View source for Denim

{{Short description|Warp-faced textile}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}

[[File:Denim texture 03.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Denim fabric dyed with [[indigo]]]]
[[File:Denim jacket cuff closeup.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Denim fabric dyed with indigo and black dyes and made into a [[shirt]]]]

'''Denim''' is a sturdy [[cotton]] warp-faced<ref name=warp-faced>{{cite book|last=Mogahzy |first=Y. E. |title=Engineering Textiles: Integrating the Design and Manufacture of Textile Products |year=2009 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |isbn=978-1-84569-048-9 |page=362 |edition=First}}</ref> [[textile]] in which the [[weft]] passes under two or more [[Warp (weaving)|warp]] threads. This [[twill weave]] produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from [[cotton duck]].  Denim, as it is recognized today, was first produced in [[Nîmes]], France.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://cmes.uchicago.edu/sites/cmes.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/Global/New%20Story%20of%20Jeans.pdf |title=Story of Denim Blue Jeans across the Eras |access-date=21 April 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180421163319/https://cmes.uchicago.edu/sites/cmes.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/Global/New%20Story%20of%20Jeans.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Denim is available in a range of colors, but the most common denim is [[Indigo dye|indigo]] denim in which the [[Warp (weaving)|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. [[Jeans]] fabricated from this cloth are thus predominantly white on the inside.<ref name="Golden">{{Cite book|title=The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History|last=St. Clair|first=Kassia|publisher=John Murray|year=2018|isbn=978-1-4736-5903-2|location=London|pages=177|oclc=1057250632}}</ref> Denim is used to create a wide variety of garments, accessories, and furniture.

==Etymology==
''Denim'' originated as a contraction of the French phrase {{lang|fr|serge de Nîmes}} ('[[Serge (fabric)|serge]] from [[Nîmes]]').<ref>{{cite web|url= http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventors/a/Levi_Strauss.htm |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130101191510/http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventors/a/Levi_Strauss.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 1 January 2013 |title= Levi Strauss - The History of Blue Jeans |first=Mary| last=Bellis |work=About.com |date=19 May 2014 |quote= "Levi Strauss had the canvas made into waist overalls. Miners liked the pants, but complained that they tended to chafe. Levi Strauss substituted a twilled cotton cloth from France called "sergé de Nimes". The fabric later became known as denim and the pants were nicknamed blue jeans." |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="Golden" />

==History==
{{Globalize section|date=January 2024|US}}
Denim has been used in the United States since the mid-19th century.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17101768 |work=BBC News |title=How jeans conquered the world |date=28 February 2012  |first=Stephanie |last=Hegarty |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> Denim initially gained popularity in 1873 when [[Jacob W. Davis]], a tailor from [[Nevada]], manufactured the first pair of rivet-reinforced denim pants. The popularity of denim [[jeans]] outstripped the capacity of Davis's small shop, so he moved his production to the facilities of dry goods wholesaler [[Levi Strauss & Co.]], which had been supplying Davis with bolts of denim fabric.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Fashioning the historical body: the political economy of denim |journal=Social Semiotics |date=1 June 2010 |issn=1035-0330 |pages=293–308 |volume=20 |issue=3 |doi=10.1080/10350331003722851 |first=James B. |last=Salazar |s2cid=144304564}}</ref>

Throughout the 20th century, denim was used for durable uniforms like those issued to staff of the French national railways.<ref>{{cite AV media|url= https://static.cnews.fr/sites/default/files/styles/image_640_360/public/uniformes_sncf.jpg?itok\x3depxgXmHa |title=Uniforms |website=static.cnews.fr |access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is a picture that is used in an article about new denim-colored uniforms, not denim fabric (https://www.cnews.fr/france/2014-12-18/un-nouvel-uniforme-pour-les-agents-de-la-sncf-696682)|date=September 2019}} In the [[post-war years]], the Royal Air Force issued [[olive-drab]] denim coveralls (colloquially known as "denims") for dirty work.<ref>{{cite book |title=RAF Little Rissington: the Central Flying School 1946-76 |author1=Bagshaw, R. |author2=Deacon, R. |author3=Pollock, A. |author4=Thomas, M. |publisher=Pen and Sword Books |date=2006 |isbn=9781844153817}}</ref>

