Where do 'jeans' come from?
'Jeans' first appeared in the 18th century, made from denim or dungaree cloth. Invented by Jacobs Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873, they were named after the city of Genoa in Italy where cotton corduroy was manufactured.
In 1851 Levi Strauss came to New York from Germany and then later moved to San Francisco to establish a western branch of the family dry goods business. Jacob W. Davis a tailor from Reno, Nevada who made functional items such as tents, a customer one day requested sturdy pants which he made out of denim bought from Levi Strauss & Co. The pair went into business, becoming partners and opening up a factory.
What is denim made from?
Denim is a type of cotton, the term denim refers to a type of strong, durable cotton.
What weft is denim?
Denim is when the weft passes under two or more warp threads creating diagonal ribbing that’s not found in traditional cotton. Normally, the warp thread of denim is dyed blue and the weft thread is left white. This is why the interior of denim jeans is usually a different colour compared to the exterior.
How to wash denim jeans?
You do not need to wear your jeans every time you wear them, designers and fashion labels have come out and stated that you should only wash your jeans when they visibly look dirty. Like all garments, washing breaks down the fabric and can cause fading over time.
Here are some quick and simple steps to washing your jeans...
#1 Always check the fabric care label before washing your jeans. For the first few goes, we recommend you wash separately from other items to avoid dye transfer.#2 Turn your jeans inside out if you’re machine-washing jeans. #3 Use cold water and a laundry detergent for jeans#4 In general, your jeans will last longer if you take them out of the dryer slightly damp. Smooth them into shape and let them dry on a flat surface or a hanger. You don’t want to shrink them either or leave them extremely creased.Care Tips
If you talk to the experts when it comes to jeans the three main tips would be…Wash Less - Wash once every 10 weeks at most to maintain fit and prevent too much “rebound.” Use a damp cloth to remove any stains.
Wash Cold - Cold water keeps the colour you love. Washing with cold water protects against fading and shrinking.
Dry Line - Dryers are the natural enemy of jeans. All that lint is your jeans breaking down. Instead, hang them up. Line-drying preserves the fit and helps avoid possible shrinkage or fabric warping.
Now moving on to different styles...
The Skinny Jeans
Skinny jeans made a massive comeback onto the fashion scene in the early 2000s when Kate Moss defiantly revived the trend after the baggy jeans flurry of the 90s. Instantly flattering on every body type, skinny jeans are a classic that flatters your leg shape.
Often people like their skinny jeans to be high-waisted adding comfort and tucking us in. Some people prefer low-rise jeans with Good America providing some really high-quality jeans which are a great fit. Calvin Klein and Tommy Jeans have some great plus-size skinny jeans styles as well.
The Cropped Jeans
Cropped jeans are super popular – seen on the catwalks, on celebrities and frequently photographed as street style eye-candy, the cropped, ankle-grazing, slightly wider leg cropped jeans are easy-to-wear and utterly relaxed in fit. Because they show your ankle they are a great style to wear with sandals and trainers for summer. The Wrangler jeans have a good amount of stretch for comfort which out losing their shape and hardwearing properties.If you want to know about Wrangler and the sizing visit our buyer's guide here.
Straight Leg Jeans
Straight-leg jeans are the perfect pair to transition from smarter occasions to more casual days because they complement many different types of footwear. Straight-leg jeans give the appearance of a long slim leg without clinging to your leg. Coming in both high-waisted and low-rise styles find a pair that works for you.The Good America straight-leg jeans have a really strong range of blue washes. These styles are great staples for your summer wardrobe, that will not compromise your comfort. If you want to know more about Good America and their sizing, read our buyer's guide here.
Flared Jeans
Flared jeans are coming back, with baggier styles in recent years picking up momentum. The flared jeans give the illusion you are taller and can be very flattering for summer with a knitted vest or blouse.
They also have a smarter appearance which is great for work days or smarter occasions.
The Jean Shorts
Warmer weather is approaching, and it’s nearly time for our favourite pair of jean shorts to make a reappearance. Bring some LA style to your wardrobe with a pair of distressed denim shorts – whether you choose low-slung, high-waisted, dark or light denim, jean shorts are a classic that will never fall out of favour with the fashion pack.This season we are seeing key trends around co-rds and double denim looks, why not pair up your shorts with a denim jacket or shirt for the ultimate effortlessly cool look?
Other Denim Staples
What's the Difference? | HUGO BOSS Labels Explained
Your favourite ready-to-wear brand HUGO BOSS has had a little bit of a rejig. Notorious for its high-quality men’s and womenswear lines, the brand caters for all occasions. Here are the labels explained...
Written by Holly Thompson
