In This Thread: Denim

Welcome to the first thread in a study of denim! This month, I’ll explore the history and cultural significance of blue jeans and share a few denim-themed projects along the way.

Welcome to April and the first post of In This Thread! For the next four weeks I’m diving into denim and its history and the evolution of blue jeans from unassuming work pants to iconic wardrobe staple for people of all ages and backgrounds. For now, I’ll start with sharing what I know and believe about denim, having done no research yet. [I did a brief fact-check of my statements so I’m not publishing blatant lies, to the best of my knowledge.] To start things off, here is a rapid-fire overview of denim and jeans as informed by nothing but my stream of consciousness and memory.

What do I know about denim?

I know that the word comes from the French de Nimes, Nimes being the town where the heavy twill canvas originated. It was a fabric developed for use on ships—the durability made good sails—but the durability of the weave and the lightness of cotton made it an ideal fabric for work pants, and there was widespread appeal for such pants among coal miners and prospectors in the California gold rush.

Levi Strauss Co. were the first blue jean producers to incorporate and patent the pocket rivets that are still used in blue jeans produced today; previously, jeans quickly gave out at the pockets and other points of wear and had to be patched and mended frequently, especially given the harsh environments and rugged manual labor for which they were worn. That rivet changed the game as it gave jeans a lifespan long enough for them to grow into that “lived in” feeling that is so desirable today among vintage denim hunters, the comfort-conscious, and fashionistas alike.

Here’s an interesting denim documentary: “Blue Gold: American Jeans” (on Netflix, I believe) to anyone interested in the “rare denim culture” in America. The film covers collectors traversing the country seeking hidden gems in farmhouse attics and flea markets, and vintage dealers who buy and sell rare pairs of blue jeans for hundreds of dollars. Some of what they sell are essentially scraps, barely redeemable, but if a pro can make out a detail that attaches it to a specific time or place, it's gold.

What do I think about denim? Well, it’s always evolving. Most women would rank jean shopping on the same level as bra shopping: the worst. It’s hard to find anything that doesn’t have at least 1% Spandex in the fiber content. This makes for arguably more comfortable jeans that fit like a glove and ideally they would flatter one’s curves, but the stretch leads to all kinds of unflattering fit issues, if you ask me. There’s nothing like a good pair of 100% cotton denim jeans if you can find them. These are the ones that lend themselves to the “lived in” feel, but they can also be stiff and uncomfortable. What to do?

Did you know that men’s clothes button left over right, and women’s right over left, but all jeans, men’s and women’s alike, button left over right because they are originally and traditionally a men’s garment? Even the ones designed for women retain this fact. This may have changed since I first heard it, please message me if you own a pair of jeans that proves me wrong.

The last thing I’ll share is a memory: it’s February 2016, New York City, a snowy afternoon at the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum (free, go, enjoy). The theme was denim. When I go to fashion exhibits, I rarely take pictures; I instead sketch the pieces I’m most drawn to so that I spend more time with them and make a real memory. Joke’s on me, I don’t remember anything from that exhibit except a Calvin Klein TV commercial playing on repeat starring Brooke Shields. She says, “Whenever I get some money, I buy Calvins, and if there’s any left, I pay the rent.” The attitude really excited me at the time, those priorities seemed exactly right.

Projects this month (subject to change)

• A deadstock denim jacket, which is a jacket I started years ago and set aside because I didn’t like where it was going; seeking a redemption story arc here!

• A pair of wide leg jeans

• A patchwork vest using scraps of jeans gone by (those unpatchable inner thighs did them in)

  

  deadstock denim (unique!); scrap denim, a recent donation from a friend

Reading and research:

• Denim: Street Style, Vintage, Obsession by Amy Leverton
  This is a collection of stories from denim fanatics all over the country. Each page has a few photos and a blurb written by the featured denim aficionado.

• Denim: Fashion’s Frontier by Emma McClendon
  Look! I found this at the library and it is the companion book to the FIT Museum Denim exhibit I just mentioned above. I’m looking forward to reliving that experience through the pages of this book.

• Denim, An American Story by David Little
  Curious to see how this is similar to the Blue Gold documentary.