My dear dear jeans

Denims are no longer work clothes - they are a style statement. The author checks out designer jeans, some of which cost more than a lakh

From being a tenacious, working man's trusted garment to sprucing up fashion ramps and soirees, denim pants have travelled a long way. In fact, few items of clothing have stayed as popular, widely worn and loved. Off late, jeans have even broken into the couture club.

The name "jeans" comes from the Italian city of Genoa. In the 1800s, sailor suits there were made of a sturdy fabric ordered from the French town Nimes, which gave birth to the term "denim". The pants became popular in America around 1853 at the peak of the California gold rush. Levi Strauss, a young German immigrant who ran a small dry goods business in San Francisco, partnered with a tailor, Jacob Davis, to create pants reinforced with copper rivets that could prop up pockets that were burdened with work tools.

Emboldened with vibrant colours, prints, cuts and styles, jeans today are socially acceptable as evening wear and deemed suitable for work in some offices. In cities, workers , supermodels and politicians alike sport the garment. Even Narendra Modi, usually clad in khadi, was sighted in denims a few years ago. "Jeans are more basic to the wardrobe than a white shirt," says designer Rajesh Pratap Singh.

To cater to the well-heeled, widely-travelled Indian, major luxury brands and top fashion designers are reserving space in their collections for high-end jeans. According to Aditya Singhal, owner of bespoke denim firm IML Jeans, the average urban Indian spends nearly 200 days in jeans. "So people are willing to pay to own jeans that set them apart." Singhal's young company caters only to women in the Delhi region but is ready to launch an exclusive range of jeans priced at Rs 45,000-50,000. A pair of super-luxury jeans by Roberto Cavalli or Armani can cost more than a lakh. The limited designs spell exclusivity and almost every piece has unique touches.

However, more than design, it is the quality and fit that command a premium, say high-end jeans makers. "It's really just made of cotton. (But) the quality of the fibre used defines the way the fabric reacts to day-to-day wearing," says Barbara Gay, creative director for luxury jeans brand 7 For All Mankind (7FAM). Unlike mass market jeans, the premium versions do not tend to lose shape.

Designer Singh swears by the Japanese style of denim manufacturing, especially the handcrafting methods of the country's KohZo brand. IML's Singhal relies on Japanese fabric because it is durable and does not shrink. Apart from designer names, premium denim wear sold in India includes Italian luxury stalwarts and top American brands like True Religion.

The latest styles feature metallic or rustic coating, patchwork in leather or velvet, or stone embellishments. Digital printing on denim is a new way of making it very special, notes 7FAM's Gay. Designers are also having alternative fibres like silk or linen woven in to make jeans formal and sexier. Of course, the classic blue never grows old. For women, designer Nikhil Thampi recommends oversized boyfriend jeans, while suggesting that men go in for leaner cuts. Twills, Jodhpurs, baggy or distressed jeans, straight cut and second skins all find takers. "Denim allows people to have endless individual styles. Everything's in style, wear your own," says designer Gaurav Gupta.

Rajesh Pratap Singh
Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000

The collection includes natural indigo as well as blends with fabrics such as cashmere, silk and khadi. The fit is natural around the hips and includes various cuts such as Jodhpurs, super skinny jeans and slacks. The pants are particularly popular with musicians who like to wear them on tour, says Singh.
Available at the designer's stores in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore

Roberto Cavalli
Rs 65,000 to Rs 1.38 lakh

The Italian designer's 2014 spring and summer pre-collection features roomy pants with either natural colours or bold prints. The embellishments include delicate Chantilly lace, Indian embroideries and Japanese pictorial art. Designer Thampi vouches for these jeans: "I was never satisfied with the cuts until I tried Cavalli and D&G. They always fit like a glove."

Available at DLF Emporio in Delhi

Diesel
Rs 18,000 to Rs 38,000

The brand has always catered to the young and brooding kind. In its fall-winter Black and Gold collection for 2013, the fit of the denim is more relaxed and the finish glossy, so wearers look somewhat like rebels in seemingly work-appropriate attire. The brand's classic blue jeans are a good addition to the wardrobe, says Simin Lakhani, a fashion blogger and entrepreneur. Among the celebrities who have sported Diesel jeans is actor Imran Khan.
Available at Diesel stores

J Brand
Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000

The brand is popular with divas including Rihanna, Beyonce and Jennifer Aniston. The latest range has mostly mid-rise, form-fitting jeans in darker shades, heavy on wax-coating. When paired with jackets, coats or capes, they are stylish enough to wear for a glitzy night out. Actor-turned-singer Priyanka Chopra has often been spotted in these.

Available at The Denim Story in Mumbai, The Collective stores

Gaurav Gupta
Rs 8,000 to Rs 17,000

Jeans have more to do with shape and construction detailing, says Gupta. The appeal is grungy with generous use of zip chains, sometimes featured simply and at other times in zigzagging asymmetry. The designer's limited edition denim with metal work, for which he has collaborated with luxury jeans brand 7 for All Mankind, is also set to be showcased.
Available at Gaurav Gupta Studio and stores