Denim is a fabric that is used in clothes all over the world such as jeans, jackets, and shirts. However, the history of denim is vast and varied and stretches back deeper than you would imagine. There are few fabrics that can claim to have journeyed as far as denim has.
However, the exact history of denim is clouded in doubt. Not many people know the actual history of this fabric and how it came to be in the shape that we know today. We’re going to be taking a look at the history of denim to try to understand how this fabric developed from modest origins to a monster of the apparel industry that is predicted to earn $129.8 billion of retail sales by 2021.
Where Did Denim Come From?
Denim fabric has its origins in France. This nation, as you may know, is regarded to be one of the fashion capitals of the world, so it’s no wonder that one of the most significant clothing trends of the previous century emerged from there.
Initially, denim began life as a cloth called as "serge de Nimes." As keen-eyed readers will see, ‘de Nimes’ bears a similarity to denim, which is what this fabric would later come to be known as. It was developed to be a long-lasting and sturdy fabric that was first conceived in Italy. This cloth was known as ‘jean’ or ‘jeane,’ and it formed the basic pattern for Levi jeans.
Interestingly enough, the first attempt to duplicate this French cloth in Italy was a failure. However, it was in the process of trying to do so that textile makers found denim. At the time, the only hue available was blue, which is in part owing to the organic indigo dye which was available at the time. This is why current jeans are predominantly available in tones of blue.
History of Jeans
So, the fabric is in place. The stage is set. But it wouldn’t be for quite some time that the garment we know as jeans would come into popularity. In 1853, a man called Levi Strauss found himself in San Francisco seeking to create a branch of his family firm. He marketed a cotton fabric known as denim, which was bought up by a merchant called Jacob W. Davis.
Up until then, the concept of blue trousers that were made of denim wasn’t that big a deal. They’d been present since at least the 1800s as workwear for folks conducting tough labor and rigorous duties. However, it was this new style of denim trousers that would become popular, and it was all owing to Mr. Davis.
Davis was a tailor, and he started utilizing the cloth Levi sold to build items like wagon coverings, tents, and blankets. However, one day he was requested to develop something new: A pair of trousers especially built for rigorous work.
Using Levi’s fabric and copper rivets to strengthen important stress regions, Davis produced the very first pair of jeans. Because the material was such a vital element of the end product, he went into business with Levi.
These two individuals went on to start one of the most prominent firms in the world that still makes denim pants to sell to the public. It would be a time, however, before the denim pants created by Levi and Davis would be recognized as "jeans;" originally, they were termed "waist overalls."
Denim as Workwear
Long before the beginning of blue jeans, denim pants were employed as workwear in a number of purposes. During the 19th century Gold Rush in California, a growing and increasing need emerged for durable men's workwear to dress gold miners while they were on the job.
At this time, denim didn't have the "rebel without a cause" connotation that it would take on a century later. Rather, this fabric was employed primarily for its toughness, and it was used to produce long-sleeved shirts as well as slacks.
Since it's produced from cotton, denim is natural and extremely breathable, yet the dense twill weave of this fabric makes it highly resistant to abrasions and rips. Denim is also easy to wash and mend, and its blue hue makes it instantly identified as workwear.
Jeans: A Modern Trend
So, the question in the minds of many is this: How did a tough set of work clothes end up being one of the most stylish and daily apparel items in the Western world?
Up until the Second World War, denim jeans still weren't very popular. Jeans were viewed for being what they were at that point: A work clothes alternative that was robust and pleasant to wear. It was only after citizens of eastern states started to go to the American West for vacations that the notion of jeans gained on.
In the 1940s and early 1950s, it was trendy to go to the western states for holidays to experience a totally new way of life: that of a working cowboy. For the residents of the eastern states, who lived in suburbia, this life was addictive, and jeans were part of the package. So of course, they took them back home, and these styles of trousers grew big.
Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marlon Brando: They all wore jeans throughout the early days of their career. Being worn by either a famous musician or a heartthrob "bad boy" type does wonders for a garment's reputation, therefore jeans found themselves rocketed to the peak of celebrity with the guys who wore them. While it wouldn’t be fashionable for women to wear jeans until the 1960s, the ’50s were an era of bad boy looks and devil-may-care attitudes, and jeans were the main point of all of this.