{{expand section|with=a paragraph discussing the rise of denim's popularity during the 1950s and '60s|date=May 2023}}
[[File:1974 AMC Gremlin with Levi’s option at 2015 AMO show 1of5.jpg|thumb|right|[[AMC Gremlin]] with Levi's trim and upholstery]]

By the 1970s, denim jeans were such an integral part of youth culture<ref>{{cite web |last=Strohl |first=Daniel |title=American Flava: the Levi's Gremlin press release |url= https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2007/06/30/american-flava-the-levis-gremlin-press-release/ |work=Hemmings |date=30 June 2007 |access-date=30 September 2019 }}</ref> that automobile manufactures, beginning with [[American Motors Corporation]] began offering denim-like interior finishes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Even AMC cars were hit by the blue jeans craze of the 1970s |url= https://www.metv.com/stories/these-vintage-hornets-prove-even-cars-were-hit-by-the-blue-jeans-craze-of-the-1970s |work=MeTV |date=16 August 2017 |access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1973 AMC Full Line brochure |url= http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/AMC/1973_AMC/1973-AMC-Full-Line-Prestige-Brochure/slides/1973_AMC_Full_Line_Prestige-06-07.html |website=oldcarbrochures.org |pages=6–8}}</ref> (Because denim cannot pass fire resistance safety standards,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stopford |first1=William |title=Top 10 Obscure Special Editions and Forgotten Limited-Run Models: AMC Edition |url= http://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/top-10-obscure-special-editions-and-forgotten-limited-run-models-amc-edition/ |publisher=Curb side classic |date=27 September 2015 |access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref> indigo-colored spun nylon or vinyl was used,<ref>{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/jeepcolorhistory00stev |url-access= registration |quote= AMC offered an optional Levis package in 1975 CJ denim-like vinyl and matching canvas top. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/jeepcolorhistory00stev/page/101 101]–102 |title=Jeep Color History |first=Steve |last=Statham |publisher=MBI Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=9780760306369 |access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref> with contrast-stitching and copper rivets helping to sell the effect.) A Levi's-branded trim package debuted with AMC's 1973 model year. Similar packages were available from Volkswagen from 1973 to 1975 (the "Jeans [[Volkswagen Beetle|Beetle]]")<ref>{{cite web |last=Torchinsky |first=Jason |title=A Pantload Of Jeans-Themed Cars On The Anniversary Of Levi's Patent |url= https://jalopnik.com/a-pantload-of-jeans-themed-cars-on-the-anniversary-of-l-508937868 |publisher=Jalopnik |date=20 May 2013 |access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.jeansbeetles.com/chronologieenglish.htm |work=Jeansbeetles.com |title=Chronology and Descriptions |access-date=21 August 2015}}</ref> and from Jeep from 1975 through 1977.<ref>{{cite web |title=1977 Jeep Full Line brochure |url= http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Jeep/1977-Jeep/1977%20Jeep%20Full%20Line/slides/1977_Jeep_Full_Line-28.html |website=oldcarbrochures.org |access-date=30 September 2019 |page=28}}</ref>

==Creating denim==
All denim is created through generally the same process:<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chauncy|first1=Barbara|title=Denim by design|date=2011|publisher=Krause Publications Craft|isbn=9780896895980}}</ref>
# Cotton fiber is spun into yarn
# The warp yarn is dyed, while the weft is left white (usually) 
# The yarns are woven on a [[flying shuttle|shuttle loom]] or [[Power loom#Decline and reinvention|projectile loom]]
# The woven product is [[sanforized]]

===Yarn production===
Traditional denim yarn is composed entirely of [[cotton]]. Once cotton fibers are cleaned and combed into long, cohesive lengths of similar-length fiber, they are [[yarn#spun yarn|spun]] into [[yarn]] using an industrial machine. Throughout the creation of denim, washes, dyes, or treatments are used to change the appearance of denim products.

Some yarns may substitute an [[Elastomer|elastane component]] such as [[spandex|Spandex/Lycra]] for up to 3% of the cotton, the woven form of which (typically called 'stretch denim') may have a [[elasticity (physics)|elasticity]] of up to 15%.

