May 27, 2011
Denims are a jagged cotton twill textile, from which the patterns pass through a more than two warp threads. And this can be identified on the back of the fabric that produces a diagonal ribbing, which differentiates denim from a cotton duck. Since the late 18th century, denim has been in American usage. It comes from serge, the name used to call a sturdy fabric and originally made in France by the Andre family. It was then named serge de Nimes and was shortened to what is popularly known, nowadays, as denim.
Denim Fabrics were traditionally colored blue with an indigo dye to be able to make blue colored jeans. However, later on, “jean” was denoted as a diverse and lighter cotton textile. The contemporary use of jeans came from the French word, Genoa, Italy, where the first denim was made.
For many decades, jeans have been and will always be an important part of clothing in every person’s life. In the 18th century, denim garments emanated into existence when there was an abundant production of cotton. It truly gained importance due to its durability aspect during that period. In the 19th Century, Levi Strauss, a popular brand name in the jean industry, popularized the garment. They manufactured the denim clothing for the miners. In came the 20th century and it brought a new life to jeans in pop culture. Movies of Western cowboys showed people wearing the blue jeans. The’50s noticed that the cloth was becoming a craze for teenagers. Manufacturers took advantage of the situation by coming up with creative designs such as various colors, patch works and embroideries. Hip hugger and bell-bottom patterns became popular in the ’60s and ’70s.
In the ’80s denims began to draw attention in the fashion industry. Fashion designers created new and glamorous patterns. They brought in the lime light with the help of famous models and went into commercials. It came to a point where puffy hair and puffy shoulder pads became a style. And in the ’90s, it became the most salable garment. To take advantage of the demand in the denim market, manufacturers came up with creative and various ideas of utilizing the denim fabric such as caps, handbags, poodle skirts, and so much more. This was the very moment when the denim sales soared to a high. People are into buying denim fabrics. Nowadays, denim has been a part of everyone’s life; in fact, you can always find it in a person’s closet.
