Denim Project, 'History of Denim & the Origin of Jeans', Hawthorn ...https://www.hawthornintl.com › history-of-denim

Linguistic origins:

'The word “denim” comes from a twill fabric called “Serge de Nîmes”, first woven in Nîmes, France. This fabric was made using a twill weave, with the weft passing under the warp threads. The weavers used indigo to dye the warp threads blue, but left the weft threads their natural white colour. This process gave the fabric a unique blue colour on one side, with white on the other. They called it Serge de Nîmes (translated to ‘twill of Nîmes’).'

'De' in French means 'of' and '-nim' is an abbreviation of 'Nimes' in France. Therefore denim has a specific geographical context from which it orginates.

'The word Jeans comes from a twilled cotton fabric called ‘Genoa fustian’; often used to make durable workwear. Labourers in the United States referred to their workwear as ‘ Jeans’, after the city Genoa, where the fabric was initially woven.'

This shows how local slang and essentially misinterpretation for localised ease shaped what we 'jeans', demonstrating how personal the history of garments and textiles can be. This is also interesting how within this linguistic evolution the context of the garment and its routes in the Italian region of Genoa essentially become lost.

The history of indigo dye:

'Synonymous with the classic image of the denim jean, indigo is among the oldest dyes to be used in textile dyeing and responsible for the iconic blue hue.'

'Formulated from an organic dye with a distinctive blue shade; indigo was originally manufactured and exported from India (where it was given its name) during the Greco-Roman era. A natural dye extracted from the leaves of certain plants, this process was important economically because blue dyes were once rare. Originally made from the plant called indigofera tinctoria, it became a highly prized commodity leading to Persian, Levantine, and Greek exporters imposing heavy tax duties. As such, this classic blue hue became a rare luxury in Europe.'

'It was only after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered a sea route to India in 1497, that indigofera tinctoria entered the markets of other colonies. Importers could now avoid the heavy duties imposed and consequently, the use of indigo in European clothing manufacture rose significantly.'

'In 1865, the German chemist Adolf von Baeyer began working on the synthesis of natural indigo. He finally succeeded in doing this in 1883, paving the way for the first industrial mass production of synthetic indigo in 1897. Significantly cheaper to produce, synthetic indigo was also more reliable, due to the longer lasting colour which offered permanence and durability.'

It is interesting how indigo was once a rare commodity due to the fact that it had to be extracted from certain plants and because of tax duties from exporters, making it a luxury item, which then became commonplace due to colonial globalisation and scientific progress that enabled it to be produced synthetically. This synthetic production created a more permanent and durable textile which definitely would have impacted its use and function as workwear.

The denim market: Levi Strauss & Co.

'Levi Strauss had moved to San Francisco during the 1853 California ‘gold rush’ to start a Western branch of his family’s dry goods business. He was a German immigrant to the USA, moving to New York in 1851 to work with his brother.'

'One of his customers was a tailor called Jacob W. Davis. He was commissioned by a gold mining company to create trousers which were strong and could withstand hard work.'

'The manufacturing of denim overalls began in the 1870s and the company created their first pair of jeans in the 1890s.'

'It was only after the 19th century that competitors for the denim market began to appear: namely Wrangler (1905) and Lee (1911).'

'Levi Strauss patented his idea on May 20th 1873, and nowadays this date is considered to be the birthday of blue jeans.'

'The most common colour of stitching on jeans is Orange, which was originally done to match the copper rivets that were used to construct Levi jeans.'

'The smaller pocket inside the front pocket of a pair of jeans was originally designed for a pocket watch. Nowadays, wrist watches are far more popular, but the watch pocket remains on most jeans as a stylistic touch and a nod to their history.'

Denim and Workwear:

In the early 20th century, denim was adopted as the preferred workwear fabric choice for western cowboys, miners, farmers in the US. Not only was the fabric cheap, but denim was more durable and sturdy than the popular alternative – ‘jean’ (traditionally made from cotton, linen and wool). After Levi’s & Strauss patented the metal rivets to make them more hard-wearing, they began producing the iconic denim blue trousers that became a common feature among working men.

Jeans were originally created as practical work wear, and their indigo colour was chosen so that it would better hide the dirt when worn by miners and labourers.

farmers wearing jeans 1930

Farmers wearing denim jeans in the 1930’s.

This shows how the roots of denim are in workwear due to their strength and durability. It is interesting how geo-political events such as the 1853 California Gold Rush and Jewish immigration has impacted the history of the most infamous denim jeans brand.

Jeans and the American West/ Americana.

'The classic symbol of the American West is now a staple in wardrobes. Modern jeans began to appear in the 1920s, but sales were largely confined to the working people of the western United States, such as cowboys, lumberjacks, and railroad workers. It’s thought that Levi’s jeans were first introduced to the East during the dude ranch craze of the 1930s.

Dude ranches arose in response to the romanticisation of the American West that began to occur in the late 19th century. Today, tumbleweed, rodeos and Wyatt Earp are as much symbols of our Western ideal as the humble denim jean. In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner stated that the United States frontier was demographically “closed” which in turn conjured feelings of nostalgia for bygone days. With the ruthless lifestyle of the Wild West now gone, this nostalgia could be explored without the risk of gunslingers and shoot-outs. It was an era when the Wild West could be commercialised and romanticised.

The Western adventures of famous figures were made available to paying guests from cities of the East, who were referred to as ‘dudes’.'

Other countries quickly started to get accustomed to wearing jeans too. American servicemen on duty in Europe and Japan would often wore them when off- duty to show that they were Americans. The denim jean became a cultural signifier.

Denim and Rebellion:

James Dean and Marlon Brando redefined the humble denim jean forever with their highly stylised roles in cult movies such as ‘The Wild One’ and ‘Rebel without a Cause’. Naturally, everyone wanted to emulate these idols. Culturally, jeans became a symbol of the youth rebellion during the 1950s and 1960s as college students started wearing them as a protest against the Vietnam War and the formality of the establishment. At the same time, the denim jean became popular among motorcycle boys and juvenile delinquents, largely influenced by these screen idols. Straight-legged jeans became associated with these rebellious figures, which led to many US schools banning them from being worn. It seemed that nothing could slow down the popularity of denim jeans as one newspaper quoted: “90% of American youth wear jeans everywhere, except in bed or church”.

Marlon Brando wearing jeans, in The Wild One.

Denim Jeans and the Hippie Movement:

'From the late 1950s, denim was readily associated with rebelliousness, individuality and self-expression. Students began wearing jeans to college and the humble jean trouser became an unofficial uniform at protests, discos and all range of social activities. At the same time, women were starting to embrace sexual liberation through their clothing. Their denim jeans came to reflect this spirit as they wore bolder styles with slimmer waists and wider, ‘bell-bottoms’

Hip-hop and denim:

'The 1990s ushered in another era in denim culture and styling with the emergence of baggy jeans and dungarees. Pop groups such as TLC, the Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child helped boost these styles amongst their fans. The 1990s also saw the rise of the ‘boot cut’ – a slimmer, more subtle denim flare more suitable for daily wear – as well as the wide-legged JNCO style, which were extremely wide from the waist down. Oversized denim jackets, paired with jeans of a contrasting shade of indigo, became a key look with celebrities during this era.'

Denim has a history of being associated with anti-establishment subcultures, from wild west cowboys, to rebellious youth culture associated with punk-rock and grunge, motor-cycles and leather jackets, to the hippie movement and 90's hip-hop.

Research Part 2

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