Gotta love how really soft t-shirts can make it easy to represent your interests in total comfort! Recently, I wanted to buy a couple of new shirts specifically to show my pride in living in St. Louis to wear as I went to SXSW (some tips I wrote for SXSW attendees).

I did a lot of searches for local companies and found some great designs and immediately went to see what styles of shirts they could put it on. There were shirts that proclaimed a love of St. Louis foods (so many great ones!) and our pride in diversity.

As I looked through the details though, it looked like all the shirts were a cotton-polyester blend. This has become more common than I want to acknowledge since I am a huge fan of the breathability of cotton and prefer natural fibers.

It was the same on some other big websites recently.

Somewhere along the line, marketing and positioning of certain blends have been taken to be the softest t-shirts. I get that in the store on day one it may feel softer than some cotton t-shirts but I take the broader look.

Quality cotton t-shirts only get softer and comfier as they get worn whereas blends can tend to pilling showing the wear. And ring-spun cotton has such an amazing feel just because of the type of machine that makes the fabric!

I decided to reach out to the small business knowing they print shirts to order. They said they would check the possibilities. I never got options from that company, but I did find some soft t-shirts sharing my love of cotton & St. Louis that I am going to enjoy for the long term.

And I will keep asking for 100 percent cotton options… and sharing the love of soft t-shirts old and new!

The post In Search of Really Soft T-Shirts appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

Vintage fashion is definitely sustainable, but with the popularity of those two things companies want the branding too like J. Crew Always. J. Crew announced their new approach to vintage as part of the company’s sustainability effort & I am so in.

And I’m not going to lie, there were some prized J. Crew clothing in the 90s that will forever reside in my heart.

J. Crew has long been a brand that dives deep into cotton and other natural fibers. Based on the quality of the garments and how much customers are loyal to the brand, it’s easy to bet people have held onto some of their favorite clothing from years past even if they don’t fit!

And while some of those choice outfits come back as teens go retro and search parents closets, others search these items out in resale shops from Goodwill to PoshMark and beyond. Some doesn’t have as clear a path.

And let’s face it, fashion from the 90s is hot enough to be lighting up Instagram!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jamie Rae (@thejamieraexo)

Now J. Crew wants a piece of it — via J. Crew Always — financially and from the customer experience viewpoint. And the halo back to the brand.

Under the company’s new “J. Crew Always” banner, pre-owned styles will be listed through its website and through ThredUp (TDUP.O), an online consignment platform which partners with the clothing retailer on resale services.

Reuters

My guess is 90s fashion will be popular whether it comes from a closet in the house, a resale shop that sales a range of brands or the new J. Crew Always banner. But J. Crew is making a clear indication they want that relationship with customers old and new, much as REI has done with it’s Re-supply effort.

The post Embracing Vintage and Sustainability with Some Branding like J. Crew Always appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

Working professionally for more years than I’d like to admit, I’ve seen a lot of challenges thrown my way. I mean, heck, I did issues management at what was probably one of the world’s most hated and misunderstood companies in that timeline. Even with that as my reality, one of the toughest pieces of working in the agency and corporate world was finding good professional clothing for women.

It sometimes felt like I was looking for unicorns.

There are links in this post that may result in a commission for any sales generated from this site.

Since I mentioned I am looking for unicorns, you may not be able to picture the elusive wardrobe. I’ve gotten pieces over the years. Great pieces in fact. But putting together a wardrobe that meets goals of looking and feeling professional, confident and comfortable can be excruciating.

But for the various brands out there, I feel this time of office workers working at home can really provide us a chance to make this elusive item as common as hand-sewn face masks are rapidly becoming.

Current State of Professional Clothes for Women

With so many professional women working from home for weeks if not month now, we are reminded how comfortable clothes can be. Sure, a lot of us are wearing sweats, yoga pants, etc but it’s rarely women who are having no pants days as they zoom into meetings or do the newscast from home (seriously, what was that about?).

This is dramatically different from what most wear to the office. And while we have frequently chosen between professional and comfortable or stylish and comfortable or anything else and comfortable…. it seems we have been short-changed on comfort with the other pieces. And while women don’t have a single work wardrobe (unlike the blue buttondown and khakis that were so constant with my last employer’s men that it was joked about by everyone), there are a few pieces of professional clothing for women we need in our wardrobe.

Here’s my take on what we have and how it can be improved.

