Denim
- Becky Goddard
- Nov 23, 2016
- 4 min read
Denim is a wardrobe staple for everyone. Practical, hard wearing, some may describe jeans in general as completely gender neutral. Denim is a sturdy cotton twill with many garment applications. The most common denim is indigo denim, in which the warp thread is dyed, while the weft thread is left white (it results in a blue shade of denim not indigo). Jeans first gained popularity in the late 1800's early 1900s which is earlier that I thought. Finding the perfect pair of jeans is one of the hardest thing for most women I talk to. I know I am particularly 'selective' with things and denim is no exception. One of my the first things in my criteria when hunting for my most perfect pair of jeans is the colour, then style, then fit (this is wrong way round I appreciate that, however I couldn't wear jeans in a colour I dislike, no matter how good the shape and fit).
I know some may dismiss my colour preferences for denim, because they would argue that jeans are all typically blue. Not so much any more, denim is most commonly dyed with synthetic dye, indigo dying for blue shades and Sulfur for dying alternative colours such as reds, pinks, and greys etc. Lets discuss denim colours below in more detail
Blue Denim - The original jean were branded as "blue jeans," and were invented by Jacob W. Davis in collaboration with Levi Strauss & Co. I dislike bright blue denim jeans. Bright blue is too regular, too common, I know it is iconic garment, but just no for me. Maybe one day when everyone else is bored of blue denim I will suddenly start wearing it. Having said that though, I would wear a denim dress or shirt in this colour, just not jeans.
White Denim - I don't know why I latched on to the idea of white jeans when I was young, maybe because of a pop group like All Saints or perhaps I just wanted to be different. White jeans are a difficult colour, yes they get dirty insanely easily and you can see most colours of knicker through them. I bought a pair and hardly wear them. They can look great though, luxurious, impractical and they do stand out in a sea of darker bottom hard garments.
Black Denim -This is very versatile colour and goes with everything and it has been made almost as common as blue denim. However I believe it is cooler and easier to wear. I tend to think that a pair of black skinny jeans that aren't too faded can actually look quite smart, an older person may disagree with this. However that being said I do like black jeans that have faded to dark grey, it gives the denim a new softer look, not as smart but casual.
Grey Denim - Washed out grey jeans, perhaps more modern than the blue and black denim. There is of course different shades of grey jeans - green grey, blue grey, charcoal grey to name but a few. If I wear grey denim with something bright; a pop of colour so I don't feel like I am turning into a grey cloud. Grey denim is a good neutral, possibly more so that traditional bright blue denim.
Light Bleached Blue Denim - The old fashioned view of making a distressed or faded denim purchased is 'why are you buying something that looks used and second hand'. However this is a long term trend that isn't going anywhere along with rips. This colour way is more popular for ladies jeans than mens jeans. Beachy boho? Or a bit euro trash? I used to wear a very pale washed out pair of jeans for a good few years until they split. My Mum tried to persuade me to keep them as a seasonal piece for summer time, but I wore them all year round. Because this denim colour is quite cold, black and anything harsh can clash quite nastily with it. I would suggest warming it up with navy and white
Inky Navy Denim- Traditional blue denim that is just a couple of shades darker can transform it completely. I have only recently learnt to appreciate dark navy denim, I believe it can look classy and grown up. Worn with a crisp white shirt and heels it can look smart.
Metallic Denim - No, no, no. Perhaps to edgy for me or maybe too bling. The texture of the metallic denim I have come across does seem to have a stiff and synthetic feeling texture. It could be because these jeans are in their infancy and in a few years time the quality may improve
Embellishments and Trends - Each season the fashion magazines try to write about denim in a fresh way describing a denim trend. This could be '1970's trend', or 'an Americana inspired denim season' or it could be 'Punk'. The fashion magazines and influencers love little twists or details with denim including: diamonds, rips, studs, patchwork, embroidery, no hem, double hem, white hem, extra stitching or texture, a stripe, 2 contrasting denim colours ... the list goes on and that isn't even covering different styles or fits. I admire this creativity because it is pushing forward and trying to develop a new look with an old iconic garment.
Stitching - Denim stitching is traditionally dark yellow. Denim suppliers are constantly being pushed down on the cost price for garments, so therefore corners that are cut including quality and details like stitching using the cheapest thread available that often go unnoticed. Some time the colour of the stitching is a contrast other times it is the same colour as the denim.
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