Dynamic Denim - clothing for African American women - Brief Article

Ebony, April, 2001

For The New Black Woman

DENIM is hot, as in "gotta have it now." Denim is cool--you can wear it almost anywhere. Denim is "in"--in-style and en vogue. Denim is comfortable: read "I can live in this."

Regardless of your job, lifestyle, age or figure, you can wear denim and wear it with style.

These days, top-name designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui are taking the durable, cotton fabric and fashioning it into stylish creations. This season, denim is popular on the runways from New York to Paris to Milan and in South Africa. South African designer Bonga Bhengu recently showed in New York several two-tone denim outfits cleverly accented with safety pins.

Renowned designers such as Ralph Lauren long have been known for jeans but now offer a more extensive line of denim styles. Famous shoe designers who have taken to denim include Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Jimmy Choo, who like the stiffness and crisp ruggedness of the endearing and enduring fabric. Christian Dior is among the many designers showcasing denim handbags.

A number of African-American-owned design houses specialize in urban apparel, and denim is the favored fabric. Denim hip-hop gear is a staple of FUBU, Karl Kani, Roc-A-Fella, Russell Simmons' Phat Farm line, and Sean (Puffy) Combs' Sean John line. All have expanded beyond just blue jeans and have made millions by offering an abundant variety of denim attire.

At star-studded social events in Hollywood and New York, and everywhere in between, celebrities and social/fashion mavens strut the red carpet in denim attire that range from jeweled jeans to midriff tops to sassy skirts and evening attire.

As is evident on the streets and in the 'hoods from Boston to Oakland, from Detroit to Atlanta, denim is as popular as ever with stylish Brothers and Sisters who love the fabric's durability, comfort, easy care and seasonless charm. Jeans are favorites with hip-hoppers but also are the preferred casual wear for college students and career professionals.

Denim is sometimes appropriate if not standard attire for the workplace. In some creative professions where office wear is more casual, such as film and television production, as well as advertising and public relations agencies, denim is the fabric of choice. And there are denim ensembles, suits and dresses that can be worn to almost any office (at least on casual days) except the most conservative corporate environments, such as banks and other financial institutions.

Jeans and other denim attire is appropriate for many of the 2,000 YMCA employees in the D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia area. Angie Reese-Hawkins, president/CEO of YMCA Metropolitan Washington, says denim is especially preferred by those YMCA employees who work with children and are involved in outdoor activities, such as camping.

Yet, Reese-Hawkins encourages her employees to be smart and sensible about denim in the office, even on dress-down Fridays. "As long as the denim is crisp and clean, it is acceptable in the business environment," she says. "You still must be very professional-looking." While normal attire for her employees is shirts and ties for men and skirt-blouse ensembles and pantsuits for women, Reese-Hawkins says the YMCA's dress code allows jeans. But she says denim attire must be "tucked in, not hanging out, not tattered, not skin-tight, not unraveling, and without holes."

Evolyn Brooks, senior producer for Queen Latifah Show, says she and other staff members, including the boss, often wear denim and other casual attire because the work environment is fast-paced but lots of fun. In addition, she says, casual clothing makes the audience members feel more comfortable. "We want everyone who comes to the show, whether it's a celebrity or an everyday person, to feel like family," says Brooks. "If we're all dressed up in diamonds and pearls, people will not feel comfortable."

She says Queen Latifah, who is also a rapper and owns a record label, has a laid-back image yet she likes to look good, and that feeling runs throughout the staff. "We like to be fashionable but comfortable," says Brooks. "Denim looks good, feels goods and is affordable. And you can dress it down or dress it up. You can wear it with Timberlands, furs or sexy stilettos."

Whereas jeans often are paired with sneakers, loafers, boots and other casual footwear, some upscale denim pieces can be accessorized with fancy sandals and spiked heels.

Jeans and denim have come a long way to fashion respectability. The fabric originated in Europe and may have been worn first by sailors. Whereas earlier denim was made from a variety of fibers, in the 18th century, the cloth was made from cotton grown on plantations. Workers in all areas preferred the material because it was very strong and did not wear out easily. It usually was colored with indigo plant dye, which made the jean cloth a dark blue color, which is still favored today. Cowboys in 1930s movies made jeans popular, and in the '60s university and college students adopted jeans as standard attire, often tie-dyed, faded, torn and fringed. In the 1980s, famous designers started making their own styles of denim jeans and other designs. The prices went up and popularity soared.