Denim fabric

A timeless and versatile fabric

There is no garment as timeless as a pair of jeans. They go with almost anything and last a very long time. This is due in part to the twill weave used to create the fabric, where the yarn shifts sideways with each weft, creating the distinctive diagonal lines in denim. Fabrics woven in this way are generally stronger than those woven in a plain weave. Nevertheless, denim fabrics are not stiff. Thicker fabrics are usually a little stiffer than thinner ones, but denim drapes more easily than fabrics woven in a linen weave. Additionally, denim fabric is less likely to crease.

Denim is not used just for pants. Denim jackets are ideal for wearing in changeable weather and the material can also be used to make skirts, dresses, and overalls. It is possible to make blouses and shirts from the fabric, but if these items of clothing look like denim, they are usually made from thinner chambray fabric. In the past, denim was widely used for workwear because of its robustness and durability. However, in the field of protective clothing, the fabric has since been overtaken by materials such as corduroy and Tencel. Nevertheless, denim as a fashion fabric remains extremely popular and is now available in many colours and variations.

Denim is usually made from two cotton threads in different colours, often blue and white. In our collection, you will find many denim fabrics made from 100 percent cotton. However, we also offer stretch denim, which contains a small amount of elastic Spandex. In itself, denim fabric is not stretchy and some consider this a disadvantage, but with stretch denim, you can make clothing that is just as robust and moves well with the wearer. In addition, we have stretch denim that contains polyester fibres.

How denim became such a popular fashion fabric

Denim is known by different names. In addition to the Dutch term "spijkerstof", it is also called twill, jeans fabric, or simply jeans. Twill is the English term for a twill weave. The name "denim" is an abbreviation of "serge de Nîmes". Serge is another twill fabric and the denim we know today is based on how it was made in the southern French city of Nîmes. A precursor to the fabric was already being made in India centuries earlier. The term "blue jeans" is also likely to have originated from the French. "Bleu de Gênes" refers to the blue dye indigo, which was imported from India via Genoa (Gênes).

By far the most popular use of denim, however, originated in the United States. At the end of the 19th century, tailor Jacob W. Davis made the first pair of jeans with seams that were reinforced with rivets. The jeans became so popular that Davis's shop became too small for him and he went into partnership with wholesaler Levi Strauss & Co., which supplied him with the fabric for the jeans. With the resources that company had, the jeans were brought to the attention of a larger audience. Today, some 150 years later, Levi Strauss is still the market leader in jeans.

Because denim was originally used for workwear, it was mainly the working classes who wore the fabric back then. However, this has changed over the years. Nowadays, people from all walks of life wear clothing made of denim. This is largely due to how comfortable the fabric is to wear and how long-lasting denim can be. People love the look of denim so much that the material is used for bags and even upholstery, in addition to clothing and shoes. The appearance of the fabric fits in almost everywhere.

Making clothes with denim

The dark side of denim is almost always on the outside. The inside of the fabric is lighter and some would say less attractive. Special denim needles are available for sewing denim. These have an extra sharp point and a reinforced shaft, making it easier to sew through thick fabrics and less likely to break. Thinner denim can be sewn with a universal needle. Use a stitch length of 3 to 3.5 millimetres. If the fabric is thinner, you can sew with 2-millimetre stitches. The edges can be reinforced with wadding if necessary.

Normally, we recommend washing fabric with natural fibres before making clothing. Denim is mostly or even completely made of cotton, which can shrink when washed for the first time. However, good denim shrinks very little and by washing it for the first time after the clothing has been made, the light bleached look is created at the seams that many people find attractive. The fabric can be machine washed at a maximum of 30 degrees. Cotton can withstand 60 degrees, but the colours will remain brighter if washed at lower temperatures and air-dried. In addition, the Spandex in stretch denim cannot tolerate the heat of a tumble dryer.

Buying denim online

Few fabrics are as ubiquitous as denim. Therefore, there is always a high demand for denim fabric. At Quality Textiles, we make sure that popular fabrics are always in stock so that you don't have to wait long after placing an order. Most of the denim fabrics in our assortment are the distinctive blue colour, but we also have the fabric available in, for example, black or green. Are you looking for a thinner fabric with a similar appearance? Take a look at our chambray range.