Levi’s reported a surprisingly strong quarter thanks in part to a stylish assist from a buzzy new miniseries about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The iconic 517 bootcut jeans, once famously paired with Bessette’s effortless New York cool, saw sales jump 25% after the show hit screens.
Viewers binge-watching the whirlwind romance apparently decided their closets needed a dose of ’90s nostalgia, sending direct-to-consumer sales up 16%. The denim giant’s overall revenue climbed 14.1% to $1.74 billion, proving that sometimes the best marketing comes wrapped in a love story rather than a billboard. Even with a slight margin dip from tariffs, the company raised its full-year earnings guidance, leaving investors feeling unusually upbeat about pants.
Levi’s CEO Michelle Gass highlighted the organic strength during Tuesday’s earnings call, noting broad growth across regions and a 23% lift from its Beyond Yoga brand. Women’s apparel rose 13%, showing the power couple effect reached far beyond just one style.
In the body of the quarter, the 517s—still a reasonable $110 and now offered in a women’s cut—played a starring role. Bessette wore them strolling Manhattan streets decades ago, and the FX/Hulu series, which premiered Feb. 12 and ran nine episodes, reminded everyone why simple denim paired with confidence never really went out of style.
Analysts nodded approvingly, with one calling Levi’s category leadership and favorable trends a solid case for outperformance. The company holds the top market share in denim, yet somehow a TV drama about a tragic power couple gave the brand an extra spring in its step.
Shoppers weren’t just buying jeans; they were channeling a bit of that effortless cool. Who knew reliving a high-profile courtship could translate so neatly into higher same-store sales and fewer discounts needed to move product?
Tariffs tried to rain on the parade, nudging gross margins down to 61.9%, but strategic price tweaks and less promotion kept things mostly dry. The result: raised guidance to $1.42-$1.48 EPS for the year, a quiet victory for a company that has seen trends come and go like hemlines.
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