Young women examine a jeans in a shop at Sky Walk on 78th Street in Mandalay.

WHEN you talk about clothes that you can fashionably wear throughout the year regardless of the weather and almost any event, one item springs to mind every time – denim jeans.

How jeans have managed to secure their place in all levels of society is quite amazing:

Rich and poor, young and old, large or small matters not – nearly everybody has a pair of these trusty blue, black or grey beauties.

And it seems that in Mandalay there are more people wearing these humble denims than in Yangon.

There’s a good reason for this that anyone who has ever fallen off their bicycle or motorbike will attest, denim jeans offer greater protection than linen trousers or a longyi. And lifting your leg over the seat of a motorbike is a whole lot more comfortable too.

More people in Mandalay wear denim than in Yangon.

During the 1970s jeans were not readily available in Myanmar and few people were able to wear them but increasingly, especially since 2000, jeans have been cheap and easy to obtain.

“Before the 1970s when people wanted to wear jeans they had to be bought from foreign visitors or from Myanmar citizens returning from abroad. And they were worn when going on trips or as casual wear,” said U Aung Tin from Ever Jeans shop on 79th Street in Mandalay.

“But now, jeans are worn as everyday fashion and work wear by many people,” he said, adding that there are so many designs and styles for customers to choose from.

Most brands, he said, are imported from China, Thailand and Singapore, while prices vary from K8000-30,000, although for some labels this is only the tip of the iceberg.

U Aung Khin, manager at President Store on 84th Street, explained how the shop displays their designs.

“We normally put about 10 different styles on our shelves every month, although sometimes we have more than this. It is unusual for us to re-order the same style that we have on the shelves.

“Only when there is strong demand do we order the same design again. We find that customers are more interested in buying the newest designs all the time and we try to cater for that,” he said.

But some stores, like Pink Lady jeans store at the Sky Walk mall, hold their styles for longer.

“We try to change our designs after three months. And jeans account for at least 60 percent of our clothing sales. We find that there are even over-50s jeans devotees,” explained Ma Su Kauk of Pink Lady jeans, which sells only women’s jeans.

The managers of jeans and clothing stores who spoke to The Myanmar Times in Mandalay all agree on one point – sales of jeans go up in the time leading up to Thingyan and decline when the hot season is at its most brutal.

Several managers said that young men in Mandalay are choosing to wear baggier jeans, imitating their favourite hip-hop stars, while women are buying three-quarter length jeans and stove-pipe designs that show the curve of their legs.

But there are other reasons why people love jeans.

“During summer, jeans absorb perspiration and in winter they keep you warm, especially while you’re riding a bike or motorbike. And they’re tough too – they do not need to be treated tenderly and don’t have to be washed every time you wear them,” said Ko Kyaw Kyaw, one jeans buff.

“And two pairs of jeans are enough to match with any shirt you’re likely wear. Besides special events and ceremonies and looking only at casual clothing, jeans are the best,” he added.

With jeans so prevalent in day-to-day wear and so closely linked with popular culture, it seems their place in place in Mandalay is assured for years to come.