vintage denim History
I thought I would bump up this post so our newer readers can
learn about the history of denim.Isn’t denim just the most amazing fabric out
there? It’s versatile, it’s tough, it’s durable, it’s easy to work with, it’s
fashionable, it’s warm, the list is endless! Denim is a huge component in the
wonderful world of fashion. It’s a staple garment that everyone owns. Denim
started out being worn by workers, a very long time ago due to it’s durability
and it’s tough texture. Do you wonder where exactly denim comes from? Well keep
reading! I have put together an article telling you all about where the
gorgeous fabric came from and how it has evolved throughout the years!
Where did the name Denim come from? The word comes from the name of a sturdy fabric called serge, originally made in Nîmes, France, by the Andre family. Denim was originally called serge de Nîmes, it was then soon shortened to Denim.
What exactly is Denim and how is it made? Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp fibers. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. It is a twill-weave woven fabric that uses different colors for the warp and weft. One color is predominant on the fabric surface. Because of this twill weave, it means the fabric is very strong.
What was Denim first used for? Denim was originally used by workers. They wore denim clothes because of it’s durability, it was extremely strong and perfect for their daily jobs, it didn’t wear out easily making it a good fabric for the long run.
How has Denim evolved throughout the years? This is a very important question, one that explains so much about why we wear denim today. Without the history behind denim, we will wonder forever how it became so famous and such a key piece of clothing.
In the 1800’s American gold miners wanted clothes that were strong and did not tear easily. To meet this demand from the miners, a man called Leob Strauss started a wholesale business, supplying clothes to people who required it. Leob and a Nevada tailor joined forces to patent an idea the tailor had for putting rivets on stress points of workman’s waist high overalls, commonly known as jeans. Strauss later changed his name from the rather plain Leob to the extremely recognisable Levi, this is when the brand Levi Strauss was created and is still extremely successful today.
- The 1930′s Cowboys often wore jeans in the movies. This made
jeans become very popular, as you know how much of an influence clothing in the
movies has on every day wear. This lead to a huge increase in people wanting to
purchase jeans.
During the 1940′s fewer jeans were made due to World War 2,
but American soldiers did introduce them to the world by wearing them when they
were off duty as a casual, comfy item of clothing. After the war, rival
companies, like Wrangler and Lee, began to compete with Levi’s for a share of
the international market.
In the 1950′s Denim became very popular with young people.
It was the symbol of the teenage rebellion in TV programmes and movies. James
Dean, in the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause, was a symbol of this. Some
schools in the US went so far as to ban students from wearing denim on the
premises!
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In the 1960′s and 70′s manufacturers started to make
different styles of jeans to match the 60′s fashions which included embroidered
jeans, painted jeans, psychedelic jeans etc, these were a huge part of the
fashion and culture. Think of the 70′s flares with platform shoes, everyone
today remembers the 70′s fashion for this, even if like myself, you were not
even born then! In many non-western countries, jeans became a symbol of
‘western decadence’ which meant they were very hard to get.
In the 1980′s jeans became a very high fashion clothing.
Famous fashion designers like Gucci started making jeans, with their own labels
on them. This meant jeans had lost their appeal as a workers fabric now and
were classed as a very fashionable item of clothing to own. Because high
fashion designers like Gucci had taken jeans on, this meant that jean sales
started to rocket, everyone who was anyone had to own them. More and more
different types and styles of jeans were created, the flares were dropped and
in came the super skinny jeans, acid washes and little Denim jackets. Denim
really was taking the fashion industry by storm!
What happened in the 1990′s? Although denim is never
completely out of style, it certainly goes out of “fashion” from time to time.
The 1990′s youth market wasn’t particularly interested in 501′s and other
traditional jeans styles, mainly because their parents: the “generation born in
blue” were still wearing them. No teenager in their right mind would be caught
dead in anything their parents are wearing, this meant the 1990′s youth turned
to other fabrics and styles like cargo pants, khakis and branded sportswear.
Since I was born in the late 80′s I definitely can relate to this. Not very
many people were wearing jeans when I grew up in the 90′s.
Denim was still in vogue, but it had to be in different
finishes, new cuts, shapes, styles, or in the form of aged, authentic, vintage
jeans, discovered in markets, and second-hand stores, not conventional jeans
stores. Levi Strauss & Co., the No.1 producer of jeans, closed 11 factories
throughout the 1990′s due to the sudden decrease in want for their product.
Then what happened during the year 2000 and still is today?
Jeans made a huge come back on the catwalk with big name designers like Chanel,
Dior, Chloe and Versace adding them to their summer ’99 collections. Jeans were
back in fashion! Was it risky for these designers to incorporate jeans back
into fashion after the 90′s? It probably was, but I am very thankful they did!
Jeans today are the most worn item of clothing ever!
- We are over half way through the year 2009 and I can’t
believe how much progress denim has made! Every single brand almost has a denim
line. Not just designers like Chanel and Dior, other companies have started out
purely for jeans, Diesel, Rock & Republic, 7 For All Mankind, True
Religion, Nudie, Paige Premium, J Brand… The list is endless! Every year so
many new faces in denim are appearing. Current/Elliott are a wonderful example,
they created their brand purely for denim and introduced the boyfriend fit back
into our lives!
Now articles of clothing such as dresses, shirts, shorts,
skirts, coats, jackets and even leggings are produced in Denim. With all of
these Denim brands in the market, I think it’s safe to say Denim will not be
going anywhere any time soon! It’s here to stay! We are now obsessed with
finding the perfect fit and the perfect jean, brands are trying their hardest
to accomplish this task!
Denim trends also come back around! Think right now, the
flared leg jeans are coming back in fashion as is the 80′s acid wash trend. As
the years progress and the style changes, like everything in fashion, it
repeats itself. Maybe in about 20 years time the boyfriend jean will be back in
fashion!
Now that Denim is such a major part of our lives, many of us
out there, like myself, love to create the fading effect and worn in look
ourselves! This is where raw denim comes in to play! Raw, unwashed denim, which
means we can create our own fades and our own look just by wearing them! You
can see our HonestForum members raw denim and how they have progressed and
faded through wear here. There are so many types of Denim: Rigid denim which is
just 100% cotton, stretch Denim either containing elastane or lycra, Selvage
Denim which has stitching on the leg seams inside, not leaving them uncut with
raw edges, and more. There are also so many cuts: skinny, straight, bootcut,
flare, capri, boyfriend, carrot fit, bell bottoms… Isn’t Denim amazing? I could
talk about it forever!
Although there are some broken down examples in the supplies
we find (we repurpose or repair any that we can) those that are still intact
are able to be fully refurbished into near-perfect vintage condition even after
50-plus years of use – but make no mistake it’s the rucksack itself which must
take the credit for this longevity: the quality and craftsmanship is
incredible, they are made of a tough but incredibly lightweight canvas, the
stitching uses sinew for strength in places, the leather work is absolutely
outstanding and the overall design so perfect for it’s use that they are able
to survive the years so well. Even at 60 or 70 years old these are probably
only half way through their useful life, which is fruit for thought in our
throwaway society. Simply an outstanding and beautiful piece of history – that
still functions as well today as it would have on it’s first outing, up in the
high Alps of Switzerland.
