Denim – Developing the Next Generation of Jeans

The terms Jeans and Denim are both steeped in history and derived from European city names. In 17th Century Italy, the Genoese navy were the first to wear the ‘bleu de Genes’ (the blue of Genoa). Denim has its roots in France, where the raw material to make the jeans came from, specifically the city of Nimes which leant itself to the name ‘de Nimes’. As recently as the Second World War, jeans were still mainly considered to be clothing for factory workers and it wasn’t until the 1950’s and the introduction of the stone washing technique that they became regarded as a fashion item.

There’s been no stopping the evolution of jeans since stonewashing took them to a new level. As with most clothing, trends began to form in denim and these are now a huge industry in themselves forming part of the bigger fashion world. Denim is certainly a versatile material, which is the main reason for its lasting popularity. From skinny fit to baggy, acid washed to resin coated, an unlikely union between fashion designers and scientists has emerged and has taken denim from the high seas almost 400 years ago, to the high street shops and malls in every major city today.

Recently, resin coated jeans have become very popular. These must-have items owe a lot to chemistry, so here comes the science bit. To start, the jeans are crumpled into the right look, then the denim fabric itself is treated in a solution of resin. This treated fabric is subsequently baked and as it’s drying, the resin undergoes a chemical reaction. As a result of this, the denim fibres are bound together which holds the exact structure of the molecules just as before they were baked, leaving you with the look the designers intended. The resin coating gives the jeans a memory and provides the wearer with the same fantastic style again and again.

In recent years

About the Author

Andrew Regan writes on behalf of a digital marketing agency. He hopes you enjoyed his article, but urges you to seek further understanding of its topics before making any decisions based on its content.