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Donna Ida launches first men's jeans and plans plus size and maternity styles for women

Lauretta Roberts
05 December 2022

Donna Ida has made the first move into men's jeans with the launch of the Jack jeans, and is promising further styles for men, along with plus size and maternity styles for women also on the horizon for early 2023.

'Jack' is the premium women's jeans specialist's first ever style for men and was launched in response to its women's customers asking for jeans for their husbands or partners, said founder Donna Ida Thornton.

"Women were always asking us what to buy for their husbands and one of our factories [in Turkey] that we worked with specialised in men's jeans so we work with them to create them," she said.

The Jack style is a straight, slim jean with a slight slouch, which suits a wide range of men's bodies. "Men are so different from women. Men have got short legs and long bodies for the most part and a 32-in leg is what everyone sells. A lot of [men] do suit a similar shape, so you can fit more men into one style, which you can't do so much for women. But we are working on more styles, such as one for men with wider thighs," she explained.

Named after Thornton's grandfather, Jack is priced at £215 in sizes from 28 to 40. Available now at donnaida.com, it comes in the mid-blue Kempsey wash and is made from 99% cotton and 1% elastane. The jeans feature Donna Ida's signature 'dipped pocket' detail to link it to its sister women's collection. Further washes will be released next year.

Donna Ida

Donna Ida Thornton's husband Robert Walton in the Jack

On the womenswear side, Thornton is planning to introduce plus size to the line-up. The current collection goes up to a waist size 32, which Thornton describes as the equivalent to a "good size 16" but from early next year, the Phoebe (a high-waisted cropped slim style) will be available up to a size 42 (a UK dress size 22) and two further styles, including a skinny jean and a mini boot cut will be added to the plus size offer.

"We showed women a range of styles and they really liked the Phoebe, cropped slim leg, so we are launching with that," said Thornton. "It's nice to do things that expand the size range and deliver something for that category, for that group of women that want it and want to feel great."

A maternity style is also set to be launched and is being wear-tested by a member of the Donna Ida team to ensure that it can be worn through the full length of pregnancy and beyond.

Affectionately known as the 'Jean Queen', Donna Ida Thornton arrived in the UK from Australia in 1999 and initially worked in marketing. She went on to establish a multi brand denim retail business, having struggled to find good jeans to fit, before launching her own line in 2012. Donna Ida is best know for its high-waist jeans and its denim jumpsuits, which have a wide celebrity following.

Main image: Donna Ida Thornton with models wearing the Jack jeans.

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