Fashion: The jean pool

Denim humble? Not this season Miners and cowboys made it their uniform. The hippies gave it anti-establishment cachet. Calvin Klein and Gloria Vanderbilt amassed fortunes from it in

Wednesday, April 19th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Denim humble? Not this season

Miners and cowboys made it their uniform. The hippies gave it anti-establishment cachet. Calvin Klein and Gloria Vanderbilt amassed fortunes from it in the 1970s. The Gap built an empire on it in the '80s and '90s. And just last year, Tom Ford decorated it with beads and feathers and turned it into a trend phenomenon that's still going strong.
Is any fabric so deeply woven into our culture and our closets as denim?

This spring, it's impossible to open a magazine, watch a movie or turn a store corner without seeing not just denim jeans, but denim jackets, denim dresses, denim halter tops, denim trench coats, denim capris, denim skirts - even denim shoes, handbags and prom gowns.

Denim isn't having a mere "fashion moment." It's taking over the world.

With so many designers and labels in on the act, the style options are limited only by your mood and credit limit. It's distinctly possible, for instance, to pose as a poor artist in a pair of $200 paint-splattered jeans one day, and pass for a Beverly Drive blueblood in a bargain-buy, designer-inspired dark denim pencil skirt the next.

Dirty denim

Helmut Lang pioneered it. Then Calvin Klein made it his "major global fashion statement" for spring. Now Diesel, Levi's, Lee and Tommy Hilfiger are all talking dirty. The jeans (and jackets and skirts) aren't as filthy as they appear. They've been abraded for a threadbare look, then tinted with gray-, yellow- or copper-tinged washes. The extra processes mean higher prices - about $78 for a pair of CK Jeans, compared with about $50 for basic "clean" styles.

Denim deluxe

Designer jeans, circa spring 2000. The pricy runway looks that few people own but lots of companies copy. For spring, think Michael Kors' tie-dyed and hand-bleached jeans and jackets at Celine; Oscar de la Renta's double-breasted denim trench coat (a mere $3,050); Marc Jacobs' '70s-inspired colored jeans; and the denim boots and handbags by John Galliano for Christian Dior.

"Whiskers"

Fashionese for the cat-whisker-like pattern of creases that form on jeans at the fold where legs meet torso, either by years of wear or by clever manufacturers who have figured out how to duplicate them.

Waistbands

Off with them! Mariah Carey wore a pair of vintage Levi's with the waistband scissored off for her Heartbreaker video. Dozens of jean manufacturers, including Mudd and XOXO, followed suit, making the no-waistband look an official trend for the toned-tummy set.

Dyed denim

Not all denim is blue. It's also vivid pink, red, orange, turquoise and yellow. In addition to solids, look for specialty effects such as tie- and dip-dying, and bleaching for a randomly mottled look.

Decorated denim

Gucci revived the embellished, bohemian look this time last year. Since then, a multitude of designers and denim companies have jazzed up their jeans with beading, embroidery and ribbon trim. The newest look? Silver studs, seen everywhere from Gianni Versace to Anna Sui, Earl to Z. Cavaricci.

Denim in the details

The small things that count this season (and where to find them): fraying hems (Chloe, Parallel, or do it yourself with a seam ripper), permanent center creases (Levi's Sta-Prest), back seams (Bruce), sculpted knees (DKNY Jeans), patchwork (Gap, Rich Hippie).

"Vintage" denim

Either silhouettes and details (such as buckle backs, red selvages and copper rivets) modeled on original vintage designs, or denim that's been thrashed and trashed to look like it's been worn for years. Check out Gap's 1969 collection, or Lee's "Busted" jeans - faded, abraded and full of holes.

As for the real deal, authentic vintage jeans continue to be hot collectibles. What's selling now: old Wranglers and Sergio Valentes.

Stretch denim

Adding a touch of Lycra (usually 2 to 4 percent) gives denim a fit that's close but comfortable. Find it in snug-fitting pants, tops and dresses.

Earl Jeans

Label of the moment for fashionistas. Basic boot-cut hipsters (touted for their form-fitting cut) are about $100.

Engineered Jeans

A radical new line from Levi Strauss, introduced in Europe last summer and said to be "the next big thing." Dark, Tencel-enhanced jeans have side seams set on the diagonal, slanting back pockets and hems and a watch pocket scaled to hold a cell phone or beeper.

Dark denim

The stiff, unwashed jeans that looked so fresh a few years back have finally begun to fade. But dark indigo denim has found a new life in uptown looks such as knee-length pencil skirts with ruffled hems, halterneck dresses and shapely little jackets. The darker the color, the dressier the look. Tip: To keep color from fading, either dry clean or wash inside out in cold water with a capful of vinegar.

Up next?

Surface treatments such as resins and Teflon coatings that give denim a shiny or metallic finish were all over the runways for fall. And would you believe, Jockey International is introducing denim underwear.