However, it was soldiers in WW2 that disseminated the jean style outside of America. While stationed in Europe and in Japan, the personnel of the U.S. military services would wear jeans while off-duty. With whisperings of the rebellious appearance already rising, it was easy to see how jeans would spread to British soldiers and the other Allied forces who served with them.
Read Also: Jeans And Denim Dress To Impress Outfits
Top Denim Clothing Garments (And Why They're So Popular)
To this day, jeans remain the most popular forms of denim apparel. From skinny jeans to bell bottoms, there are plenty of various designs of jeans to pick from, and these sorts of trousers are equally popular among young people and elderly adults from the United States to Germany to India and beyond.
Jeans come in all sorts of various hues, but the most popular color for these types of trousers remains indigo blue. Some blue jeans are fairly dark, whereas others have been cleaned to achieve a faded effect. Jeans are also provided in hues including maroon, black, and gray.
In addition to jeans, denim is also used to produce a variety of other items. For instance, denim skirts and shorts are both popular, and some buyers even want to wear denim jackets.
Overalls constructed from denim have lost favor in recent decades, but they are still sometimes worn in agricultural applications and as nostalgic wear. Lastly, it's also feasible to obtain long, sleeveless dresses that are fashioned entirely from denim.
Denim clothing remain popular in part because to their durability. A high-quality pair of jeans may endure for years or even decades, and these sorts of trousers appear better as they age, which adds to their attractiveness. Plus, denim has been identified with Americana and the developed world; while this fabric no longer invokes the "bad boy" image, denim nevertheless indicates the luxury of the modern industrial era of global trends and growing worldwide riches.
Denim in Contemporary Fashion
The usage of denim have evolved a lot since the days that this fabric was employed to dress laborers during the Gold Rush. Denim wearers of the day could never have envisioned the development of thin jeans, and they would have looked upon the fad of "distressed" pants with holes in them with, well, distress.
These days, denim may be utilized to construct nearly any outfit. This fabric's use in jeans has gone through several evolutions, and fashion designers across the world continue to discover new methods to convert denim into trousers. It's also pretty typical to see denim utilized in avant-garde designer fashion that models parade down runways throughout the world.
Influence of Denim on the Fashion Industry
Denim's reputation as a counter-cultural fabric led the road ahead for numerous young style trends that continue to affect the fashion industry. This fabric remains an iconic picture of Western apparel, and the adoption of jeans by Western women has also prompted these sorts of trousers to serve as emblems of women's independence.
Jeans transcend all age and economic divisions. They are equally liked by the affluent and the poor as well as the aged and the young. It's easy to acquire a pair of denim jeans for less than $25, but designer variations of these trousers can cost hundreds of dollars each pair. High-quality designer jeans are increasingly considered as status markers, and the high degree of customizability connected with these sorts of trousers makes it feasible to develop jeans that appeal to each consumer class.
Most Influential Denim Wearers
Elvis Presley was one of the first superstars to embrace denim jeans. This rock and roll superstar also commonly wore denim shirts and jackets, and movie star James Dean swiftly followed suit and started wearing denim jeans as well.
Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift also helped promote denim jeans during the late 1950s and early 1960s, while pop stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson kept the love of denim alive throughout the 1980s. During the 1990s, Hollywood idols like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp continued to embrace denim, and many celebrities continue to wear this fabric to this day.
How Is Denim Manufactured?
Denim is created from cotton. While various varieties of jeans may be created from other materials, the only sort of material that can be utilized to make authentic denim is all-natural cotton.
This plant-based material is formed from the fibers that sprout on cotton seeds. These fibers are removed from cotton seeds, and they are then bundled into bales. Once these bales arrive at a production plant, they are ripped apart, and the fibers are carded, which results in long strands of fiber.
Next, these strands are spun into yarn, and this yarn is placed onto spools. Cotton may be dyed with the classic indigo blue color of denim once it is spun, or denim makers may wait to do this process until the cloth is woven.