===Dyeing===
Denim was originally dyed with [[indigo dye]] extracted from plants, often from the genus ''[[Indigofera]]''. In South Asia, indigo dye was extracted from the dried and fermented leaves of ''[[Indigofera tinctoria]]''; this is the plant that is now known as "true indigo" or "natural indigo". In Europe, the use of ''[[Isatis tinctoria]]'', or woad, can be traced back to the 8th century BC, although it was eventually replaced by ''Indigofera tinctoria'' as the superior dye product. However, most denim today is dyed with synthetic indigo dye. In all cases, the yarn undergoes a repeated sequence of dipping and oxidation—the more dips, the stronger the color of the indigo.<ref name="Bojer">{{cite web |last1=Bojer |first1=Thomas Stege |title=How Denim Is Made: Indigo Dyeing |url=https://www.denimhunters.com/how-denim-is-made-indigo-dyeing/ |work=Denimhunters |access-date=2 September 2019 |date=16 December 2016 |archive-date=3 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903003208/https://www.denimhunters.com/how-denim-is-made-indigo-dyeing/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Before 1915, cotton yarns were dyed using a skein dyeing process, in which individual [[hank (textile)|skeins]] of yarn were dipped into dye baths. Rope dyeing machines were developed in 1915, and slasher or sheet dyeing machines were developed in the 1970s. These methods involve a series of rollers that feed continuous yarns in and out of dye vats. In rope dyeing, continuous yarns are gathered together into long ropes or groups of yarns – after these bundles are dyed, they must be re-beamed for weaving. In sheet dyeing, parallel yarns are laid out as a sheet in the same order in which they will be woven; because of this, uneven dye circulation in the bath can lead to side-to-side color variations in the woven cloth. Rope dyeing eliminates this possibility because color variations can be evenly distributed across the warp during beaming.<ref name="Bojer"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mercer |first1=Harry |title=Rope Dyeing Vs Slasher (Sheet) Dyeing |url= https://www.denimsandjeans.com/denim/manufacturing-process/rope-dyeing-vs-slasher-sheet-dyeing/3117 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012171205/https://www.denimsandjeans.com/denim/manufacturing-process/rope-dyeing-vs-slasher-sheet-dyeing/3117 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2016 |access-date=2 September 2019 |work=Denims and Jeans |date=19 May 2011 |via=Archive.org}}</ref>

Denim fabric dyeing is divided into two categories: [[indigo dye]]ing (Indigo dye is a unique shade of blue) and [[sulfur dye]]ing (Sulfur dye is a synthetic organic dye and it is formed by sulphurisation of organic intermediates, this contains nitro or amino groups). Indigo dyeing produces the traditional blue color or shades similar to it. [[Sulfur]] dyeing produces specialty black and other colors, such as red, pink, purple, grey, rust, mustard, and green.

===Weaving===
[[File:Джинсовая ткань (изнаночная сторона).jpg|thumb|Denim under a microscope.]]
[[File:Full Count Selvedge ID.jpg|alt=|thumb|Selvedge identifier visible in white at the interior of a pair of jeans]]

Most denim made today is made on a [[Rapier loom|shuttleless loom]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=K W Yeung|first=Yan Li, L Yao|title=The China and Hong Kong Denim Industry|year=2003|pages=11}}</ref> that produces bolts of fabric {{convert|60|in}} or wider, but some denim is still woven on the traditional [[Shuttle (weaving)|shuttle loom]], which typically produces a bolt {{convert|30|in}} wide. Shuttle-loom-woven denim is usually recognizable by its ''[[selvage|selvedge]]'' (sometimes written 'selvage'), the edge of a fabric created as a continuous cross-yarn (the [[weft]]) reverses direction at the edge side of the shuttle loom. The selvedge is traditionally accentuated with [[warp (weaving)|warp]] threads of one or more contrasting colors, which can serve as an identifying mark.

