Lucky Brand Jeans
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Lucky Brand Jeans is a unisex brand of jeans from Vernon, California, United States. In addition, they also produce sportswear, knits, wovens, outerwear, T-shirts and active wear.
Founded in 1990 by Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman, the brand is now sold world wide with over 110 company-owned stores in the United States and 6 internationally. Liz Claiborne, Inc. acquired 85% of Lucky Brand Jeans in May 1999, boosting sales and popularity. In 2005, the company expanded its line to include kid and baby clothing, making clothing for infants through age 10. In 2006, the company opened Lucky Brand Jeans Kid stores, which are stores that exclusively sell the kid clothing.
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[edit] The Product
Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman were known as ex-hippies. This relaxed and care-free attitude translates into their relaxed clothing style. Season after season, the clothing from Lucky Brand can be described as retro. There are a lot of pieces with tye-dye colors, detailed embroidery and peace symbols. Many people come into the store and can feel the 60s vibe oozing from the clothing. They are well-known for their eclectic hooded sweaters, comical and vintage tee-shirts and comfortable activewear. The store itself has a vintage atmosphere, often decked with various posters of artists from the 60s and 70s. The music consists of classic rock with some modern music thrown in. The company sells shirts with some famous personas, including:
Denim will always be the major selling point of the company. Denim easily makes up about 60% of their business. Lucky Brand Jeans first became popular due to the words, "LUCKY YOU" being stitched into the fly of every pair of jeans. Their selling-ethics are to have the right pair of jeans for every body type, which can be seen in their variety of denim fits. Each pair of jeans is body-specific, not age-specific. All of the jeans are hand-sewn in Los Angeles. Their prices vary from $88-$148, a very competitive price in comparison to other high-end jeans. Their sizes run from 00 (24 inches) to 16 (33 inches) for women, and 28-inches to 40-inches for men. In addition to a wide-spectrum of waist sizes, most fits come in a variety of inseams. Short = 30 inches, Regular= = 32 inches, Long = 34 inches and X-Long = 36 inches.
Accessories are also a major selling point for Lucky Brand. They have a variety of leather belts, most of them distressed to have a true vintage feel. The belts vary from 28"-42". Most of the buckles on the belts can be removed and interchanged with any other belt buckle. Belt buckles and leather straps are also sold separately to help create-your-own belt. Handbags, often made of 100% leather, are sold in-stores and vary from small clutches to large totes. Scarves, men's boxers and leather cuff bracelets can also be found in stores. An extended line of Lucky Brand accessories, including bracelets and necklaces, can be found at department stores like Macy's.
In 2005/2006, Lucky Brand launched Lucky Brand Kid. At first, the clothing was sold exclusively on their website, [1]. The line then was featured in a select-few stores. Finally, in Summer 2006, the company debuted their first Lucky Brand Kid stores on Montana Ave. and at the new Westfield Shopping Center in San Francisco, with more stores to come.
In 2006, Lucky Brand launched new fragrances for both men and women, called "Lucky Number 6." The perfumes are sold in-store as well as a variety of department stores. As well as the perfume and cologne, the stores are selling individual scented oils and incenses, with fragrances such as hemp, patchouli, tiger lily and sandalwood.
[edit] Women's Denim Fits
Lil' Maggie: Ultra-Low Rise, Super Slim Fit, Flare Leg.
Sweet Dream: (AKA: Dream) Ultra-Low Rise, Slim Fit, Slight Flare Leg.
Sundown: Mid-Low Rise, Slim Fit through Thigh, Bootleg.
Lola Boot: Mid-Low Rise, Everybody Fit, Slight Bootleg.
Lola Straight: Mid-Low Rise, Slim Fit, Straight, Tapered Leg. (a "Skinny Jean")
Sweet 'N Low: Mid-Rise, Easy Fit, Large Flare Leg.
Classic Bootleg: Mid-Rise, Classic Fit, Bootleg.
Easy Rider: Mid-Rise, Relaxed Fit, Bootleg.
[edit] Men's Denim Fits
Slim Bootleg: (AKA: Hendrix) Low-Rise, Slim Fit, Bootleg.
Slim Straight: Low Rise, Very Slim Fit, Straight Leg.
Vintage Straight: Mid-Low Rise, Classic Fit, Straight Leg.
Relaxed Bootleg: (AKA: Fender) Low-Rise, Relaxed/Baggy Fit, Large Bootleg
Santa Cruzer: Low Rise, Relaxed Fit, Bootleg.
Bootleg 181: Mid-Rise, Relaxed Fit, Bootleg.
Straight Leg 165: Mid-Rise, Relaxed Fit, Bootleg.
Relaxed Jean: Classic Rise, Relaxed Fit, Tapered leg.
[edit] The Customer Experience
The sales team at Lucky Brand Jeans is dedicated to helping everyone into a pair of comfy Lucky Brand Jeans. The team is trained to identify the perfect fit by looking at their customer's body type. Most stores are laid out with the jeans in a denim wall, behind the cash registers. This creates a necessity to ask for help when looking for jeans, since the sales associate has to pull the jeans down for the customer. Usually a customer can simply tell the associate what kind of jeans they like, and the associate will pull down several fits to try. Adam, for example, is a particularly helpful sales representative at one of the brand's excellent New York City locations.
When in the fitting room, the customer is encouraged to come out and model the clothing for the sales associate. Buying jeans shouldn't be a terrifying experience, so the act of trying on jeans is made as relaxing as possible, and customers will leave with the best fitting jeans possible. To do so, customers are encouraged to buy the jeans as slim as possible. This is because the jeans are pre-washed and stretch out (½ a size!) in the waistband, thighs and seat. The jeans do shrink ¼ inch in the inseam. The sales associates are not paid on comission, so there is little pressure from them to buy jeans if they don't look good. The associates want to make sure customers leave with great-fitting jeans.
If a customer asks for a fit not currently in stock, the staff will sometimes offer the closest available alternative, even if originally intended for the other gender.
