{"id":104,"date":"2019-05-29T14:59:32","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T14:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/au.contrado.com\/blog\/?p=104"},"modified":"2023-03-02T08:33:22","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T08:33:22","slug":"what-is-denim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/au.contrado.com\/blog\/what-is-denim\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Denim? Rebellious Counter-Culture to Iconic Statement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is Denim fabric and what is it made from?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"denim<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Denim is a sturdy cotton twill fabric, generally used to make garments such as jeans, dungarees and other clothing. Denim is typically blue in colour, but can have a multitude of different finishes such as being stonewashed, striped, faded, napped and indigo. Today it is often blended with polyester to prevent wrinkles and control shrinkage when washing, although it is traditionally created from 100% cotton yarn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is Denim made?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, you might be wondering \u2013 what\nis denim made from exactly that gives it that unique, sturdy texture? Part of\nwhat gives denim its signature feel is the way it\u2019s created rather than the\njust materials it\u2019s created from. Denim is made by creating a tightly woven\ntwill (which is a type of weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs) to\ncreate a rugged and strong fabric. Horizontal threads of cotton (known as the\nweft) are passed under two or more vertical threads (known as warps). This\nresults in a diagonal ribbing which characterizes denim and sets it apart from\nother cotton fabrics.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"denim<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Indigo denim is the most common type of denim, where the warp threads are dyed a deep blue and the weft threads are left white. This results in the faded characteristic that denim is synonymous with; one face of the fabric ends up being dark blue and the other side is left white, which is why blue jeans are usually lighter or white on the inside. The yarns have a very strong twist to make the fabric more durable, and because the yarns are twisted, when they\u2019re dyed only the outer yarns pick up the dye which leaves the core white. This white thread at the centre creates the typical fading feature of denim which we\u2019re familiar with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Denim Used For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A pretty obvious one, but the most\npopular use for denim is for jeans, jackets and dungarees, with certain types\nof denim( such as Bull denim) also being used for upholstery or homewares. The\ndurable quality of the fabric meant that denim jeans were originally worn by\nminers and even soldiers whilst they were on leave, before they gradually began\nbeing worn purely for fashion or comfort purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denim Origins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Denim\u2019 originates from the name of a French town, Nimes, where denim was first created. \u2018De Nimes\u2019 literally translates as \u2018of Nimes\u2019, when the weavers of Nimes attempted to reproduce cotton corduroy that was famously created in Genoa, Italy without any luck. After much experimentation, they were unable to produce the corduroy but came up with the classic denim fabric which we\u2019ve embraced to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"process<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Jeans are actually named after\nGenoa, where this corduroy was called jean or jeane. The term jeans initially\nreferred to trousers created from this cotton fabric, but after being adopted\nby Levi Strauss became synonymous with denim. Strauss (a businessman) and Jacob\nDavis (a tailor) aimed to create sturdy trousers for miners during the American\nGold Rush \u2013 and denim was perfect for this. The duo used rivets to reinforce parts\nof the garments that tended to rip, and modern jeans still often feature rivets\ntoday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Denim Rebellion<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"cowboy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Particularly in America, the popularity of denim surged during the 1930\u2019s after the introduction of cowboy films from Hollywood. Vogue even ran an ad campaign in a 1930 issue, showing two women in fitted jeans which they branded as \u2018Western Chic\u2019 \u2013 however, jeans were only specifically designed for women from 1958. Throughout the 50\u2019s, denim fashion continued and was particularly inspired by the 1953 Marlon Brando film \u2018The Wild One\u2019 and James Dean movies, showing rebellious youths in jeans and leather jackets. Jeans became a sign of rebellion, with some schools or public places even banning the wearing of jeans because of what they had come to represent. Counter-culture youth who protested the establishment opted to wear jeans to illustrate their solidarity with the working classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was only in the 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s\nthat denim became mainstream fashion and popular brands like Levi\u2019s began to\nexperiment with new styles of jeans. The treatment of denim in manufacturers\nhad begun improving, and blue jeans became a staple for most people at the\ntime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry Denim Vs Washed Denim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These days, most denim pieces of\nclothing have been pre-washed to soften up the fabric and make it more\ncomfortable to wear, and to prevent the indigo dye rubbing off. Dry denim\n(sometimes referred to as raw denim) is simply denim that has not been washed\nafter being dyed and as a result, has a stiffer and heavier feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry denim will fade with wear\ncreating that classic old denim look, with fading generally occurring wherever\nthe denim receives the most stress. For example, on jeans this is usually the\nknees and the thighs but it depends on the wearers daily activities. Washed\ndenim is often artificially stressed to create that fashionable faded look, to\nresemble traditional dry denim. Denim lovers have been known to not be too keen\non the artificially faded look, as it doesn\u2019t bear the \u2018natural\u2019 element of\ntrue raw denim. Some wearers of dry denim don\u2019t even wash their jeans until\nthey\u2019ve worn them for around six months, to ensure they \u2018distress\u2019 naturally!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those fashionable fades even have\ntheir own names depending on the pattern, and give your jeans a personal touch.\nDenim enthusiasts experiment with unique fades through a variety of techniques\nto create an original look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four Great Fades on Denim Jeans<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"fading<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Whiskers<\/strong> \u2013 Streaks that stretch out from the crotch area<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honeycomb<\/strong> \u2013 Faded lines that form behind the knees<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Train Tracks<\/strong> \u2013 A faded pattern that forms along the out-seams of the fabric by forming two parallel lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stacks<\/strong> \u2013 This occurs when the jeans are longer than the leg length, and the fabric stacks up around the top of the shoe, which then rubs and creates a faded area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Types of Denim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stretch Denim (also known as\nBubblegum denim)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Stretch denim contains lycra or\nspandex to give them an extra stretchy quality; perfect for skinny jeans or\njeggings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bull Denim<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bull denim is dyed after being\nwoven, so has a more uniform appearance than typical denim where the threads\nare dyed before being woven. It also has a distinctive diagonal weave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reverse Denim<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A slightly more unusual look, these\njeans are made from reversed denim to give them a different appearance with the\nwhiter part of the fabric on the outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ring Denim<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This traditional type of denim is\ncreated using ring-spun yarn for the warp. This results in a softer fabric with\nan uneven surface texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marble Denim (or acid wash)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To create that signature acid wash\nlook, the denim is strongly bleached to create a mottled design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fox Fibre Denim<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sally Fox, a Californian cotton\nbreeder, grows natural coloured cotton fibre which has been manufactured into\ndenim to create uniquely coloured \u2013 but totally natural \u2013 jeans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over Twisted Denim<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The yarn is over twisted prior to\nbeing woven, giving the denim a crinkled surface texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Printed Denim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Denim which has been printed with\nvarious patterns or colours, generally turned into denim jackets or jeans for a\nbright and vibrant look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why not try designing your own denim fabric? With so many different varieties available, you can even order test prints<\/a> to see which one you prefer. What\u2019s more, you\u2019ll get a $10 voucher towards your first fabric print order, as well as experiencing how easy it is to design your own fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore denim and over 100 other fabrics in your own swatch pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"100<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is Denim fabric and what is it made from? Denim is a sturdy cotton twill fabric, generally used to make garments such as jeans, dungarees and other clothing. Denim is typically blue in colour, but can have a multitude of different finishes such as being stonewashed, striped, faded, napped and indigo. Today it is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"%%title%% %%page%%","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"What is Denim fabric and how do you get that authentic fade? Discover its history and why enthusiasts abstain from washing their jeans for over 6 months!"},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is Denim? Rebellious Counter-Culture to Iconic Statement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is Denim fabric and how do you get that authentic fade? 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