Blue Jeans Losing Their Grip On American Hips

NPR reports:

The AP says that the nation's devotion to denim is wearing thin. Sales fell a significant 6 percent over the last year after decades of steady growth, according to the market research firm NPD Group.

Seems the nation is leisurizing its pants, bypassing the dungarees and choosing elastic waistbands and sweats instead. Sales of yoga pants and other active wear climbed 7 percent in the same period.

They still account for 20 percent of department store sales, says retail consultants Customer Growth Partners, but blue jeans haven't hit the skids this hard since Marlon Brando and James Dean made them famous in the 1950s.

Blue jean sales last dropped 12 years ago, falling about 3 percent when khakis made a comeback, says NPD analyst Marshal Cohen. Sales also declined 3-4 percent in the mid-'70s, when consumers turned to briefly to corduroys, according to NPD estimates.

Stretchy pants have a lot of utility in today's America. Just ask Lena Dunham.