Jean, jeans, denim, three words that merge in their uses. They are generally used to designate one of the most legendary garments of recent decades. He knew how to dress workers, women, children, Hollywood stars, etc.
But in fact, what is the real difference between jeans and denim? In this article I bring you my answers.
What are jeans? History and origin
The history of jeans dates back to the 13th century AD. It was at the time the name of a fabric solid and robust used in making outdoor work clothes. However, its origin remains very controversial and several countries dispute it. There is nothing surprising in this given the popularity that this fabric has known and still knows today. But according to several sources, the jeans come from Europe, more precisely from Italy.
It was woven from cotton yarn mixed with linen, wool or hemp yarn, because cotton was not a very accessible commodity. The canvas was originally brown and ecru, nothing to do with the blue color that came later. It was first called “genoa futaine” in reference to its production city. It is used by locals to make sails for boats, lining clothes, for making peasant outfits and even underwear given its extreme resistance.
The fabric is then enhanced with more advanced weaving techniques and gained popularity in the 18th century throughout Europe, but especially in England. It is produced according to a particular process which can be recognized thanks to the oblique patterns formed by the interlacing of the warp and weft threads. It is also this twill weaving method that gives it such high wear resistance. It is now dyed with a plant, indigo, which comes from India and Africa. It is imported a lot by the English and its name also evolves from “Genoa” to “Jean”.
The word “jeans” therefore does not refer to the clothing we put on for our events, it is rather “jeans”. It is above all a resistant fabric that has established itself and adapted to the times. But it should be noted that we owe the creation of denim jeans pants as we know them today to the fabric merchant Levi Strauss and his partner the tailor Jacob Davis. The first stones of the famous Levi’s brand were thus laid in 1853.
What is denim? History and origin
The history and exact origin of denim are also still debated today. Some attribute the merit of this creation to the city of Nîmes (France), others on the other hand lean more towards England. Indeed, the “twill of Nîmes” was a twill fabric dating from the 15th or 16th century. It is obtained by weaving a silk and wool blend which makes it very soft. This canvas and its manufacturing process were very quickly exported throughout Europe, making the fortune of the people of Nîmes.
Word denim would meanwhile, the contraction ” Nimes in reference to the French city and which over time has passed into common language. It’s a fully woven fabric with cotton threads without any other fiber intake. This is also the main characteristic that differs from jeans and twill from Nîmes. The very tight weaving uses the Nîmes technique which gives this weave of diagonal lines characteristic of twill and gives such solidity to garments made in this material.
Denim has a soft and less rigid texture than jeans, but is just as durable. This is the reason why it is the most used for making our traditional jeans pants and jackets. It was not dyed with synthetic dye originally, which gave it its original color to fade as it was worn. The blue of the fabric or even blue of Genoa was obtained with two plants: the indigo or the pastel of the dyers. But nowadays, denim comes in different colors, to give us a wide range of choices according to our preferences.
Denim is 100% cotton canvaswhile jeans are a canvas made from a mixture of several fibers. The two fabrics are not to be confused, as they differ in their design materials.
The jeans and denim revolution by Levi Strauss
The revolution caused by these paintings was mainly observed in the middle of the 18th century in America, a continent where everything was still to be done. Workers, especially artisanal miners, needed strong clothing that would withstand the wear and tear of working outdoors. Levi Strauss, a young German Jew, emigrated to the United States in 1847 to work in New York with his brothers in their clothing store. He then left the family business and moved to San Francisco in 1853 as a fabric and hardware merchant. This is the beginning of his entrepreneurial adventure with his shop Levi Strauss & Co which also makes work clothes.
It was not until 1872 that the entrepreneur was contacted by a freelance tailor from Nevada, Jacob Davis, who had just invented a process for riveting the less resistant areas of the pants. It was a revolution that made the corners of the pockets on men’s trousers very strong. He proposed to Levi to patent the joint process. In 1873, the two partners obtained the patent for rivets on men’s trousers and jeans were born. The garment very quickly became iconic and began to dress everyone, women, children and later celebrities.
Today, the 501 is one of the most marketed models in the world.
The most popular types and fits of jeans
We have five main types of denim washes that are still staples today. It’s regarding :
- raw jeans,
- stone jeans,
- du jeans bleached,
- du jeans black,
- and gray jeans.
The raw jeans are indigo as originally. It has the particularity of not having undergone any treatment following being dyed. It is perfect for any type of event and adapts well to many styles.
Stone jeans or faded jeans have a clear and old appearance at first sight, having undergone many treatments in their manufacturing process. It is suitable for your casual outings.
Bleached jeans are an extreme wash that gives the impression of bleached clothing. Its sky blue will know how to radiate you during the summer periods and also during the spring.
Black jeans or black jeans for people who are much more rock’n’roll or gothic. It is also a classic that everyone can wear and can be a very good alternative to raw jeans when you don’t like colors.
Gray jeans that are nothing but the faded version of black jeans. It can be light or dark and has the particularity of highlighting everything, from the most sober to the most flashy with its neutral color.
The jeans are available in several models in order to highlight you according to your morphology. So we have special cuts for women, but also for men and children.
Women’s jeans cuts
In this category we have jeans:
- regular ou straight,
- boyfriend ou mom,
- flare,
- skinny,
- slim,
- jegging,
- plus size jeans,
- maternity jeans.
Men’s jeans cuts
For men we have the cuts:
- regular or straight,
- slim,
- straight,
- bootcut,
- skinny.
This is the real difference between jeans and denim ????