What does Denim mean?

A type of fabric material comprised of blue cotton warp and white cotton filling. This fabric is mostly common used and known for in the construction of jeans such as raw denim jeans. Denim jeans were originally known as work clothes and were worn by factory workers and labourers due to its ability to sustain wear. Over time, denim has become wide spread and is seen as fashionable clothing material.

Heddels explains Denim

The focus of this site, denim is a durable cotton twill material primarily associated with jeans. It is unique in that while it is naturally beige or off-white, it is associated with only one color – blue (due to its long history with indigo dye). Many believe that the term denim comes from the French phrase “serge de Nimes”, a fabric of silk and wool that originated in Nimes, France during the Middle Ages. In 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis began making riveted “waist overalls” for workers out of denim and cotton duck, with the denim eventually completely supplanting the duck because of its comfort and durability.

Despite its humble origins, denim is now a staple in nearly everyone’s wardrobe, usually in the form of jeans. It is almost always indigo-dyed and has a diagonal ribbing easily seen on the reverse side of the fabric. While traditionally made solely of cotton, denim is now frequently blended with other fibers such as Lycra or spandex to give some stretch to the material.

Additional Resources

An example of denim: