Denim
Denim
is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two (twi-
"double") or more warp fibers. This produces the familiar
diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which
distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American
usage since the late eighteenth century.[1] The word comes from the
name of a sturdy fabric called serge, originally made in Nmes,
France, by the Andre family. Originally called serge
de N?mes,
the name was soon shortened to denim.[2] Denim
was traditionally colored blue with indigo dye to make blue
"jeans," though "jean" then denoted a different,
lighter cotton textile; the contemporary use of jean
comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Gnes), where the first
denim trousers were made.
A similarly
woven traditional American cotton textile is the diagonal
warp-striped hickory cloth that was once associated with
railroadmen's overalls, in which blue or black contrasting with
undyed white threads form the woven pattern. Hickory cloth was
characterized as being as rugged as hickory woodot to mention the
fact that it was deemed to be worn mainly by "hicks"lthough
neither may be the origin of that term [from a nickname for
"Richard"]. Records of a group of New Yorkers headed for
the California gold fields in 1849 show that they took along four
"hickory shirts" apiece. Hickory cloth would later furnish
the material for some "fatigue" pantaloons and shirts in
the American Civil War.
word dungarees,
to identify heavy cotton pants such as overalls, can be traced to a
thick cotton country-made cloth, Dongari
Kapar,
which was sold in the quarter contiguous to the Dongari Killa, the
fort of what was then known as Bombay (Hobson
Johnson Dictionary).
The word entered English with just this meaning in 1696 (OED).
Dongri Fort was rebuilt in 1769 as Fort George, Bombay, where the
first cotton mill was established in 1854. Dyed in indigo, the
traditional cloth was used by Portuguese sailors and cut wide so that
the legs could be swiftly rolled up when necessary. Thus, dungarees
have a separate history.
Dry
or raw
denim,
as opposed to washed denim, is a denim fabric that is not washed
after being dyed during its production. Over time, denim will
generally fade, which is often considered desirable.
Most denim is
washed after being crafted into an article of clothing in order to
make it softer and to eliminate any shrinkage which could cause an
item to not fit after the owner washes it. In addition to being
washed, non-dry denim is sometimes artificially "distressed"
to achieve a worn-in look.
Much of the
appeal of dry denim lies in the fact that with time the fabric will
fade in a manner similar to factory distressed denim. With dry denim,
however, such fading is affected by the body of the person who wears
the jeans and the activities of their daily life. This creates what
many enthusiasts feel to be a more natural, unique look than
pre-distressed denim.
facilitate the
natural distressing process, some wearers of dry denim will often
abstain from washing their jeans for more than six months,[3] though
it is not a necessity for fading. Often, enthusiasts will just hang
their unwashed denim to help get rid of the smell.
Selvage
denim
(also called selvedge
denim)
is a type of denim which forms a clean natural edge that does not
unravel. It is commonly presented in the unwashed or raw state.
Typically, the selvage edges will be located along the outseam of the
pants, making it visible when cuffs are worn. Although selvage denim
is not completely synonymous with unwashed denim, the presence of
selvage typically implies that the denim used is a higher quality.
word
"selvage" comes from the phrase "self-edge", the
natural edge of a roll of fabric. In this case, denim
made on old-style shuttle looms. These looms weave fabric with one
continuous cross thread (the weft) that is passed back and forth all
the way down the length of the bolt. As the weft loops back into the
edge of the denim it creates this elf-edgeor Selvage. Selvage is
desirable because the edge can fray like lower grade denims that have
separate wefts which leave an open edge that must be stitched.
Shuttle looming is a more time-consuming weaving process that
produces denim of a tighter weave resulting in a heavier weight
fabric that lasts.
Shuttle looms
weave a more narrow piece of fabric, and thus a longer piece of
fabric is required to make a pair of jeans (approximately 3 yards).
To maximize yield, traditional jean makers use the fabric all the way
to the selvage edge. When the cuff is turned up the two selvage
edges, where the denim is sewn together, can be seen. The selvage
edge is usually stiched with colored thread: green, white, brown,
yellow, and red (red is the most common). Fabric mills used these
colors to differentiate between fabrics.
Most selvage
jeans today are dyed with synthetic indigo, but natural indigo dye is
available in smaller niche denim labels. Loop dying machines feed a
rope of cotton yarn through vats of indigo dye and then back out. The
dye is allowed to oxidize before the next dip. Multiple dips create a
deep dark indigo blue.
