Everyone loves a comfy pair of jeans. For most people, comfort is the #1 thing to look for when buying jeans these days. That’s why stretchy denim is so popular. But here’s the thing: stretch isn’t exactly great for the planet. Why is that? And how do we deal with this in our jeans?

The origin of jeans

For decades, a pair of jeans was the ultimate workwear. They were worn mainly by miners and cowboys because it was practical and durable: jeans were the perfect garment for hard labour because they could endure a lot. Stretch didn’t exist back then, (denim) fabrics were always made from 100% cotton. Making your jeans feel comfortable on the skin was hard work: you had to break them in. Let them conform to your body over time. Some people even wore their jeans while bathing to speed up this process.

https://a.storyblok.com/f/180781/1800x2041/dd6e816a99/stretch_blog.webp

The birth of stretch denim

But then things changed. DuPont, a big chemical company, invented the first stretch fibre in the ’60s. They introduced us to what we now call Lycra or spandex: synthetic fibres that made it possible to develop stretchy fabrics. Jeans were suddenly comfy from the first wear because of this innovation, and you could wear jeans with a tighter fit. This also created the possibility of making garments that easily adjust to various body types. Perfect! That’s why stretch became the biggest success factor of casual wear.

The downside of synthetic stretch fibres

Unfortunately, stretch does have some downsides. Stretch denim overall has a shorter lifespan. The stretch fibres can lose their strength and get saggy over time. That is the reason why your stretch denim feels tighter after washing, as it temporarily recovers the stretch. On top of that, synthetic stretch fibres come with the shedding of microfibres. When you wash a garment with synthetic fibres, microfibres get loose and flow away in the water. These microfibres pose a significant problem for the planet, but also for our health. They end up in our food and water and are almost impossible to filter out. That’s why we limit our synthetic fibre usage.

Kuyichi’s stretch considerations

We’d love to go back in time and eradicate stretch fibres, but the reality is that stretch jeans have become the norm in the past decades. Therefore, we have three denim options in our collection: ‘Rigid denim’ without stretch, ‘Low-stretch’ with a maximum of 3% stretch fibres and ‘Comfort stretch’ with higher stretch. As it’s our goal to inspire a big group of people to take—sometimes their first—steps toward sustainable denim, it’s important to us that we can offer a better alternative that suits everybody’s needs. That’s why we do offer stretch denim as well. But we always try to give you the most sustainable option within our knowledge and possibilities.

"Jeans were suddenly comfy from the first wear because of this innovation, and you could wear jeans with a tighter fit."

T400 Ecomade, better and more durable stretch

We always aim for you to get optimal use out of your jeans. The longer you wear them, the more the initial production impact of your garment is worth it. That is why we’re combatting saggy stretch denim. We found the perfect fibre for our Comfort stretch denim for this: T400 Ecomade. This stretch fibre from Lycra (what was once DuPont) consists of 1/3 recycled PET polyester, 1/3 plant-based polymers and 1/3 virgin polyester. What’s nice is that the different components react differently to your body's warmth, creating stretch while keeping the product's shape. The biggest benefit of the T400 Ecomade is the recovery. It returns to its original shape, creating a lasting fit for your denim. Stretch fabric that won't get loose or saggy!

This way, you can wear stretch denim with a conscious heart. You wear denim with recycled and biobased synthetic fibre. Non-stretch denim is also always an option. Just give it a try. You might have to put in a little more effort, but non-stretch denim will grow on you! Whatever you go for, we got your ass (or back).