The Most Common Pieces in a Professional Woman’s Wardrobe

Having the right clothes for the job you have is really my idea of professional clothing for women and men. Most of my career I have been an office employee. I didn’t need gear that would help protect me from the elements. Rather, I need to show that I care about my appearance.

So the options?

Dresses / Skirts

Not gonna lie, for a long time the fact I had to wear dresses to school for two years while the siblings were in shorts, jeans, etc colored my view of dresses in a cloud of ick. I did grow up and I have found some good year-round dresses. And they really fuel my wardrobe lots of days (except winter). And I have some friends who love all the dresses and skirts. My favorite brand is Svaha (affiliate link) cause they are smart, fun and have pockets! Cotton dresses with pockets for the win!

But so many women’s dresses are made out of synthetic or blended fabric that doesn’t breathe well or look good over time unless it is dry cleaned so I’d love other options? Maybe coordinates for suits that don’t take years of search to find.

Slacks

Men seem to have a great slate of slacks to wear. They are cut to fit nicely. But so often women’s slacks…. I don’t know why I can never find a brand that fit me well. In the past when I did, I would buy them in every color like I did my favorite t-shirts! And yes, I have khakis but they were the bane of my existence. How many women enjoy the look of khaki pants? Those were first to go when I began to work from home. So more often than not, I wear black jeans. I just keep some new enough they don’t show wear too much.

Jackets/Blazers

The other day I posted photos from some of the training I was doing and immediately got compliments on my power jacket. Not gonna lie, I know it will get comments, it is a killer color.

And unlike so many blazers on the market, this one is made with natural fibers… Yes. It is mostly cotton. I originally bought the blazer in black, wore it a couple times and went back to get it in another color because it looks sharp and for the most part feels good. But I’m not going to lie, the polyester lining… what’s that about? It can really mess a girl up, especially when doing a public speaking gig under lights on a stage cause it gets hot.

With all of that in mind, I find myself grabbing a denim jacket more often than I like. But based on that I have a few colors — the traditional blue, black and white. I also have a really weathered blue I wear more casually. I have both hundred percent cotton and some with a bit of stretch in them. I refuse to buy a blend that’s higher than 10 percent synthetic because it will get hot & sweaty.

Shirts / Blouses

Going to say this is one where I have found more brands providing options. But it’s still a lot harder to find cotton shirts for women than it is for men. The long-sleeved blouses that fit our shapes are appreciated. We’d like some short sleeved ones that aren’t polo-style. I buy a lot of shells / tank tops to wear under those blazers I mentioned. And I wear quite a few nice t-shirts and sweaters. We appreciate more in all categories.

Other Things Brands May Want to Know

Just in case there is a brand out there listening…. We do look for more in professional clothing for women. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Colors & Patterns

I tend to go for classic colors and keeping prints simple when possible for work. If I can’t do simple prints, I’d go for prints that connected to my work in food, farming and science. That is what led me to wearing a watermelon skirt and a dress covered in DNA (not the CSI kind, but it has the double helix as the design. There are lots of niche companies who are doing really well in this space and when I look around and ask friends where they found things, I am frequently pointed to small businesses that cater to us online.

Online Shopping

I already mentioned how many small businesses cater to us online. Some of the bigger brands do too. One thing that I’ve seen more of on good sites is the option to search by fiber. You let me pick natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool and I will be there more frequently because I know it will be easier to find clothes I like just like searching by size.

Beyond Tired of Cheap

I have bought what brands supplied me long enough. I know there are lots of companies who sell near disposable clothing and count on people buying new versions every season every year. Stop expecting us to go along with that. Lots of us want better quality and greater durability which frequently means getting away from the weird fiber blends you come up with.

I have found there are so many great alternatives out there with costs being higher (sometimes significantly) but they fit and wear well for longer because they are better made. Lots of us are fine with having smaller wardrobes if it is both professional and comfortable. I have been using some of this quarantine time to Marie Kondo those closets and I don’t intend to just refill them.

What else would we like in professional clothes for women?

The post Can we improve professional clothing for women? A Plea for Fashion Brands appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

Challenges on the internet come and go pretty quickly. I remember getting some friends at work to do the ice bucket challenge. This week as Dolly Parton put out a meme that quickly became the latest viral challenge. I had to think about how clearly it fit cotton, my favorite fiber. Next thing I knew, I had a cotton meme!