In response to
increased demand for jeans in the 1950's, American denim
manufacturers replaced the old shuttle style looms with modern
projectile looms. The new looms produced fabric faster and wider
(60-inches or wider), yet lighter and less durable. Synthetic dyeing
techniques along with post-dye treatments were introduced to control
shrink and twist.
Raymond, India
is major supplier of Denim high quality denim in India and European market.
A similarly
woven traditional American cotton textile is the diagonal
warp-striped hickory cloth that was once associated with
railroadmen's overalls, in which blue or black contrasting with
undyed white threads form the woven pattern. Hickory cloth was
characterized as being as rugged as hickory woodot to mention the
fact that it was deemed to be worn mainly by "hicks"lthough
neither may be the origin of that term [from a nickname for
"Richard"]. Records of a group of New Yorkers headed for
the California gold fields in 1849 show that they took along four
"hickory shirts" apiece. Hickory cloth would later furnish
the material for some "fatigue" pantaloons and shirts in
the American Civil War.
 topsThe
word dungarees,
to identify heavy cotton pants such as overalls, can be traced to a
thick cotton country-made cloth, Dongari
Kapar,
which was sold in the quarter contiguous to the Dongari Killa, the
fort of what was then known as Bombay (Hobson
Johnson Dictionary).
The word entered English with just this meaning in 1696 (OED).
Dongri Fort was rebuilt in 1769 as Fort George, Bombay, where the
first cotton mill was established in 1854. Dyed in indigo, the
traditional cloth was used by Portuguese sailors and cut wide so that
the legs could be swiftly rolled up when necessary. Thus, dungarees
have a separate history.
Dry
or raw
denim,
as opposed to washed denim, is a denim fabric that is not washed
after being dyed during its production. Over time, denim will
generally fade, which is often considered desirable.
 shirtMost
denim is washed after being crafted into an article of clothing in
order to make it softer and to eliminate any shrinkage which could
cause an item to not fit after the owner washes it. In addition to
being washed, non-dry denim is sometimes artificially
"distressed" to achieve a worn-in look.
Much of the
appeal of dry denim lies in the fact that with time the fabric will
fade in a manner similar to factory distressed denim. With dry denim,
however, such fading is affected by the body of the person who wears
the jeans and the activities of their daily life. This creates what
many enthusiasts feel to be a more natural, unique look than
pre-distressed denim.
To facilitate
the natural distressing process, some wearers of dry denim will often
abstain from washing their jeans for more than six months,[3] though
it is not a necessity for fading. Often, enthusiasts will just hang
their unwashed denim to help get rid of the smell.
Selvage
denim
(also called selvedge
denim)
is a type of denim which forms a clean natural edge that does not
unravel. It is commonly presented in the unwashed or raw state.
Typically, the selvage edges will be located along the outseam of the
pants, making it visible when cuffs are worn. Although selvage denim
is not completely synonymous with unwashed denim, the presence of
selvage typically implies that the denim used is a higher quality.
The word
"selvage" comes from the phrase "self-edge", the
natural edge of a roll of fabric. In this case, denim
made on old-style shuttle looms. These looms weave fabric with one
continuous cross thread (the weft) that is passed back and forth all
the way down the length of the bolt. As the weft loops back into the
edge of the denim it creates this elf-edgeor Selvage. Selvage is
desirable because the edge can fray like lower grade denims that have
separate wefts which leave an open edge that must be stitched.
Shuttle looming is a more time-consuming weaving process that
produces denim of a tighter weave resulting in a heavier weight
fabric that lasts.
Shuttle looms
weave a more narrow piece of fabric, and thus a longer piece of
fabric is required to make a pair of jeans (approximately 3 yards).
To maximize yield, traditional jean makers use the fabric all the way
to the selvage edge. When the cuff is turned up the two selvage
edges, where the denim is sewn together, can be seen. The selvage
edge is usually stiched with colored thread: green, white, brown,
yellow, and red (red is the most common). Fabric mills used these
colors to differentiate between fabrics.
Most selvage
jeans today are dyed with synthetic indigo, but natural indigo dye is
available in smaller niche denim labels. Loop dying machines feed a
rope of cotton yarn through vats of indigo dye and then back out. The
dye is allowed to oxidize before the next dip. Multiple dips create a
deep dark indigo blue.
