The stuff workwear is made of: the history of denim

Denim - Where does the name of this fabric come from?

When you hear denim, you automatically think of cowboys, casualness and freedom - but the fabric that blue jeans are made of is much older. As early as the 17th century, clothiers in Nîmes, France, were weaving a durable fabric from cotton fibers that featured the typical burr pattern of modern jeans. The name "denim" came from shortening the French term "serge de nîmes," which means "fabric from Nîmes." The cotton weave was cheap to produce, so it was the ideal material for work clothes for ordinary people. Denim got its characteristic blue color from the equally inexpensive indigo - since this washes out over time, it was uninteresting for the rest of the fabric market. Not so for denim: the wash-out and changeability of the garments have become a real trademark of denim products to this day.

How is denim made?

Denim has been woven in the same way for centuries: the twill weave, i.e. a staggered arrangement of weft and warp threads, provides the stable denim properties and the characteristic burr pattern. This weave is made visible by the different coloring of the warp and weft threads, since the warp thread is usually blue, but the weft thread is white.

What are the properties of denim?

Due to the special weave denim is a real all-rounder! Unlike other types of fabric, the threads intertwine more loosely. The staggered weave points make the fabric durable and tear-resistant. Cotton is also very easy to care for and washes well.

Denim made of 100% cotton has little stretch and therefore appears somewhat stiff when worn. For a better fit, stretch yarns are often woven into the denim, making it even more comfortable to wear.

Classic work fabric - the invention of jeans

When Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis filed the patent for the "rivet pants," they had in mind durable work pants for miners. Davis' idea of reinforcing pockets and critical seams with metallic rivets prevented tears and damage from heavy tools. The material used at the time was still brown, stubborn canvas, but this was soon replaced by the softer but equally robust denim. At that time, miners, miners and farmers in particular wore denim jeans because the fabric protected them from injury, was very durable and could be easily cleaned.

With the triumph of the Levis 501 from California and the strengthening of the Hollywood industry at the beginning of the 20th century, blue jeans changed from work trousers to a fashionable garment. Film stars like James Dean and Marlon Brando gave it the charm of wild freedom that it still exudes today.