The Modern Definition of Denim
The history of denim, as we know it, really starts in the mid-1800s and was commonly regarded as a durable cloth made from cotton fibers colored with indigo dye. In 1838, the Amoskeag Mfg. Co. is founded in New Hampshire and by the mid 1860s is producing a durable cloth made from cotton fibers colored with indigo dye. A decade later, it becomes a key supplier to Levi Strauss, which for decades supplied the fabric used by laborers in coal mines, steel mills, and railroads building the American heritage. Denim became a democracy and has had a long history through the centuries.
Today, we find ourselves in a technological age where the distribution of ideas happens instantly via the internet and social media sites. Denim still remains very much a part of our culture—as a blank canvas to express style, emotions and mood of the times.
Over the past several years, we have seen a notable change in denim. Denim no longer has to be made entirely from cotton, as now there are fabrics blended with fibers like spandex, polyester, wool, linen, and TENCEL™ Lyocell. Multi-fiber blended fabrics deliver a greater range of aesthetics and performance. Denim is always about fit, but now denim does not have to be woven; it can be a knit. Denim does not have to be only for jeans, as it can also be in dresses, shirts and jackets. The ingenuity of new laundry finishing techniques provides options that previously were not thought possible…
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