We shared the news in this week’s Monday Roundup that Levi’s has just launched some new fits, including a line for women, of their Commuter brand jeans. The jeans are designed for bike transportation with high-rise waists, skinny legs and slightly reflective seams.
And befitting a clothing line that’s built for everyday riding, the video they launched today bursts through a dozen dull stereotypes about both biking and about marketing women’s bike products.
Since our friend Jessica Roberts of Alta Planning + Design shared the video on Twitter, we’ve seen some warm reviews from Portlanders we respect:
@jessicaroberts is this an advertisement for Men or Women? I couldn't tell.
— showerspass (@showerspass) March 11, 2015
@andersem @jessicaroberts I liked the lack of sexualization & only saw 1 helmet. Looks like a good change in the conversation.
— Kath Youell (@KYouell) March 11, 2015
@jessicaroberts We liked it. Tastefully done. Less Cycle Chic (R), more rad and women of color.
— ThePathLessPedaled (@pathlesspedaled) March 11, 2015
Advertisement
And a couple interesting thoughts from a prominent Los Angeles bike shop:
@jessicaroberts That ad will do more for cycling than all the PSA's in all the MPO's in the US this year.
— Flying Pigeon LA (@flyingpigeonla) March 11, 2015
@jessicaroberts Their market research for jeans shows what bike industry knows: growth in new riders are mixed ethnicity women.
— Flying Pigeon LA (@flyingpigeonla) March 11, 2015
“At first I was a little turned off by how fast & young it skewed – didn’t feel like it was for me,” adds Roberts, 39. “But then I realized that’s what fashion does. From that perspective, it’s probably quite effective in setting up urban biking as a cultural aspiration/norm.”
To me (who is, admittedly, a white dude who already wears jeans on almost every bike trip) there’s a lot to like here. From my perspective, the ad’s celebration of little moments is stylish but not formal, practical but not pedantic, attractive but not sexual, familiar but not boring.
There are lots of different kinds of bikes. One of them is on a freaking bus rack.
There’s even rain.
What do you think?
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
I like some of the levis commuter line but ffs not everybody wants skinny jeans. I’m athletically proportioned, ride daily, and I was happy to see that they introduced a wider leg design.. until I got them and put them on. They were the skinniest jegging type pant I have ever attempted. I like the material, hate the cut. Love my commuter jacket though.
Radical. “higher back for more coverage” and reflectivity PLUS – be still my heart – dirt repelling??? did they really say that? Radical. Very urban, this ad will only play in some very hip markets (either coast). I like the image of capable competent young women going fast.
This outta really make the helmet haters happy.
Oh my! – people enjoying themselves on bicycles without helmets. Someone call the concern police!
In all seriousness, I would buy pants that looked like jeans but were water/dirt repellent. A seriously good idea.
This is great 🙂 I love the variety of different scenarios, especially the bus bike rack! This looks like a really well thought out product and ad. I don’t have any brand loyalty for clothing (I pretty much only buy secondhand), but I’m much more likely to buy Levi now for anything I have / want to buy new.
I like the ad – a lot. However, I doubt that Carhartt is going to release an activewear pant for contractors on bikes.
That’ll be your next million, right Christopher?
I am interested in seeing what JV mentioned below. That said, I usually get all my Carhartt pants in the bargain basement at Next Adventure or at Goodwill. I try to stay away from buying newer, expensive clothing.
Next high priced fashion fad: pre-fatigued Carhartt pants. It’s so you can prove your “workin class cred” to other hipsters.
Sad but true. I stopped wearing Carhartt pants because for some reason they wear out faster at the crotch from rubbing against a bike seat than other jeans.
I am in no way affiliated, but I would recommend Arborwear as a Carhartt alternative. They are meant for climbing trees and are reinforced in similar ways, but designed for greater flexibility. Good on bikes and rock walls too.
Carhart doesn’t design for high levels of “crotch wear” as they market to the oversized pickup truck crowd.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will again recommend the miraculous services of Margaret at Stitch in a Hurry (20th & E Burnside). I don’t know how she does it, but she can repair a bike-worn jeans butt so well you can’t even tell they’ve been repaired. It’s amazing and well worth the cost.
The ad doesn’t go into it but the commuters have a double-layered reinforced crotch. At least, the men’s version do.
