Pitching apparel as travel gear is a lucrative business for millennial-focused brands.
With millennials spending more than $200 billion annually on travel, and on average traveling more than seven times a year for work, retail analytics firm Edited reported last year that all that time spent in the air is affecting both brands’ marketing efforts and how consumers shop for fashion.
Travel is a category that Bluffworks, a direct-to-consumer men’s apparel brand, is zeroing in on with its range of machine washable dress pants, blazers with hidden pockets and wrinkle-free suits. And now it’s adding denim to its line-up of travel essentials.
The company recently launched the Departure jean, a classic 5-pocket jean with a medium wash available in regular and slim fits.
So, what makes a jean prime for travel?
According to Bluffworks, it is the jean’s lightweight 11-ounce fabric made with a cotton, Coolmax, rayon and spandex blend. The moisture-wicking material breathes and stretches with the wearer.
“Our goal was to create a pair of jeans that look and feel like traditional denim, but wear more like technical pants,” the company wrote on its blog.
The $125 pair of jeans is also outfitted with two additional hidden, zippered, water-resistant pockets pockets at the waistband to secure travel necessities like cash and a passport.
The travel trend has been a boon for the luggage industry, particularly for brands that are pandering to millennials’ adoration for collaborations, luxury and direct-to-consumer prices. Rimowa’s collaborations with Supreme, Off-White and Fendi secured its place as a status brand to watch. Meanwhile, luggage carousels across U.S. major cities could be mistaken as a publicity stunt by Away.
Travel-related branding works for Warp + Weft, the direct-to-consumer label that names all of its jeans after an international airport. Names like the slim AMS and ORD straight help reinforce the brand’s focus on fit and all-day comfort.
Retailers are also introducing “airport style edits,” Edited reported, suggesting items that are comfortable and versatile for travel. Loose pant silhouettes, hoodies, pajamas and swimwear are among the chief items, but innovations in stretch, recovery and soft touch finishing have pushed denim back into the travel category.
