seeing consumers buying longer lengths to DIY this trend, while in the mass market, retailers like Marks & Spencer and Mango are offering in-built cuff detailing. Zara has grown its assortment of cuffed jeans by 25 percent year-over-year,” said Aoife Byrne, EDITED’s senior retail and fashion analyst.

The main drivers in the women’s denim market are straight and wide-leg jeans, however. The styles make up 31 percent and 19 percent of Spring/Summer 2024 sellouts, respectively. Conversely, Bryne said boyfriend, skinny and mom fits continue to decline.

Barrel leg jeans may be the breakout star of the season. “While the industry and trendsetting consumers have had our eyes on barrel leg silhouettes for a while, these are finally reaching more of the market in a meaningful way,” Becker said. Searches for the style are up 102 percent in comparison to last year and the market is meeting demand as market adoption from brands and retailers has risen 143 percent to last year.

Ziavras said the summer is a time to expose the ankle and legs, and allow details in hems to be a feature. Crop denim is having a resurgence—be it skinny, wide-leg, classic five-pocket styles or more fashion styling like capris and culottes. “Lengths in shorts and skirts are also being challenged, from micro shorts and skirts to the longer line of culottes. The offering on the market will be much richer than previous summers,” she said.

Jean shorts (a.k.a. jorts) are proving equally important to the baggy trend for men’s and women’s brands this season, especially among Gen-Z-focused labels. “We’re seeing contradicting trends within the men’s and women’s wear markets––women’s shorts are getting longer and more tailored while men’s are seeing a rise in inseam,” Becker said.

Longline denim skirts also remain popular. “Split front details and mid-blue washes remain leading sub-trends for this style,” Byrne said.

Consumers are looking for details. “Last summer we saw consumers jump on classic denim mini and midi skirts, but this summer, they need something extra. Driving details like pleats, buckles, or slits must be present to attract consumer attention this season,” Becker said.

Color trends for denim are taking an unexpected turn. “Washes are having a moment once again,” Becker said, adding that men’s looks are becoming more worn-in looking and women’s are playing with color outside of classic blue.

Instead of summer whites, Bryne said there’s a 20 percent boost in investment year-over-year for neutral-tone jeans for women. Grey washes have increased by 69 percent, which she said signals retailers’ investment into ’90s and mid-aughts minimalism.

This article appears in Rivet’s summer issue. Click here to read more.

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