As consumer wallets are stretched thinner amid inflation and tariff-related pricing bumps, they need more convincing to add new jeans to their wardrobes.

“Everyone is willing to consider denim as a daily wear category,” said Dennis Hui, global business development manager, denim at Lenzing.** “**But on the other hand, the buying power and also the lifestyle of the people, they’re not willing to buy so many new garments.”

More from Sourcing Journal

Mills Share Their Bestselling Denim Fabrics for Spring/Summer 2027

Isko Luxury by PG Delivers Ecru and Military-Inspired Fabrics for S/S 2027

A New Size-Inclusive Denim Brand Is Challenging Industry Standards

Mills and manufacturers are responding to this cautious consumer mindset with product development that offers something shoppers don’t already own. In what is currently a highly competitive industry, mills and their brand customers therefore need more than the standard blue jean to stand out and meet consumers’ trend-focused preferences. “Previously, it was more into the authentic denim. Now the brand is moving towards more novelties,” said Moeed Usman, assistant vice president fabric sales at Crescent Bahuman Limited (CBL). “Now people are more and more thinking of the newness, rather than just going for the basic five-pocket denims.”

On the floor at Kingpins Show New York last week, suppliers from around the globe presented newness in different forms for the spring/summer 2027 season.

Differentiation can come from visual design details. Some producers spotlighted their printing capabilities, allowing for designs like multicolor florals or patterns. Others leaned into jacquard or dobby weave effects, creating patterns including stripes and herringbones and surface textures. Some collections added sparkle via lurex blends and rhinestone embellishments, while others incorporated patchwork and destruction. Mills and manufacturers also played with color, including creating white denim styles in line with Pantone’s Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer.

Noting the growing trend toward fast fashion, garment manufacturer Bitopi’s chief operating officer of TAL, Kamal Uddin Mia, said that basics and big quantities are on their way out. Sharing a similar sentiment, Meko Denim Mills’ Rizwan Aslam Khan, general manager of marketing, explained that customers are following what fast-fashion players, such as Inditex, are doing.

“Customers are now wanting more change in the product every now and then. With the social media, with the technologies over there, everybody wants to be in the trend,” said Sabur Iftikhar Qureshi, manager sales and marketing, North and South America at Artistic Fabric Mills (AFM), adding that it has turned into a “fashion-oriented business.” Whereas brands used to refresh their product two or three times a year, this pace has picked up.