Revealing consumers' jeans joys and denim blues...

Originally, jeans were sturdy, practical items made to withstand hard work and wear and tear. These days they are near-ubiquitous global fashion items, found in most wardrobes of the world and capable of inspiring anything from a quiet love of comfortable 'old favourites' all the way through to long searches for the perfect pair and tear-your-hair-out trips to the fitting room.

Synovate surveyed around 7,700 people in the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Serbia, Russia and South Africa on all-things denim: fit, quantity, brand preferences and the amount people are willing to spend to achieve jeans nirvana. Here's what we found...

Brands making the cut

Price aside, Synovate asked respondents which brand they would most like to own. With no restrictions on answers - brands could be global or local - a third of all people chose a global and / or designer brand.

The clear global favourite is Levi's with more than one in five respondents nominating the classic brand as their most preferred choice. This was as high as 45% in France... intriguing given there are so many French brands available. Around a third of all people in Malaysia, the United States (their home!), Serbia and South Africa also chose Levi's.

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I'll take them in blue, black and bootleg

When it comes to jeans, it seems one pair is not enough for most of our respondents. Across the 10 markets surveyed, 31% of people own three or four pairs of jeans and another 29% own from five to 10 pairs. Drawers are fullest in Brazil, with 14% of respondents in that market saying they own more than 10 pairs of jeans and 40% with five to 10 pairs.

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The jeans blues (or.... does my butt look big in these?)

A great pair of jeans can elevate an outfit from drab to fab; and a person from woe to wow. Why, then, is it such a challenge for people, especially women, to find flattering jeans?

Forty-five percent of all respondents agreed with the statement 'I find it very difficult to find a pair of jeans that fits perfectly'. People who have the hardest time are Serbians (59%), Americans (57%) and Canadians (53%).

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Picking the perfect pair

People love jeans, own many pairs, but find it hard to get a perfect fit. Given all this, Synovate asked respondents to choose one factor above all others, which would influence their purchase of jeans.

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What price perfection?

Jeans nirvana has been achieved and the perfect pair is in the hands of the consumer. Now, what are they prepared to pay?

Hans Raemdonck, Global Head of Decision Systems for Synovate and a specialist in retail research, explains that price will obviously change from market to market according to standard of living.

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The skinny on style

When are jeans stylish and when are they inappropriate? Synovate asked people whether jeans were OK for the office or passé for parties and found that the style conscious French have a different perspective from most others.

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