Kari Pettersen
Denim is a fabric that is used in clothes all over the world such as jeans, jackets, and shirts. However, the history of denim is vast and varied and stretches back deeper than you would imagine. There are few fabrics that can claim to have journeyed as far as denim has.
However, the exact history of denim is clouded in doubt. Not many people know the actual history of this fabric and how it came to be in the shape that we know today. We’re going to be taking a look at the history of denim to try to understand how this fabric developed from modest origins to a monster of the apparel industry that is predicted to earn $129.8 billion of retail sales by 2021.
Where Did Denim Come From?
Denim fabric has its origins in France. This nation, as you may know, is regarded to be one of the fashion capitals of the world, so it’s no wonder that one of the most significant clothing trends of the previous century emerged from there.
Initially, denim began life as a cloth called as "serge de Nimes." As keen-eyed readers will see, ‘de Nimes’ bears a similarity to denim, which is what this fabric would later come to be known as. It was developed to be a long-lasting and sturdy fabric that was first conceived in Italy. This cloth was known as ‘jean’ or ‘jeane,’ and it formed the basic pattern for Levi jeans.
Interestingly enough, the first attempt to duplicate this French cloth in Italy was a failure. However, it was in the process of trying to do so that textile makers found denim. At the time, the only hue available was blue, which is in part owing to the organic indigo dye which was available at the time. This is why current jeans are predominantly available in tones of blue.
History of Jeans
So, the fabric is in place. The stage is set. But it wouldn’t be for quite some time that the garment we know as jeans would come into popularity. In 1853, a man called Levi Strauss found himself in San Francisco seeking to create a branch of his family firm. He marketed a cotton fabric known as denim, which was bought up by a merchant called Jacob W. Davis.
Up until then, the concept of blue trousers that were made of denim wasn’t that big a deal. They’d been present since at least the 1800s as workwear for folks conducting tough labor and rigorous duties. However, it was this new style of denim trousers that would become popular, and it was all owing to Mr. Davis.
Davis was a tailor, and he started utilizing the cloth Levi sold to build items like wagon coverings, tents, and blankets. However, one day he was requested to develop something new: A pair of trousers especially built for rigorous work.
Using Levi’s fabric and copper rivets to strengthen important stress regions, Davis produced the very first pair of jeans. Because the material was such a vital element of the end product, he went into business with Levi.
These two individuals went on to start one of the most prominent firms in the world that still makes denim pants to sell to the public. It would be a time, however, before the denim pants created by Levi and Davis would be recognized as "jeans;" originally, they were termed "waist overalls."
Denim as Workwear
Long before the beginning of blue jeans, denim pants were employed as workwear in a number of purposes. During the 19th century Gold Rush in California, a growing and increasing need emerged for durable men's workwear to dress gold miners while they were on the job.
At this time, denim didn't have the "rebel without a cause" connotation that it would take on a century later. Rather, this fabric was employed primarily for its toughness, and it was used to produce long-sleeved shirts as well as slacks.
Since it's produced from cotton, denim is natural and extremely breathable, yet the dense twill weave of this fabric makes it highly resistant to abrasions and rips. Denim is also easy to wash and mend, and its blue hue makes it instantly identified as workwear.
Jeans: A Modern Trend
So, the question in the minds of many is this: How did a tough set of work clothes end up being one of the most stylish and daily apparel items in the Western world?
Up until the Second World War, denim jeans still weren't very popular. Jeans were viewed for being what they were at that point: A work clothes alternative that was robust and pleasant to wear. It was only after citizens of eastern states started to go to the American West for vacations that the notion of jeans gained on.
In the 1940s and early 1950s, it was trendy to go to the western states for holidays to experience a totally new way of life: that of a working cowboy. For the residents of the eastern states, who lived in suburbia, this life was addictive, and jeans were part of the package. So of course, they took them back home, and these styles of trousers grew big.
Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marlon Brando: They all wore jeans throughout the early days of their career. Being worn by either a famous musician or a heartthrob "bad boy" type does wonders for a garment's reputation, therefore jeans found themselves rocketed to the peak of celebrity with the guys who wore them. While it wouldn’t be fashionable for women to wear jeans until the 1960s, the ’50s were an era of bad boy looks and devil-may-care attitudes, and jeans were the main point of all of this.
