Denim fabric dyed withindigoDenim fabric dyed with indigo and black dyes and made into ashirt
Denim is a sturdycotton warp-faced[1]textile in which theweft passes under two or morewarp threads. Thistwill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it fromcotton duck. Denim, as it is recognised today, was first produced inNîmes, France.[2]
Denim is available in a range of colors, but the most common denim isindigo denim in which thewarp thread is dyed while theweft thread is left white. As a result of the warp-faced twill weaving, one side of the textile is dominated by the blue warp threads, and the other side is dominated by the white weft threads.Jeans fabricated from this cloth are thus predominantly white on the inside.[3] Denim is used to create a wide variety of garments, accessories, and furniture.
Denim has been used in the United States since the mid-19th century.[5] Denim initially gained popularity in 1873 whenJacob W. Davis, a tailor fromNevada, manufactured the first pair of rivet-reinforced denim pants. The popularity of denimjeans outstripped the capacity of Davis's small shop, so he moved his production to the facilities of dry goods wholesalerLevi Strauss & Co., which had been supplying Davis with bolts of denim fabric.[6]
Throughout the 20th century, denim was used for durable uniforms like those issued to staff of the French national railways.[7][better source needed] In thepost-war years, the Royal Air Force issuedolive-drab denim coveralls (colloquially known as "denims") for dirty work.[8]
This sectionneeds expansion with: a paragraph discussing the rise of denim's popularity during the 1950s and '60s. You can help byadding missing information.(May 2023)
By the 1970s, denim jeans were such an integral part of youth culture[9] that automobile manufactures, beginning withAmerican Motors Corporation began offering denim-like interior finishes.[10][11] (Because denim cannot pass fire resistance safety standards,[12] indigo-colored spun nylon or vinyl was used,[13] with contrast-stitching and copper rivets helping to sell the effect.) A Levi's-branded trim package debuted with AMC's 1973 model year. Similar packages were available from Volkswagen from 1973 to 1975 (the "JeansBeetle")[14][15] and from Jeep from 1975 through 1977.[16]
Traditional denim yarn is composed entirely ofcotton. Once cotton fibers are cleaned and combed into long, cohesive lengths of similar-length fiber, they arespun intoyarn using an industrial machine. Throughout the creation of denim, washes, dyes, or treatments are used to change the appearance of denim products.
Some yarns may substitute anelastane component such asSpandex/Lycra for up to 3% of the cotton, the woven form of which (typically called 'stretch denim') may have aelasticity of up to 15%.
Denim was originally dyed withindigo dye extracted from plants, often from the genusIndigofera. In South Asia, indigo dye was extracted from the dried and fermented leaves ofIndigofera tinctoria; this is the plant that is now known as "true indigo" or "natural indigo". In Europe, the use ofIsatis tinctoria, or woad, can be traced back to the 8th century BC, although it was eventually replaced byIndigofera tinctoria as the superior dye product. However, most denim today is dyed with synthetic indigo dye. In all cases, the yarn undergoes a repeated sequence of dipping and oxidation—the more dips, the stronger the color of the indigo.[18]
Before 1915, cotton yarns were dyed using a skein dyeing process, in which individualskeins of yarn were dipped into dye baths. Rope dyeing machines were developed in 1915, and slasher or sheet dyeing machines were developed in the 1970s. These methods involve a series of rollers that feed continuous yarns in and out of dye vats. In rope dyeing, continuous yarns are gathered together into long ropes or groups of yarns – after these bundles are dyed, they must be re-beamed for weaving. In sheet dyeing, parallel yarns are laid out as a sheet in the same order in which they will be woven; because of this, uneven dye circulation in the bath can lead to side-to-side color variations in the woven cloth. Rope dyeing eliminates this possibility because color variations can be evenly distributed across the warp during beaming.[18][19]
Denim fabric dyeing is divided into two categories:indigo dyeing (Indigo dye is a unique shade of blue) andsulfur dyeing (Sulfur dye is a synthetic organic dye and it is formed by sulphurisation of organic intermediates, this contains nitro or amino groups). Indigo dyeing produces the traditional blue color or shades similar to it.Sulfur dyeing produces specialty black and other colors, such as red, pink, purple, grey, rust, mustard, and green.
Denim under a microscope.Selvedge identifier visible in white at the interior of a pair of jeans
Most denim made today is made on ashuttleless loom[20] that produces bolts of fabric 60 inches (1,500 mm) or wider, but some denim is still woven on the traditionalshuttle loom, which typically produces a bolt 30 inches (760 mm) wide. Shuttle-loom-woven denim is usually recognizable by itsselvedge (sometimes written 'selvage'), the edge of a fabric created as a continuous cross-yarn (theweft) reverses direction at the edge side of the shuttle loom. The selvedge is traditionally accentuated withwarp threads of one or more contrasting colors, which can serve as an identifying mark.
Although quality denim can be made on either loom, selvedge denim has come to be associated with premium products since final production that showcases the selvedge requires greater care of assemblage.[21]
The weight of denim can vary greatly, with a yard of fabric weighing anywhere from 9 to 32 oz (260 to 910 g), with 11 to 14 oz (310 to 400 g) being typical.[22]
Denim has been a medium for many artists. At least one artist,Ian Berry, uses old or recycled denim, exclusively in crafting his portraits and other scenes.[23]
The dyehouse at the White Oak Cotton Mill, inGreensboro, North Carolina. TheCone Mills Corporation, which owned the mill, was formerly the world's largest maker of denim.
In 2020, the worldwide denim market equaled US$57.3 billion, with demand growing by 5.8% and supply growing by 8% annually.[24] Over 50% of denim is produced in Asia, most of it inChina,India,Turkey,Pakistan, andBangladesh.[25]
Globally, the denim industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4.8% from 2022 to 2026, with the market value expected to increase from $57.3 billion to $76.1 billion.[26]
^Mogahzy, Y. E. (2009).Engineering Textiles: Integrating the Design and Manufacture of Textile Products (First ed.). Woodhead Publishing. p. 362.ISBN978-1-84569-048-9.
^Bellis, Mary (19 May 2014)."Levi Strauss - The History of Blue Jeans".About.com. Archived fromthe original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved25 August 2015.Levi Strauss had the canvas made into waist overalls. Miners liked the pants, but complained that they tended to chafe. Levi Strauss substituted a twilled cotton cloth from France called "sergé de Nimes". The fabric later became known as denim and the pants were nicknamed blue jeans.
^Uniforms.static.cnews.fr. Retrieved9 September 2023.
^Bagshaw, R.; Deacon, R.; Pollock, A.; Thomas, M. (2006).RAF Little Rissington: the Central Flying School 1946-76. Pen and Sword Books.ISBN9781844153817.
^Statham, Steve (2002).Jeep Color History. MBI Publishing. pp. 101–102.ISBN9780760306369. Retrieved30 September 2019.AMC offered an optional Levis package in 1975 CJ denim-like vinyl and matching canvas top.