Denim Edition: Introduction

Popular among cultures and across decades, denim is arguably the most famous fabric on the planet. Jeans — regular or relaxed, tight or loose fit, baggy or boot cut, remain the most popular fashion item dominating people’s closets across continents. The whole journey of producing each pair of jeans, however, has raised concerns in terms of the pollution and harm caused to the planet and the workers involved at different stages of production.

Each process, from the growing of cotton, which is highly water intensive, to the highly polluting indigo dyeing process, and the over-production of garments have led local and overseas startups to actively contribute to making denim and more sustainable fabrics that cause less harm to the environment.

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A Pair of Jeans: Production Process and Its Environmental Impacts
1
GROW COTTON

Among all agricultural commodities, cotton has the most water.1 Water intensive: 7,600 liters of water are required to make 1 pair of jeans.2 Fertilizers and pesticides cause harm to soil and water quality, and biodiversity within and downstream of fields1

1  WWF
2  Mukherji, 2020
2
HARVEST COTTON & WEAVE IT INTO THE FABRIC TO ENTER THE DYEING PROCESS

Water pollution: dyes that release harmful chemicals to the environment and workers 

3
GIVE THE DENIM FABRIC A "WORN" TEXTURE

"Sandblasting" process of weathered jeans may cause health risks* to the workers with the fine dust particles

4
CUT, ASSEMBLE & SELL

With 80 billion new pieces of clothing made every year and less than 1% of the global fiber market made from pre and post-consumer recycled textiles

 
5
WASTE

92 million tons of textile waste are being thrown away annually. Blended textiles, such as polycotton, are traditionally difficult to separate and thus, impossible to recycle

(Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report 2021. Textile Exchange, 2021. Chen, Xuandong, et al. “Circular Economy and sustainability of the clothing and textile Industry.” Materials Circular Economy 3 (2021): 1–9.)
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The Denim Fabric and
Jeans Market Trends
3.5 Billion
Jeans Per Year

Over 3.5 billion pairs of jeans are produced worldwide each year

(Muthu, Subramanian Senthilkannan, ed. Sustainability in Denim. Woodhead Publishing, 2017)
29 Billion
USD in 2030

Valued at USD 18.1 Billion in 2021, the Global Denim Fabric Market Size is projected to grow to USD 29.4 Billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 4.4%

(Spherical Insights & Consulting, Oct 2022)
79%
Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific's denim fabric market size accounted for 79.2% of the total denim fabric market share in 2020 and is projected to witness growth at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecasted period

(Allied Market Research, 2021)
Increase 125%
Use of Recycled Cotton

Products containing organic cotton components have seen a 17% year-over-year (YoY) growth, with organic cotton using 91% less water to grow than conventional cotton, which also avoids the use of chemicals and pesticides. Recycled cotton has also seen 125% YoY growth, and the next challenge would be how we could further recycle after blending with other fibers to improve its quality

(Edited, 2022)
Increase 32%
Waterless Denim

Waterless denim is the new global trend. The number of waterless denim concepts in the U.S. and U.K. leapt 32% year-over-year (YoY)

(Sourcing Journal, 2022)
Increase 80%
Denim Skirts and Tops

Drawing on the revival of the Y2K trend, the share of denim skirts and tops grows to 80% YoY, and denim shirts are taking share from shorts with a growth of 20% YoY, as catwalks of multiple brands have confirmed that denim miniskirt is a key item of this trend

(WGSN, 2022 Fall)
Trends of Style

In comparison with pre-pandemic, there is a larger diversity of preferences for people in selecting the style of their jeans. The US market saw baggy/loose cut as the most worn style, while boyfriend fit was most popular in the UK market, and relaxed style was preferable in the China market

(Cotton Incorporated, 2022)