Denim – World’s Most Versatile Material
You can travel around the globe and it would be difficult to find a town where at least one person isn’t wearing denim of some kind. That’s because denim is one the most versatile and attractive materials there is. It is also a workhorse – it lasts for years, wears like iron and can take rough treatment that would destroy most other kinds of fabrics.
From Humble Beginnings…
How did denim reach such heights? It’s actually rather surprising, since its beginnings were quite humble. Denim was originally a kind of serge material used primarily for worker’s clothing because it was cheap, sturdy and didn’t show dirt because of its dark blue color. The name came from “serge de Nimes” after a town in France where the material originated.
Levi Strauss popularized denim when he began making denim trousers (later called jeans) for miners in the 1800’s. Cowboys and others in the West began wearing them, and in the 1930’s movies showing these icons wearing denim glamorized what had previously been a purely practical material.
During World War I, American GI’s wore denim during their free time and Europeans caught the bug. Soon the popularity of denim caught on in Europe. By the 1950’s, it was a must-have for teens and a cultural phenomenon.
In the 1960’s, denim jeans were introduced with bell bottoms and beaded details. Peasant blouses with denim trim and denim shirts for men and women appeared. New manufacturing processes had made this possible because of increasingly softer materials and a variety of shades dues to various washing processes.
Over the decades, denim was more or less popular depending upon fashion’s vagaries but it never completely left the scene. During the 1980’s it became a huge fashion statement when Brooke Shields declared that nothing came between her and her Calvin’s, and various designer labels made denim impossibly chic. In the 1990’s, cargo pants and khaki’s temporarily gave denim the back seat, but denim is back with a vengeance these days with new boot cuts, low rises, and shrunken jackets.
Today, denim is also used for home décor, including upholstery and draperies. It seems that the same features that have made this fabric so popular for clothing – durability, attractiveness and versatility – is now giving it new life in the home.
Types of Denim
While the original denim was a 100% cotton serge material, you can now get it in a variety of materials, including blends that give you the same wonderful look of 100% cotton denim with some great additional features. Denim’s unique look comes from the rich indigo blue in one shade or another woven together with white threads to give the “depth” that people associate with denim. Today, some denims no longer have indigo, but other colors with the white opposing threads, producing denims in a rainbow of shades. Here are some of the newer types of denim on the market:
Stretch Denim is usually about 98% cotton and 2% Spandex for a bit of that forgiving stretch we all love. This blend gives you wonderful ease of movement and at the same time some support for those “trouble spots” you aren’t so fond of around the hips or thighs. Stretch denim jeans are one of the fastest growing segments of the women’s market for jeans manufacturers. At www.fashionfabricsclub.com you at find stretch denims starting at about $5.00 per yard.
Poly Denim blends appeal to those who like the look of denim but prefer polyester blends that wash and dry quickly and are lighter weight and a bit dressier. These usually appeal to a slightly older market, but are also finding favor for pantsuits, etc. when the look is meant to be “dressy but casual.” Poly denims can be found at JoAnn fabrics for as little as $3.50 a yard if you hit a good sale in the Pittsburgh area.
Ramie Cotton Denim blends are found in a variety of combinations, with a wide price variance. Ramie is a plant fiber usually added because it reduces wrinkling and adds a silky luster to the fabric. It isn’t as strong as cotton, however, so it has to be blended with this stronger material in order to stand up as a denim material. Ramie cotton blends can be found for as little as $3.99 a yard at www.fabric.com when you shop the sales.
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