Denim. A material most people love to wear. Whether forever in blue jeans, or covered in a dress made of denim, the sturdy, popular fabric is adored all around the globe, and in the world of fashion.
Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck.
Denim Fun Fact: The most common denim is indigo denim, in which the warp thread is dyed, while the weft 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. This is what causes blue jeans to be white on the inside. The indigo dying process, in which the core of the warp threads remains white, creates denim’s signature fading characteristic.
Although the denim fabric may fade, you, fashion divas, will never fade from sight when dressed in denim colors of blue, black, red, green, yellow and white. A lovely denim sight!
The name ‘denim’ derives from French serge de Nimes, meaning “serge from Nimes.” Denim was traditionally colored blue with indigo dye to make blue jeans, although jean formerly denoted a different, lighter, cotton fabric. The contemporary use of the word ‘jeans’ comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Genes), where the first denim trousers were made.
A popular element of denim is the fabric’s ability to fade. Patterns of fading can add style, posh and glamour to a denim garment. Patterns of fading in jeans, caused by prolonged periods of wearing them without washing, have become the main allure of dry denim. Fading patterns have become a way to “personalize” your denim apparel.
Popular Patterns of Fading Denim:
- Combs or Honeycombs: Faded lines found behind the knees.
- Whiskers: Faded streaks that surround the crotch area of the jeans.
- Stacks: Created by having the inseam of the jeans hemmed a few inches longer than the actual leg length. The extra fabric then stacks on top of the shoe, causing a faded area to form around the ankle, extending up the calf area.
- Train Tracks: These appear on the outseams of the denim. This pattern showcases the selvage by forming two parallel lines of fades which resemble train tracks.
Choo Choo, denim is coming through!
Who can deny the powerful fashion effect of fading if you merely give the chic look a try?
A quick fix for the fashion blues? Dressing in blue denim might do!
Denim Fun Fact: Denim has been used in the United States of America since the mid 19th century. Denim initially gained popularity in 1873 when Jacob W. Davis, a tailor from Nevada, manufactured the first pair of “rivet-reinforced” denim pants. His concept for making reinforced jeans was inspired when a female customer requested a pair of durable and strong pants for her husband to wear to chop wood. When Davis was about finished making the jeans, he saw some copper rivets laying on a table and used the rivets to fasten the pockets. Soon, the popularity of denim jeans began to spread.
Due to denim’s sturdy, casual appearance, some people love denim, but feel it isn’t elegant attire or upscale office wear. If a denim outfit isn’t your preference, why not splash your preferred garments with a dash of denim by adding denim accessories?
Denim shoes, purses and hats will emit an element of style that makes you look like “all that!”
Denim Fun Fact: After denim is made into an article of clothing, most denim garments are washed to make them softer and to reduce shrinkage. Washed denim is often artificially distressed to produce a worn look. Much of the appeal of artificially distressed denim is that it resembles dry denim which has faded.
Don yourself in delicious, dazzling denim duds!
If you find denim to be a great, durable, classic fabric for you, a variety of denim can be found in varying shades of blue! From navy to light blue to baby blue…all hues of blue denim will do!
Denim Fun Fact: Over 50% of denim is produced in Asia, most of it in China, India, Turkey, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Latin America and Europe also contain a number of denim mills, with Africa and North America also jumping on the denim mill band wagon.
Denim Duds: Made around the world, revered around the world, worn around the world!
Walk a mile and walk tall! Denim garments are appreciated by all!
“I’m attending an important lunch and I’m stressed over what to wear.”
“Try a distressed denim pencil skirt and blouse, with a flower in your hair.”
“If I add black leather pumps and carry a black leather bag I’ll pull the look together.”
“The outside temperature won’t matter. Denim works in all kinds of weather.”
“Very well then. I no longer need to stress over what to wear to the lunch.”
“You’ll stand out in fabulous distressed denim, I have a strong, powerful hunch!”
Denim: Darling, delightful duds!
Watch for Nancy’s next book in her award winning murder mystery series, Deadly Decisions – A Natalie North Novel, coming to bookstores and online bookstores in early 2017.
Nancy Mangano is an American fashion journalist and author of the Natalie North murder mystery book series, A Passion for Prying and Murder Can Be Messy. Visit Nancy on her author website http://www.nancymangano.com, Twitter @https://twitter.com/nancymangano, her fashion magazine Strutting in Style! at http://www.struttinginstyle.com, and her Facebook fan page Nancy Mangano https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Mangano/362187023895846
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