However, it was soldiers in WW2 that disseminated the jean style outside of America. While stationed in Europe and in Japan, the personnel of the U.S. military services would wear jeans while off-duty. With whisperings of the rebellious appearance already rising, it was easy to see how jeans would spread to British soldiers and the other Allied forces who served with them.
Read Also: Jeans And Denim Dress To Impress Outfits
Top Denim Clothing Garments (And Why They're So Popular)
To this day, jeans remain the most popular forms of denim apparel. From skinny jeans to bell bottoms, there are plenty of various designs of jeans to pick from, and these sorts of trousers are equally popular among young people and elderly adults from the United States to Germany to India and beyond.
Jeans come in all sorts of various hues, but the most popular color for these types of trousers remains indigo blue. Some blue jeans are fairly dark, whereas others have been cleaned to achieve a faded effect. Jeans are also provided in hues including maroon, black, and gray.
In addition to jeans, denim is also used to produce a variety of other items. For instance, denim skirts and shorts are both popular, and some buyers even want to wear denim jackets.
Overalls constructed from denim have lost favor in recent decades, but they are still sometimes worn in agricultural applications and as nostalgic wear. Lastly, it's also feasible to obtain long, sleeveless dresses that are fashioned entirely from denim.
Denim clothing remain popular in part because to their durability. A high-quality pair of jeans may endure for years or even decades, and these sorts of trousers appear better as they age, which adds to their attractiveness. Plus, denim has been identified with Americana and the developed world; while this fabric no longer invokes the "bad boy" image, denim nevertheless indicates the luxury of the modern industrial era of global trends and growing worldwide riches.
Denim in Contemporary Fashion
The usage of denim have evolved a lot since the days that this fabric was employed to dress laborers during the Gold Rush. Denim wearers of the day could never have envisioned the development of thin jeans, and they would have looked upon the fad of "distressed" pants with holes in them with, well, distress.
These days, denim may be utilized to construct nearly any outfit. This fabric's use in jeans has gone through several evolutions, and fashion designers across the world continue to discover new methods to convert denim into trousers. It's also pretty typical to see denim utilized in avant-garde designer fashion that models parade down runways throughout the world.
Influence of Denim on the Fashion Industry
Denim's reputation as a counter-cultural fabric led the road ahead for numerous young style trends that continue to affect the fashion industry. This fabric remains an iconic picture of Western apparel, and the adoption of jeans by Western women has also prompted these sorts of trousers to serve as emblems of women's independence.
Jeans transcend all age and economic divisions. They are equally liked by the affluent and the poor as well as the aged and the young. It's easy to acquire a pair of denim jeans for less than $25, but designer variations of these trousers can cost hundreds of dollars each pair. High-quality designer jeans are increasingly considered as status markers, and the high degree of customizability connected with these sorts of trousers makes it feasible to develop jeans that appeal to each consumer class.
Most Influential Denim Wearers
Elvis Presley was one of the first superstars to embrace denim jeans. This rock and roll superstar also commonly wore denim shirts and jackets, and movie star James Dean swiftly followed suit and started wearing denim jeans as well.
Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift also helped promote denim jeans during the late 1950s and early 1960s, while pop stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson kept the love of denim alive throughout the 1980s. During the 1990s, Hollywood idols like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp continued to embrace denim, and many celebrities continue to wear this fabric to this day.
How Is Denim Manufactured?
Denim is created from cotton. While various varieties of jeans may be created from other materials, the only sort of material that can be utilized to make authentic denim is all-natural cotton.
This plant-based material is formed from the fibers that sprout on cotton seeds. These fibers are removed from cotton seeds, and they are then bundled into bales. Once these bales arrive at a production plant, they are ripped apart, and the fibers are carded, which results in long strands of fiber.
Next, these strands are spun into yarn, and this yarn is placed onto spools. Cotton may be dyed with the classic indigo blue color of denim once it is spun, or denim makers may wait to do this process until the cloth is woven.