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For the Love of Jeans

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Jeans never go out of fashion. Styles and cuts may come and go but jeans will always look good with almost any outfit. Even faded denim is considered fashionable by some people.
The word jeans refer to the type of fabric and is also sometimes used to mean the type of trousers called blue jeans. Jeans is the word used for this type of trousers because they were first made in Genoa, Italy.

Denim and Dungaree

Jeans are made from denim or dungaree, a weave of cotton. Denim comes from the term “serge from Nimes.” The weavers made it accidentally while trying to copy another fabric. The difference between denim and dungaree is in the dyeing process. The cotton in denim can be undyed, warp dyed or dyed after weaving. Dungaree on the other hand comes from the Hindi style of dyeing the warp thread of a cotton cloth with indigo. In that sense, dungaree is a type of denim.
In 17th century Europe, the jean fabric was common among the working class. Dungaree, called dungri, was also popular among the poor in India. It was later exported to England to make affordable clothes.

Trends and Popularity

The blue jean overalls were invented and patented by Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss & Co. This type of clothing was reinforced with copper rivets in the button fly and pocket areas. Later, Henry David Lee introduced the first zipper fly. Levi’s, Lee and Wrangler remain the most preferred and trusted brands today.
Blue jeans were made originally for miners and cowboys, but they became popular among Hippies and punk and metal sub-cultures. There was even a time when jeans were banned in public areas because it was a symbol of rebellion. In the USSR, people were executed for trafficking jeans. By the 1970s however, jeans became a staple for casual wear.

Fits and Styles

The first two types of jeans that were marketed were the brown cotton duck and the indigo blue. Today, jeans come in different fits such as straight, fit, slim fit, loose fit, boot cut, wash, skinny, bell bottom, cigarette bottom, narrow bottom, anti-fit, low waist, flare, and stretch.

Rise refers to the distance from the bottom of the crotch to the tip of the jeans’ waistband. There are four types to choose from. These are low rise, low-medium rise, medium rise and high rise.

There are two types of denim used for jeans. Washed denim is washed after the fabric is dyed, while raw denim isn’t washed after production. Faded jeans are considered art and people have come up with names for patterns such as honeycombs, stacks, whiskers and train tracks for the faded parts.

Colored denim has also gained popularity. Indigo dyeing creates the traditional blue jeans, while sulfur dyeing creates jeans with the following colors: pink, red, grey, black, purple, rust, green and mustard.

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