In case you haven’t seen the Dolly Parton post I am talking about, here you go:

View this post on Instagram

Get you a woman who can do it all

A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton) on Jan 21, 2020 at 10:02am PST

Dolly definitely has a brand of being able to do it all. She posted that on her Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts and brought so many smiles and made people think. The simplicity of showing how she is many things by putting it in the context of prominent, distinctive online networks that offer really different value.

It’s why memes can be so powerful. You can wrap up so many things into a simple image or collection of images with a few words. People can’t help but share in the fun.

Next thing you knew people were calling it the Dolly Parton Challenge and doing various versions. I had friends who did them for themselves, pets, brands they work for and more. And I thought people should know to get a fiber that can do it all too!

Cotton Meme: The Fiber that Can Do It All

If you read Hundred Percent Cotton Often, you have seen article after article about the various strengths of the fiber but putting into a simple format that would resonate on Twitter and Instagram…. I had to really ponder things. Here’s the cotton meme I came up with:

It probably doesn’t need much explanation, but a bit may be helpful. So here’s the thought behind each photo:

• LinkedIn — When it comes to business, cotton has you covered! In fact, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing reports that US bills are printed on 75% cotton and 25% linen stock. And if you look at what you can do with a bale of cotton (about 500 lbs), you could make 313,600 $100 bills!
• Facebook — Facebook is for fun and family. What’s more fun than t-shirts, jeans, digging in the dirt and a big old pair of underwear? Also, when things get a bit more serious, talking about the environment is more fun when you can talk about soiling your undies (to show soil health).
• Instagram — Lifestyle and beautiful photography are what makes the day on Instagram and as that sunset shows and as cotton farmers know, you can get a great lifestyle with the natural fiber AND harvest photos are often stunning!
• Tinder — Looking for love? Well polyester sheets would have you in all the wrong places! Obviously you are going to want some awesome cotton sheets!

Cotton really is the fiber that can do it all! Think I’m missing anything? May need to make a second cotton meme too!

The post This Cotton Meme Suggests You Get a Fiber that Can Do It All appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

All summer long, the “Old Town Road” earworm has been getting to us — and I have heard “Wrangler on my booty” too many times not to write about it. Just seeing the words on the screen I hear the whole song tune. I can’t begin to imagine how many times I’ve heard it on the radio. It’s broken global music records and the line about his choice in jeans, definitely stands out in my mind.

As we discussed earlier, Wrangler Jeans have typically had connections to rural roots. But the mention in a country rap song? It’s fitting but Wrangler hasn’t had much on an urban connection, but Lil Nas X does. That unexpected nod, was a welcome addition to the brand’s effort to draw a more diverse customer base according to an interview the company’s CEO did with Bloomberg this week.

Thanks to quick marketing efforts doing a line inspired by the song, Wrangler has a Lil Nas X Collection, they have really seized the moment. Looking at the collection online it is clear that the Old Town Road wording is popular — most of the products are sold out and the company says they sell out almost as soon as it goes up.

Collaborations with Artists More Common

Years ago, actresses started getting fashion deals. The one that stands out for me early is Jaclyn Smith who was on Charlie’s Angels and had clothes being sold at K-Mart and Sears. It’s gotten a lot more common in casual clothing and athletic wear. And it crosses over various areas of entertainers. Just last fall, Levi’s introduced the Justin Timberlake collection. And that was closely timed to the company’s IPO.

Putting that artist’s name, alongside a brand and a limited edition product…. that seems to be marketing turbo. And it creates that “have it now” mentality for the real fans. That’s a departure from having on-going lines that go from season to season. I mean think about how many years Michael Jordan’s from Nike were sold…. How he has built his brand for years before getting the deal whereas Lil Nas X rose earlier this year mentioning Wrangler on his booty on TikTok.

Are you someone who enjoys the cultural connections of clothes & music? I can remember the Beatles and Jerry Garcia ties being fun for a while. Not sure I need these Wranglers but I can see the demographic widening and for a brand, that sounds like a good thing.

The post “Wrangler On My Booty?” Lil Nas X Extends Brand Reach appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

While reading New York Magazine, I saw this list of things NYC teens think are cool. It is interesting to see what all stands out to a demographic so different from me, but common ground is cotton. You see that mom jeans and denim jackets rate highly in the minds of teens. Seems New York teens realize cotton is cool — especially jeans and denim jackets.

