It’s a crisis of acid-washed proportions.
The “atheleisure’’ craze that has city women donning comfy yoga pants and other leggings for everyday wear has dramatically cut into the sales of an all-American clothing classic — blue jeans.
Denim sales dropped 6 percent in the United States last year, a significant decrease in the typically stable industry.
“I can wear leggings from yoga to going out at night,” explained Alice Corcoran, a 25-year-old tourist in Manhattan on Monday.
Angela Cartigiano, who manages the American Apparel on Houston Street, said, “Most people go for leggings because it’s easier and cheaper.
“Denim is just denim,’’ she said. “The leggings are more versatile.”
Many city women said they own at least a few pairs of jeans but find them too restrictive, especially during the summer.
“The loose-fitting pants are easier to dress and are way more comfy than jeans,” said Karlines Rodriguez, who works at Aldo shoes in Midtown. “Jeans are just too stiff.”
Cost is also a factor: Most jeans run for at least $40 or more, while a pair of everyday leggings may only cost as little as $10.
“Cheap leggings will always fit you. Cheap jeans don’t fit as well,” said Corcoran.
A similar drop in the denim industry occurred in 1984 after new styles of leggings took over the market.
Today’s “6 percent drop may not seem like much, but it’s rare for denim to take such a dramatic drop,” Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for the NPD Group a market research firm, told NBC News. “It’s a commodity business — we buy it and replenish it all the time.”
Jeans giant Levi Strauss & Co. reported a 2 percent drop in global sales for the second quarter this year already.
The beloved jean brand announced in March that it plans to cut 800 jobs over the next year.
For New York City women, when they do buy jeans, they’re not reaching for the usual styles in the classic faded blues, anyway.
Yair Vardi, who manages OMG Jeans in downtown Manhattan, said the company has specialized in denim for 30 years, and he’s noticed a big change in people’s preferences.
“People aren’t buying flare or boot cut anymore,” he said. “For women, now they buy jeans that are elastic.”
Hunter Powell, who works at Madewell, said the popular company has “definitely had to add more stretch to our denim.”
“The legging jeans came out because people wanted a more comfortable bottom,” she said. “They want something that has the look of denim with the comfort of a legging.”
But most women told The Post they still have a few pairs of jeans kicking around their closets.
“I have a lot of jeans, but I don’t wear them in the summer or to work,” said Rebecca Cagan, 23. “There’s always a need for jeans.”