In response to
increased demand for jeans in the 1950's, American denim
manufacturers replaced the old shuttle style looms with modern
projectile looms. The new looms produced fabric faster and wider
(60-inches or wider), yet lighter and less durable. Synthetic dyeing
techniques along with post-dye treatments were introduced to control
shrink and twist.
Raymond, India
is major supplier of Denim high quality denim in India and European market.
A similarly
woven traditional American cotton textile is the diagonal
warp-striped hickory cloth that was once associated with
railroadmen's overalls, in which blue or black contrasting with
undyed white threads form the woven pattern. Hickory cloth was
characterized as being as rugged as hickory woodot to mention the
fact that it was deemed to be worn mainly by "hicks"lthough
neither may be the origin of that term [from a nickname for
"Richard"]. Records of a group of New Yorkers headed for
the California gold fields in 1849 show that they took along four
"hickory shirts" apiece. Hickory cloth would later furnish
the material for some "fatigue" pantaloons and shirts in
the American Civil War.
The word dungarees,
to identify heavy cotton pants such as overalls, can be traced to a
thick cotton country-made cloth, Dongari
Kapar,
which was sold in the quarter contiguous to the Dongari Killa, the
fort of what was then known as Bombay (Hobson
Johnson Dictionary).
The word entered English with just this meaning in 1696 (OED).
Dongri Fort was rebuilt in 1769 as Fort George, Bombay, where the
first cotton mill was established in 1854. Dyed in indigo, the
traditional cloth was used by Portuguese sailors and cut wide so that
the legs could be swiftly rolled up when necessary. Thus, dungarees
have a separate history.
Dry
or raw
denim,
as opposed to washed denim, is a denim fabric that is not washed
after being dyed during its production. Over time, denim will
generally fade, which is often considered desirable.
Most denim is
washed after being crafted into an article of clothing in order to
make it softer and to eliminate any shrinkage which could cause an
item to not fit after the owner washes it. In addition to being
washed, non-dry denim is sometimes artificially "distressed"
to achieve a worn-in look.
Much of the
appeal of dry denim lies in the fact that with time the fabric will
fade in a manner similar to factory distressed denim. With dry denim,
however, such fading is affected by the body of the person who wears
the jeans and the activities of their daily life. This creates what
many enthusiasts feel to be a more natural, unique look than
pre-distressed denim.
To facilitate
the natural distressing process, some wearers of dry denim will often
abstain from washing their jeans for more than six months,[3] though
it is not a necessity for fading. Often, enthusiasts will just hang
their unwashed denim to help get rid of the smell.
Selvage
denim
(also called selvedge
denim)
is a type of denim which forms a clean natural edge that does not
unravel. It is commonly presented in the unwashed or raw state.
Typically, the selvage edges will be located along the outseam of the
pants, making it visible when cuffs are worn. Although selvage denim
is not completely synonymous with unwashed denim, the presence of
selvage typically implies that the denim used is a higher quality.
The word
"selvage" comes from the phrase "self-edge", the
natural edge of a roll of fabric. In this case, denim
made on old-style shuttle looms. These looms weave fabric with one
continuous cross thread (the weft) that is passed back and forth all
the way down the length of the bolt. As the weft loops back into the
edge of the denim it creates this elf-edgeor Selvage. Selvage is
desirable because the edge can fray like lower grade denims that have
separate wefts which leave an open edge that must be stitched.
Shuttle looming is a more time-consuming weaving process that
produces denim of a tighter weave resulting in a heavier weight
fabric that lasts.
Shuttle looms
weave a more narrow piece of fabric, and thus a longer piece of
fabric is required to make a pair of jeans (approximately 3 yards).
To maximize yield, traditional jean makers use the fabric all the way
to the selvage edge. When the cuff is turned up the two selvage
edges, where the denim is sewn together, can be seen. The selvage
edge is usually stiched with colored thread: green, white, brown,
yellow, and red (red is the most common). Fabric mills used these
colors to differentiate between fabrics.
Most selvage
jeans today are dyed with synthetic indigo, but natural indigo dye is
available in smaller niche denim labels. Loop dying machines feed a
rope of cotton yarn through vats of indigo dye and then back out. The
dye is allowed to oxidize before the next dip. Multiple dips create a
deep dark indigo blue.
In response to
increased demand for jeans in the 1950's, American denim
manufacturers replaced the old shuttle style looms with modern
projectile looms. The new looms produced fabric faster and wider
(60-inches or wider), yet lighter and less durable. Synthetic dyeing
techniques along with post-dye treatments were introduced to control
shrink and twist. |