Mom Jeans

Teens provided a lot of ideas on what they like. The brands and fits are something that change more and that’s definitely something teenagers are interested in. The recommendations on brands, a clear understanding of price points and discussion of distressed versus abused denim. The fact that the jeans that get the shoutout are mom jeans though, I confess it makes me chuckle.

While at the mall recently I couldn’t help but notice how high some of the waistlines were, I also remember when this cut was just the way jeans were done. Yes, I am solidly mom age. We had jeans… different colors of jeans for sure but we didn’t have the endless number of fits that are out there now.

I remember when low-cut jeans came out and got lower and lower and the “high rise” jeans started being called “mom jeans.” So now you have teenage girls of Gen Z wearing the jeans that millennials called “mom jeans” when Gex Xers continued wearing the jeans we liked cause 1-inch zippers let us feeling a little over exposed. Everything comes back in style, the big question is what this highwaisted style will be called in the future cause teens have popularized it again… I guess if they take their favorite cut to adulthood, it could simply be a self-professing prophecy.

Denim Jackets

It feels like denim jackets are on people’s minds a lot right now. They rate well with teens and I think part of that is how individualized they can be. There are lots of fits, colors and ways to personalize them with pins & patches. You can spend big dollars on a designer jacket or get one at a local thrift shop. Throwing a jacket on with a tank top and shorts works what you are at the beach & the breeze gets a bit strong or you can wear it over a nice dress (something I love to do year-round).

I think they really cross generations. And My friend Briana and I were at the mall this weekend and she mused about not having a denim jacket (I am still aghast!). In a post last week about the new Shop Cotton effort on Amazon from Cotton Incorporated, I mentioned craving a long denim jacket in the store to add to the white, black and two different colors of blue denim jackets I own and wear frequently.

Although many would suggest it may be too hot to think of any kind of jacket, that only works for the outdoors. Whether at the movies, an office or on a plane, I frequently find myself reaching for a jacket and denim is one of the best!

The post New York Teens Agree Cotton is Cool appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

Being one of those picky people who wants 100 percent cotton or at least mostly cotton products instead of blends frequently limits the choices I have. Just this past weekend, I stopped somewhere specifically for a memories-inspired t-shirt only to find a high percent of the collection were at least 50% polyester. I went through all the tags and then knew what I could pick from. It seems that Cotton Inc. knew I needed someone to help make it easier & they are launching Shop Cotton on Amazon. According to an article in WWD (Women’s Wear Daily), the store will be open for the rest of summer (through August 31, 2019).

This post includes affiliate links which may result in a commission for the blog. 

Cotton Style House

The Cotton Style House is an online shop (which will be popup in Montauk, Long Island late July). It offers my favorites (like cotton dresses) and so much more. There are men’s & women’s clothes and they are grouped by styles various individuals are more than likely to identify with.

I think the on-the-go getter collection is probably closest to me. I love the simple Land’s End tank top and have to confess that I wear a camo jacket like this one from Levi’s often! And as someone who already owns multiple denim jackets (a couple of blue ones, one each of white and black), I can’t help but wonder if I need a third blue one that is a tunic-style denim jacket!

That said, I’ve been taking more yoga classes so the wellness warrior has some items that I’m checking out too. I immediately thought of a few friends when I saw some of the things that were in the jetsetter and show stopper collections.

Browsing Styles

Whether you find one style that is a perfect fit or not as you Shop Cotton on Amazon, looking through the site is great for getting ideas. It reminded made me think of a few things that have gotten to the back of my closet that I should pull out. And I was able to put a few more things in that Amazon shopping cart!

The post Shopping for Cotton Just Got Easier! Cotton Inc Launches Shop Cotton on Amazon appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

This post includes some links to products, some of which I make a small commission from. Hope you find the info helpful. 

When you choose a Twitter name like JPlovesCOTTON, you should be ready for strange tweets about cotton. Over the decade I’ve been on Twitter, they have come and gone…  This one made total sense to me but it sure got a few folks asking questions! Seriously? Some guy is going to be working at a steel mill and wants my advice on 100% cotton socks and underwear, preferably grown and made in the USA.

Looking for 100% cotton socks and underwear. Prefer US Cotton, but will settle with other. Can only find 90% cotton at local stores. Needed to work at the furnace at a steel mill. @JPlovesCOTTON any help?

