New Stretchy Jeans: J Brand and Serfontaine Use XFIT LYCRA

I’ve been thinking lately about doing a complete overhaul of my jeans drawer, which houses not one pair younger than 2 years old. So when I saw that Lycra was showcasing its new denim technology, XFIT LYCRA, at New York Fashion Week, I was interested to hear about the mysterious new material and give the jeans a little test-drive. At the Lycra Lounge in Bryant Park, I spoke with designers Jeff Rudes of J Brand and Mik Serfontaine of Serfontaine, two well-regarded jeans gurus using the innovative fiber in their exclusive new lines.

Jeff Rudes shows me
his J Brand jeans

XFIT LYCRA uses cross-weave technology to give the jeans 360-degree stretchability – so they stretch side to side and up and down. This allows the jeans to appear infinitely more sophisticated and tailored. Both J Brand and Serfontaine have designed several styles using XFIT, from super high-waisted, super-skinny, super-dark; to medium-waisted boot-cut, to low-rise wide-leg bellbottom. The jeans use minimal stitching and absolutely no embellishment because, as Jeff Rudes says, “it’s not about the jean, it’s about the outfit” that you can create from it. Rudes notes that the jeans should be like a second skin; they should morph to the woman’s body so that she can get creative with the outfit she builds around them. Mik Serfontaine adds that XFIT LYCRA “takes fit and comfortability to the next level” to give women “timeless style.”

Mik Serfontaine at
the Lycra Lounge

Not one to believe something without trying it myself, I wore a pair of J Brand’s “Bardot High Rise 12” Pencil Leg” (those high-waisted, skin-tight ones) to the Heatherette After Party Tuesday night, and I felt fabulous. Only time will tell if the jeans lose their stretch after a few washings, but I’m very optimistic.