Although quality denim can be made on either loom, selvedge denim has come to be associated with premium products since final production that showcases the selvedge requires greater care of assemblage.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cadigan |first1=Erin |title=Sourcing and Selecting Textiles for Fashion: Sourcing and Selection |date=13 February 2014 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-2-940496-10-5 |page=55}}</ref>

The weight of denim can vary greatly, with a yard of fabric weighing anywhere from {{cvt|9 to 32|oz}}, with {{cvt|11 to 14|oz}} being typical.<ref name="Weight">{{cite web |last1=Rubin |first1=Ellen |title=The Denim Weight of Jeans |url= https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/the-denim-weight-of-jeans-guide/#:~:text=While%20there%20are%20no%20official,type%20of%20clothing%20being%20made. |work=Unsustainable |access-date=28 May 2023 |date=24 April 2022}}</ref>

==Uses==
[[File:Jean jacket.jpg|thumb|A denim "trucker" jacket, introduced in the early 20th century, and since the 1960s, one of the most well-known products of denim cotton.]]

Denim is frequently used for a wide array of consumer products, including:
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* '''Clothing'''
** [[Apron]]s
** [[Boot]]s and [[athletic shoe]]s
** [[Capri pants]]
** [[Cloth face mask]]
** [[Dress]]es
** [[Hat]]s
** [[Jacket]]s
** [[Jeans]]
** [[Jegging]]s
** [[Overall]]s
** [[Shirt]]s
** [[Shorts]]
** [[Denim skirt|Skirt]]s
** [[Sneakers (footwear)|Sneakers]]
** [[Suit (clothing)|Suit]]s
* '''Accessories'''
** [[Belt (clothing)|Belts]]
** [[Handbag]]s (purses)
** [[Tote bag]]s
** [[Wallet]]s
* '''Furniture'''
** [[Bean bag#Furniture|Bean bag chairs]]
** [[Lampshade]]s
** [[Upholstery]]
{{div col end}}

===Art===
Denim has been a medium for many artists. At least one artist, [[Denimu|Ian Berry]], uses old or recycled denim, exclusively in crafting his portraits and other scenes.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-44198953 |title=Artist creates works in denim |date=23 May 2018 |work=BBC News |access-date=29 June 2018 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Worldwide market==
[[File:Dyehouse, White Oak Cotton Mills. Greensboro, N.C, by H.C. White Co..jpg|thumb|The dyehouse at the White Oak Cotton Mill, in [[Greensboro]], North Carolina. The [[Cone Mills Corporation]], which owned the mill, was formerly the world's largest maker of denim.]]

In 2020, the worldwide denim market equaled US$57.3 billion, with demand growing by 5.8% and supply growing by 8% annually.<ref name="ResearchandMarkets">{{cite press release |title=Global Denim Jeans Market Report 2022: Market to Reach US$76.1 Billion by 2026 - U.S. Market is Estimated at $15.1 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $15.5 Billion by 2026 |url= https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/02/08/2380630/28124/en/Global-Denim-Jeans-Market-Report-2022-Market-to-Reach-US-76-1-Billion-by-2026-U-S-Market-is-Estimated-at-15-1-Billion-in-2021-While-China-is-Forecast-to-Reach-15-5-Billion-by-2026.html |work=GlobeNewswire |date=8 February 2022 |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref> Over 50% of denim is produced in Asia, most of it in [[China]], [[India]], [[Turkey]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wickert |first=N |date=2010 |title=Modular denim wet-finishing concepts |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294159505_Modular_denim_wet-finishing_concepts}}</ref>

Globally, the denim industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4.8% from 2022 to 2026, with the market value expected to increase from $57.3 billion to $76.1 billion.<ref>{{cite web |title=By 2026, the denim market expected value will be $ 79.1 billion |url= http://www.technofashionworld.com/denim-market-by-2026/ |work=Techno Fashion World |date=5 January 2022 |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Cambric|Chambray]]
* [[Denim Day]]
* [[Dungaree (fabric)|Dungaree]]
* [[Gabardine]]
* [[Lee National Denim Day]]
* [[Western fashion]]
{{div col end}}
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|denim}}
* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/riveted-history-of-jeans/ ''Riveted: The History of Jeans''] at [[PBS]]'s ''[[American Experience]]''

{{fabric}}
{{Clothing}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cotton]]
[[Category:Jeans]]
[[Category:Woven fabrics]]
[[Category:Symbols of California]]