"Traditional apparel" from around the world might conjure images of saris, kilts, or mandarin-collared silk dresses and shirts.

"We believe the BRIC countries continue to hold the greatest potential for future growth. - Sarah Anderson, Levi Strauss & Co.

It turns out that one apparel item that is universally appreciated is an American icon: denim. Created in the U.S. 137 years ago by Levi Strauss, denim has been adopted and embraced by many different cultures, and is now a mainstay worldwide.

Sixty-four percent of consumers worldwide say they love or enjoy wearing denim, according to the Cotton Incorporated and Cotton Council International Global Lifestyle Monitor™ survey. Those living in Germany love or enjoy wearing jeans the most (85%), followed by consumers living in Brazil (76%), the U.K. (75%), Colombia (73%), Japan (73%), the U.S. (73%), Turkey (66%), Italy (56%), China (54%), Thailand (52%) and India (29%).

These numbers are reflected in Levi's sales.

"I can tell you that in Europe, the Western European countries, such as the U.K., Italy, Germany, Spain and France, tend to be our biggest markets for the region," says Sarah Anderson, Levi Strauss & Co. spokesperson. "In Asia, Japan is our biggest market."

In the past three months, 71% of German consumers have purchased denim jeans, according to the Global Monitor survey, followed by Colombia (69%), Italy (65%), Brazil (63%), China (59%), Turkey (54%), Thailand (46%), Japan (38%), and India (30%).

Tommy Hilfiger has about 1,000 retail locations worldwide, and one of its newest is set to open this fall in Paris on the Champs-Élysées. The store is meant to anchor Hilfiger's retail presence in Europe. It will feature Hilfiger Denim among its offerings for men, women and children.

When the store was announced, Hilfiger said, "This flagship will be the perfect European home to bring our classic American cool to a global audience."

Global Monitor data reveal that consumers in Brazil, Colombia and the U.K. are significantly more likely than those from Japan, India, Germany, Italy, Turkey, China and Thailand to say they plan on purchasing as many or more denim items in the next 12 months as they did in the previous year. Among U.K. consumers, 85% expect to buy as much or more jeans, a shade over the 83% of consumers who say so in the U.S.

"I find the Brits will jump on top of a new trend and make it work promptly," says Denimology.com's Jessie Thorpe, editor. "I first saw coated jeans on Cheryl Cole, colored jeans first on Victoria Beckham and shredded jeans first from Christopher Kane. And double denim hit Britain nearly as soon as it was launched on the runways."

Among Colombians, 82% plan to purchase as much or more denim this year, while the number stands at 80% among Brazilians. Compare that to 47% of Chinese and 36% of Indians.

BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – are of major interest to many brands. Not only are India and China experiencing tremendous growth in wealth, but the BRIC group together represents 43% of the world's population, and accounts for about 16.5 percent of global gross domestic product.

Anderson says Levi is well aware of the BRIC countries’ possibilities.

"We believe the BRIC countries continue to hold the greatest potential for future growth," she says. "Currently, India and China are our fastest markets, and last year we bought out our joint venture in Russia, giving us control of our brand presence in that rapidly growing market. We also see strong growth potential for Brazil."

Levi also recently launched Levi's XX, a stand-alone division in Amsterdam aimed squarely at capturing the premium denim business. The division is responsible for the Levi's Made & Crafted label, which will be fully available this fall. The collection is meant to encompass Levi's premium denim offerings.

In China, many clothing prices have seen significant gains in per-piece prices since 2008. While dresses (US $42) and suits (US $76) are the most expensive items, the average amount spent on jeans has increased, too, to US $29 from US $25, according to Global Monitor data.

In India, denim jeans, at about (US $19, down from US $21 in 2008), are the most expensive items for consumers, followed by suits at about US $16. Brazilians also pay more for their denim: US $36 in 2010 compared to US $34 in 2008, according to the Global Monitor survey.

The Japanese also love denim, and though 65% of consumers there say apparel is something they have not purchased because of their outlook on their country's economy, they are willing to pay more for a pair of jeans: US $72 in 2010 versus US $58 in 2008.

Global Monitor data also reveal that Italians are spending US $83 for a pair of jeans, versus US $93 in 2008. U.K. consumers are plunking down US $53 versus US $68 two years ago, while U.S. consumers spend about US $33.

Whatever price they pay, consumers make good use of their denim. The Global Monitor survey finds 46% of consumers say they wear casual clothes including jeans most of the time at their place of work. Women (51%) are significantly more likely than men (43%) to dress casually for business. The countries where business people are more likely to be found wearing casual clothes including jeans to work are Brazil (66%), Turkey (55%), Italy (54%), and China (50%).

Whether they are skinny, studded or just plain blue, the global reach of denim jeans continues to grow.