American Eagle Is Selling Jeans Made of Recycled Coffee Grounds

I know, I know: Say the name American Eagle Outfitters and you get flashbacks of junior year of high school and lots of bad graphic t-shirts. All of that aside, I tripped upon one of their new concepts that isn’t just kitsch for kitsch’s sake: They’re selling jeans made out of recycled coffee.

No, the new “Flex/Cafe” line from AEO doesn’t smell like Starbucks (yes, I totally sniffed my denim the minute I took them out of the package to see if they’d have a latte odor), but they do contain 2.25 grams of recycled coffee grounds in each pair. The line is part of their relatively new flex denim collection, which contain a bit of added stretch thanks to a cotton/polyester blend. 

I was totally impressed by the fit and the wear of the slim pair I ordered that I donned them for a solid three days straight and didn’t want to send them to the laundry. Unlike other flex jeans for guys, which can tend to look a little too much like women’s leggings, these had enough of a solid feel to them that I didn’t feel like I was rocking out a denim mix.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what the coffee grounds do to the jeans, or if there really is any functional benefit, besides saying that it’s super darn cool that you’re wearing coffee beans in your pants. For women, AEO is carrying six styles in the Flex/Cafe line, ranging from jeggings to a looser boyfriend-style pant, all priced between $44.95 and $59.95. Guys have got four different Flex/Cafe styles, all priced at $54.95. At those prices, if you skip your daily espresso run for the week, you can pick up a pair.

So, yes, I’m actually recommending something from American Eagle. Go figure. Contrary to popular Internet legend, if you click your heels three times and say “Pumpkin Spice Latte,” a girl wearing yoga pants and Ugg boots will not appear. A girl wearing coffee-infused jeans will, and that sounds much, much better.