Classic. At least that’s what the Levi’s brand is trying to convey. I remember in my first year of university we studied an article in my first year management class regarding the demise of Levi’s. This was due to its inability to update its brand and its meager attempts at capturing trends in their clothing line. However somewhere between yawn-inducing first year lectures and last year’s breakout (all the exchange students that were in my consumer behaviour class owned them and knew the numbers of the jeans. They presented a comprehensive seminar regarding the brand and I still wasn’t convinced), Levi’s has once again climbed to reign the denim kingdom.

Maybe that sounds slightly dramatic, but it’s true that Levi’s has revolutionized its brand image and perception. I recall always walking into the store with preconceived notions and leaving the with the exact same thoughts. That is until I strolled in with my friend who was looking to purchase jeans herself.

I ended up being the one leaving with a pair of 4M 521 Skinnies that fit me to a T or…J or whatever you want to call it. The quality is impeccable (virtually no stretch, great fit and colour), and there’s no denying the cult attraction to the little red tag on the back pocket.

Not only is Levi’s well endowed in its respective classic denim lines, they also have formed their own premium denim line to battle the higher end brands (likely an answer to the likes of Seven for All Mankind, Chip and Pepper, Rock and Republic, Paige denim, etc etc). “Capital E” is a line which provides a ‘custom’ feeling to each jean produced, as each pair is made with the care of approximately 30 people whose efforts include hand sewing the item.

Levi’s has definitely made a comeback not only in Asia but in North America – I’m a living Torontonian Testament to that.

I love denim. I love classic bootcut denim with back pocket detail, a perfect example being a new jean from Citizens of Humanity (click here). This dark denim beauty is precisely what I need to start salivating over Fall and Winter trends. Higher end denim is precisely what every girl needs in their wardrobe – it just seems to pull everything together in an outfit, and will allow for versatility (dressing up or dressing down).

Throw away those old faded and tattered-leg jeans and invest in new ones!

Social Movement. Something that H&M has caught onto (being the incredibly clever merchandising company that it is), is the idea of corporate responsibility and/or recognition of the organic trend. Organic cotton has become more heavily emphasized at H&M this Autumn, marked with special tags explaining the phenomena.

ORGANIC COTTON AT H&M

H&M started using organic cotton in 2004, incorporating it into a selection of garments. The aim was to help increase the demand for organically cultivated cotton, which still only accounts for a very small percentage of world cotton production. Since then H&M has used an increasing amount of organic cotton and the quantity used this year is estimated at approximately 1,100 tonnes, compared with 30 tonnes in 2006.

The cotton used by H&M is certified by the Control Union. It has been cultivated without the use of harmful chemicals.

H&M has also been a member of Organic Exchange, an organisation that promotes organic cotton cultivation, since 2003.

Click here to find out more about Organic Cotton at H&M.

This fall the hottest emerging trend would be leather bombers – widely available from H&M to Theory, ranging drastically in price. These buttery soft jackets can be thrown over any outfit to create an Autumn ready look that’s both sporty and sophisticated.

Take a glimpse of this collection of jackets from ShopBop.com of higher end leather bombers: Click Here.

This year I recommend either burying the UGG trend or conforming – because we just can’t seem to escape it. Every year it’s as if we find more ways to hate the classic UGG. It’s incredible how girls still manage to wear them with virtually every imaginable outfit from skirts and short shorts to dressy themed clothes. Not only have UGGs still remained in the majority of young Canadian women’s wardrobes, but this year UGG has introduced new patterns.

Exhibit A:

The Wilshire Signature (Click Here, or view below for image). At what point in time was it a good idea to slap a bunch of overlapping UGG prints on top of each other in different colours? I know that fashion houses such as Gucci and LV can do it, but it’s because they SELL! Not everything with a logo sells.

Exhibit B:

Women’s Classic Short Paisley (Click Here, or view below for image). No grown woman should ever consider wearing this. Not only is it overly nostalgic of summer [dresses], but it just looks like it should belong to an eight year old.

Surprisingly enough, UGG Australia in actuality produces a wide range of luxury boots which are overshadowed by the widespread trend of the classic warm winter boot which put them on the maps. Check out their Fall/Winter line at www.uggaustralia.com for a glimpse of their full line

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