Levi’s Denim Trends Report says ‘jorts’, cool denim and neutral tones to be summer bestsellers

Levi’s has issued a denim trends report and it’s interesting to note the key items that one of the world’s biggest names in denim thinks consumers will buy this summer, especially as summer heat has arrived ahead of the season’s official start. The report is Europe-specific and has highlighted a number of defining trends in denim for the season.

First of these is that “the new summer uniform is short: relaxed jorts and oversized denim shorts”. The label has seen “growing momentum behind loose and relaxed silhouettes across Europe, with baggy shorts and jorts emerging as standout styles across genders this summer.” 

While men gravitate towards relaxed silhouettes like 478 Baggy Short and non-denim options like the XX Chino Shorts, “women are showing versatility in their warm weather styles, embracing everything from the classic 501 Original Short to the Baggy Dad Jort and Culottes”.

The company said search demand in the UK for ‘jorts’ rose by over 1,000% from 2024 to 2025, “with expectations for it to well exceed this for 2026”. 

And it doesn’t have to be summer for denim demand to rise, although it seems it does need to be getting noticeably warmer. When France saw temperatures spike in February, so did searches for denim, with a 100% increase, while Germany and the UK experience peak surges of over 100% in July.

Looking at the second key trend, Levi’s said white and neutral denim are the colour of the season. Demand for neutral colour palettes “is surging, with significant increases in search for white, off-white, brown and light grey denim”. Kendall Jenner at Coachella in vintage Levi’s white denim shorts was a big influence and helped drive a global search increase of close to 70% in April, “demonstrating the growth of a trend that is set to shape both Europe’s festival season and broader summer dressing”.  

Meanwhile the ‘Screen-to-Street Effect’ is one to note with Carolyn Bessette and Andy Sachs fuelling classic Levi’s demand. The brand’s sales and searches are being directly driven by the most talked about TV shows and movies. In fact, Carolyn Bessette styling has fuelled the 517 style with the recent cult show driving a 25% increase in sales of 517s. 

And talking of classic and vintage styles, the company also said “Y2K reigns supreme: and the Denim Bralette is shaping up as a festival essential”. The product has seen surging sales this year and has also been a big focus for the label’s summer campaign.

Finally, cool denim technology and linen denim demand should also make a summer impact having come from a standing start last year. Significantly, Levi’s said that while cool and lightweight denim pieces account for around 10% of its current men’s denim assortment in Europe, they account for approximately 20% of actual men’s denim sales.

Levi’s has been investing in cool denim fabric technology in recent periods and was the first to market with linen denim in 2025. It’s now available in fits like the 511, 502, 512, and 555, extending to shorts, chinos, truckers, and denim shirts (the linen denim shirts is particularly popular this year among men). Linen and poplin tops and dresses are also proving popular for womenswear and the brand said summer dresses, from denim to linen, have seen a 100% surge in sales since last year.