— Shannon Family Farms (@ShannonFamFarms) May 26, 2019

I knew immediately, Jonathan (the guy who will be working at the steel mill) wasn’t wanting fashion tips or anything. He wanted cotton for the same reason I try to wear cotton when I am in front of a campfire, etc. It is about safety in heat and flames.

So in this post, I want unpack a few things:

• Fiber Response to Heat/Flames — We talked about the differences in 100% cotton products & blends earlier, but let’s talk about how different fibers react to heat & flames a bit today.
• Sources of hundred percent cotton goods — I try to unearth all the goodness!
• Some of the gear steelworkers wear — He’s looking for the personal items, there are other parts of the “uniform” that there are clear guidelines on.

Fiber Response to Heat/Fiber

Safety of natural fibers and synthetics differ in a major way when it comes to heat. Natural fibers like cotton, silk and wool will burn when exposed to flames unless they are treated with flame retardants. Synthetic or man-made fibers like polyester, nylon, acetate, etc will melt.

This video demo is a bit long, but really shows you what happens when the fiber just gets close to the flame or is put in it directly.

100 Percent Cotton Socks & Underwear

What this video doesn’t prompt you to think about is what if you were wearing a garment of those fibers? It’s kind of scary to pause and think about. I mean none of them bode well really. But what you want to look at and think about is what happens after. The ashes produced from natural fibers, simply would mean those garments would be gone. But the melting, the beading of a hot, somewhat plasticized residue, can actually adhere to skin and continue doing damage to your skin. So a lot of those novelty socks from nylon and polyester could really hurt your feet and I’m sure none of us want to think what would happen with underwear of synthetic fibers!

The brand of socks that immediately comes to mind is Wigwam. They are sold in a lot of the farm supply shops but Wigwam also has a website where people can purchase directly from the company. I loved that it was the first company to come to mind for me and later some farmers weighed in with the same tip!

On the underwear side, I’m a big fan of Jockey cause they are 100 percent cotton (with the exception of waistbands and well made. Working in ag, we can be hard on clothes so knowing that seams won’t pop quickly, etc matters. They have lots of different styles, designs, etc. a good 100% cotton Jockey boxer brief is available on Amazon.

Other Steelworker Gear

Working in a steel mill with the furnace means some fairly extreme temperatures. With that in mind, you definitely want to protect yourself and companies would want to be sure they have really good safety programs in tact. Think like the fire department but even more intense temperatures.

While we talked about the things he yet needed to buy, the outerwear has really specific requirements. Jonathan shared a few photos with me to show the types of fabrics involved — all 100 percent cotton but they also had various protective coatings, etc.

His pants and shirt are by Carhart — no surprise as they are a leading maker of work clothes. They have a Force FR line (FR = flame resistant) that totally hits the nail on the head. And to protect his head from sparks, etc, he has a welders cap. All of that 100% cotton.

The post Why would a steelworker ask me for shopping advice? 100% cotton of course! appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

Since I grew up a city girl, I didn’t how much about Wrangler jeans til I was going to college in Oklahoma. I still remember a girlfriend talking about how great guys looked wearing Wranglers and I was wondering to myself who she was talking about. Needless to say decades of working with family farmers and attending George Strait concerts, I understand that Wranglers are every bit as ubiquitous in that world as Levi’s jeans had been in mine. And I love seeing Wrangler commit to US cotton which am excited to pass along news of!

Wrangler’s Rooted Collection

Now Wrangler is driving that point home in a few new ways — they are marketing jeans and t-shirts that connect back to the family farms that grew them. The collection — Wrangler Rooted — connects to the farm, to US textile mills and more.

Grown, cut and sewn in the USA, the Wrangler Rooted Collection represents a triumph in sustainability. Featuring custom shanks, rivets, patches and pocket prints, the details of each premium jean are a nod to the tireless work ethic and responsible land stewardship of America’s cotton farmers. Each of the five designs includes features that tie these jeans back to healthy soils in each state.

Talking about Sustainability & Soil Health

The timing of the announcement seems perfect to me. I think Wrangler sees that more Americans are interested in the environmental footprint of the clothes they wear. Watching to the videos they have and reading the website, I especiallly noticed a discussion around two of the factors that I have seen a lot of interest in — soil and water.