Does anyone know if they carry these in the NW retail location? Because there’s no flipping way I’m spending $118 on jeans that I can’t try on first.
West End Bikes is carrying them.
I bought a pair online and a pair in the Levi’s store and paid around $60 for each I think. I don’t know about that store specifically, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t have them. Levis has really been pishing the commuter line.
A couple months ago I saw the men’s jeans at the macys downtown.
That is a nice ad. Fun, energetic, normal looking people, living in the city and riding bikes.
Some nice looking clothes, bikes, and moves. That tunnel scene was almost Brunelle-esque…
Yes, they sell them in the NW location. No, they don’t repel water very well. They’ll spray some water on them in front of you in the store to demonstrate, but I promise you’ll be disappointed with the real-world performance.
they’re stretchy jeans, not wunderpants. they’re awesome for pedaling however. i’m stoked on mine, and they fit bike racer legs.
I have a couple pairs of the original commuter jeans. I’m not sure if my comments apply to the current jeans, but here goes.
– Reasonably comfortable to ride in. Has gusset crotch, so no central raised seam grinding between you and the saddle. Adequately stretchy.
– The material is slightly water repellent. Maybe about as much as a nylon windbreaker. So, better than standard cotton denim which is basically a sponge, but not close to real rain pants.
– Wish they’d kept the pocket on the rear waistband.
Denim trousers are ugly, ill-fitting, uncomfortable, short-lived gold miners pants from the 19th century.
How they ever came to be considered “stylish” is the great mystery of the 20th century, along with nuclear fission.
Did I say “ugly?”
Gladys on Alberta is selling these. A great shop!
Great ad. I like that it makes cycling around the city look as badass and exhilarating as it feels. I especially like that it shows normal women riding fast, and riding normal commuter bikes.
I feel like a lot of the marketing material promoting “the cycling lifestyle” to women tends to feature gentle, smiling feathers in sundresses riding pastel beach cruisers with flowers in the front basket. Which is awesome too, it just doesn’t reflect how I or my friends get to work.
I wrote to levis last year to express disappointment that they’d only introduced a dude’s line. Think I owe them a follow up kudos note.
I sent probably similar aggrieved notes, including to whoever the local sponsor was. For years now, I’ve lived in two pairs of $200+ Outlier pants for about nine months a year. Levi’s price sounded seductive, and I was infuriated that they decided women weren’t enough of a market to include some that were cut for us.
I own two pairs of these jeans (for men), and I love them. They changed the cut and have several different types of materials (some stretchier, lighter and heavier fabrics) that are great on and off the saddle. Now, I’m a white guy, but think the commercial is great – it portrays practical biking and women in a really good light.
We are psyched to be launching our new Metroride commuter helmet alongside Levi’s Women’s Commuter Jeans.
Check out the contest Leah is running on Gladys Bikes Instagram to win a Metroride helmet or custom Levi’s x Brooks Cambium saddle! #ThisIsWhatACommuterLooksLike
I think it is definitely perfectly geared towards its audience of 16 – 29 year old, primarily women urban, chic, 20k+, possible cyclists. And if anyone outside their target audience is drawn to them than bonus.
What the bike industry is missing are pants made for people with quads. Like people that have their bodysize double in their quads. Because all the high rise in the world can’t help when you have to size up from a 32″ to a 38″ because you can’t get the pantleg over your thighs – and they’re no longer skinny jeans. (Obviously not complaining about me) This is not individualized to just cycling, but any sports industry where people actually use their legs. What kind of pants to people wear? Shorts?
I personally, am NOT a fan of jeans for cycling. Commuter brand or otherwise. They’re just too hot and not comfy/don’t move.
Doesn’t help either that I am short(er) and more athletic – so skinny jeans and me, def don’t get along.
I do however, LOVE the new Giro NEW ROAD Mobility Pant
http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/women/apparel/bottoms/mobility-pant.html
So much, I ended up buying TWO pair! They breathe, they move when I move. They have a gusseted crotch (which is good for cycling clothes FYI) and they actually even made me feel hopeful that the cycling community is hearing the requests of many (female) riders and starting to make changes to their urban apparel for the better!
But they don’t seem – by the cotton content or the web site’s description – to be water resistant. If the Outliers are pummeled beyond their water resistance and get wet, they don’t stay wet for long. One of the joys of modern polyester.
All i see is no bike lights.