Listening to cotton farmer Vance Smith from Texas talk about the soils and moisture on his farm in Big Spring, I get as excited as I was the first time I visited Mr Ray on his Louisiana farm! Vance talks about the way his farm saves water, moving to drip irrigation, and how exciting it is to find moisture in the spring, the ways they have reduced tillage, are using cover crops,

Family Farms Growing Cotton for Wrangler

When I first saw the news, I looked through the list anxiously and as I did, I realized that many of the farmers were people I have known for decades. These aer farmers who have been looking for ways to improve their farms as long as I have known them. And Wrangler is sharing the farmer’s stories on the jeans, in ads and on the Wrangler Rooted website.

The company has started with two states and two families — the Newby family in Alabama and the Smiths in Big Spring, Texas — there are Tennessee and North Carolina jeans / farmers.

Watching the videos, I immediately want to buy some of the products! Here’s the video of the Newbys…. Jerry (the older gentleman who starts the video) has a heart of gold. Although I don’t know his children and grandchildren as well, I have met them several times and they seem to carry that trait too. The video captures the family I know well.

Interested in Hearing More?

I have to tell you, looking at this project, it goes beyond win-win.

Environmentally

Having a major brand like Wrangler take the time to go indepth on sustainability matters. Individually there is so much that can be done but with scale for good that a major brand has… well, that brings lots of individual efforts to a greater scale. And in fact, even though I didn’t know this was coming, I had hoped to be on a panel with the sustainability lead for Wrangler’s parent company talking about just this sort of thing last year when we porposed grow to sew for SXSW Interactive.

Quality

Looking at all the details on the jeans, it looks like Wrangler is thinking about it all. The jeans seems to wear the state with pride. There is a state map on the button at the waist and on the leather tag on the back pocket and the inside pockets are incredible!

Supporting US Jobs

Over the last few decades, more and more textiles have been moving out of the US as people looked for cheaper clothes. This return to high quality, provides the pricing cushion that allows more of the work to be done in the United States. And I have to tell you, I’m personally willing to pay more for quality that also provides jobs here. Obviously, I love the fact that cotton farming families are being featured for all the great work they are doing. That may be a bit selfish though as someone who’s worked with cotton so long.

It Feels Good

I just like the idea of knowing the back story on some things. And having had decades of knowing families like the Newbys, I have so much confidence in the products they produce and that just makes me smile. I think I may wait for the Tennessee products coming later this summer since I’m a Memphis girl, but who knows…. some of the Texas & Alabama stuff looks great!

You may see more about this on Hundred Percent Cotton! I am looking forward to seeing more!

The post Wrangler Jeans Shows They are Rooted with Cotton from Family Farms appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

I don’t think I’ve written a single blog post here about the stock market, but the fact that Levi Strauss is once again considering going public, well that really deserves a mention. Would an initial public offering (IPO) of Levi Strauss stock interest you?

When I saw the news this past week, I have to say I was a bit confused. Levi’s has been an incredibly well known denim brand for generations. It has been privately held & public in the past. Tech startups tend to be the IPO listings I hear about so I had to shake the cobwebs out of my mind and focus on it.

Levi’s: The High School Years

I love the various brands that bring us cotton clothes even though for a long time, all my clothes were handmade. And those first pairs of store bought jeans… well, my junior high and high school years were Levi heavy. Sure there were years when some would get Chic or Jordache jeans, but my family didn’t really do those. We kept clothes pretty basic.

Levi jeans were a constant in my life and I’ve been thinking more about them recently. I still love 100 percent cotton jeans more than blends even though I have bought several pairs with a bit of stretch. Those 100 percent cotton jeans need to be broken in a bit. But as you wear them, they form to the body that wears them routinely.

But I wonder whether how many people are thinking of Levi stock — which is planning to launch on the NYSE as LEVI according to CNBC. I read that piece and one by Motley Fool on 5 things to know about the IPO. And have to tell you the Motley Fool offers a lot more insight.

Global Footprint

The one thing the piece doesn’t mentions that I have anecdotes on, is the value of the Levi’s brand outside the U.S. When I have gone on various big trips, usually overseas or I have hosted friends here, Levi’s is a seminal brand (I mentioned this as I wrote about Justin Timberlake’s new line of clothes.)

I can’t help but wonder whether the growing middle class in some parts of the world will be wanting more jeans and all. If so, will Levi’s be positioned better than other brands? Name recognition may be there but product development will be critical too.

Would you buy Levi’s stock?

The post Taking Stock in Levi’s? Levi Strauss is Launching an IPO appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.