History Of Jeans

In fashion circles there has long been a fierce debate over the origin of jeans. After all, since jeans are popular almost everywhere in the world, who wouldn’t want to claim them?!?! However, the dispute over the two commonly accepted homeland possibilities for jeans - Nimes, France, “de-Nime” became denim, or Genoa, Italy from the French name “genes” - is heating up. Currently, husband and wife fashion designers, Francois and Marithe Girbaud, are partnering with the Parisian-based Canesso gallery to try and answer this age old denim question. On display at the Canesso gallery is a recently discovered painter from Northern Italy, one who depicts the everyday lives of 17th century peasants as they go about their chores, but dressed in denim! This new painter has been dubbed the ‘Master of Blue Jeans’.

Take a look at the woman’s skirt on the left and the boy’s jacket on the right, according to researchers these are denim
Courtesy of France24

This is the earliest visual record of a jeans-like fabric. Up until then written accounts, like those of a 17th century English tailor, were the only evidence of the existence of a denim-like fabric from Genoa.  But the discovery of these paintings seems to prove, once and for all, that the Italian fabric predated the French. While there will continue to be arguments among scholars over the true source of denim, us jeans-wearers can just be content that this comfy, durable material came into existence at all!

Check out our full blog entry on the history of jeans here.

posted by: Bonnie Coombs on October 7, 2010 at 9:20 am
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans

Back to blog home

Stretch denim has been hugging our booties since 1978 when Peter Golding designed the first stretch jean. Before the invention and inevitable popularization of stretch denim, denim lovers who wanted a tight fit were forced to squeeze into stiff, uncomfortable jeans. How did they ever survive?

Of course, stretch denim wouldn’t be stretch denim without our BFF, spandex. Spandex is a marvelous invention—each fiber is made from alternating stiff and soft segments. The soft segments allow the fiber to stretch and the stiff segments help the fiber snap back to its original length. This allows spandex to stretch up to four times its length and then retract. You go, girl!

Not all of spandex’s traits are desirable—spandex does not take dye easily and it’s not comfortable against the skin. But when combined with its soulmate, cotton, spandex is almost unstoppable. Spandex fibers are wrapped in cotton to create cotton/spandex yarns. When these yarns are woven into a twill, the resulting fabric is (you guessed it!) stretch denim.

Stretch denim, you’ve come a long way since 1978. Today’s fabric designers have created new breeds of stretch denim by adding additional fibers, such as polyester, and by inventing new yarn constructions. These new stretch denims have unmatched recovery and threaten to eradicate jeans that stretch and then stretch out. Bye-bye baggy butts!

Stretch denim means that denim lovers never have to choose between fashion and comfort again. As designers continue to enhance denim, jeans may become a regular at yoga class.

posted by: danielle on July 29, 2010 at 11:10 am
filed under: Denim 101 | Add a comment
TAGS: history of jeans, spandex jeans, stretch denim

Back to blog home

Ever wonder what makes blue jeans blue?

Well, today is your lucky day! Stick with us, and you’ll learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know (and more) about indigo dye—the chemical responsible for giving your blue jeans their intense indigo color.

Many people are unaware, but indigo dye is almost as old as civilization itself. Archeologists have even found it in cloth wrapped around Egyptian mummies and on Babylonian tablets. It’s hard to believe, but the intense blue color comes from a couple of unassuming green plants:

The indigo plant

The woad plant

But getting the deep blue out of these plants is no easy task! And our ancestors devised quite the recipe to extract the dye—one that started with 3.5 gallons of stale urine and 4.5 ounces of salt.

That’s right, your eyes are not deceiving you—traditional indigo dye recipes called for vast quantities of urine. In some parts of the world, dyers even paid their neighbors for bowls of urine in order to create the dye that was called “blue gold,” for more reasons than one.

If you’re wondering how this traditional recipe was stumbled upon in the first place, we are right there with you. Unfortunately, we don’t have any clue, but we’ll let y’all marinate on that one for a bit…

Anyhow, the good news, for all of you out there who find yourselves a little bewildered, is that if your indigo jeans are younger than one hundred years old, their blue tint is a product of indigo and other less offensive ingredients. Modern day scientists have devised chemical alternatives that our blue jean suppliers have adopted.

New dye formulas for our indigo jeans—yet another reason to love science. Thank you science, indeed.

posted by: danielle on October 13, 2009 at 6:27 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans, blue jeans, indigo jeans

Back to blog home

When acid washed jeans stormed through Europe during the mid 1980’s, rumors spread as quickly as the fad. According to some, acid washed denim could cause cancer or rashes.

Actually, wearing acid washed denim is harmless to your health (although we can’t say what it might do to your social life). And contrary to popular belief, it is not treated with acid. To create acid washed denim, raw denim is tumbled with bleach soaked pumice stones. The resulting fabric is speckled, dappled, or streaked with white. But don’t take my word for it—the images below speak for themselves.

After decades of ridicule, acid wash may be coming back out of the closet. Lately, we’ve spotted it on celebrities and runways. Whether our second love affair with acid wash will be a short fling or a long term relationship remains to be seen.

(courtesy http://www.Balmain.com)

posted by: danielle on September 2, 2009 at 4:47 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | Add a comment
TAGS: history of jeans, denim trends, acid wash

Back to blog home

Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, ripped jeans are back in style.

Ripped jeans  are as old as jeans themselves, but they didn’t become a trend until the mid 1970’s when icons such as the Ramones, below, began wearing them.

The Ramones are practicing what fashion nerds (such as myself) call “conspicuous outrage.” This term describes consumers who purposefully dress in a disheveled or shocking manner to offend the public. During an era when denim lovers reverently patched their jeans at the first sign of wear, the Ramones’ anti-patch attitude is definitely outrageous.

With frequent exposure to ripped jeans, the public gradually began to accept them and eventually admire them. Today, ripped jeans are so ubiquitous that we see them on everyone from celebrities to soccer moms, and from tots to teens.

Rhianna, the fashionista, shows off her ripped skinnies.

image courtesy of WhoWhatWear

Even toddlers can make a fashion statement with rips and tears!

image courtesy of Crewcuts

So don’t be shy, we know you want to…build and destroy  your jeans!

posted by: danielle on August 28, 2009 at 5:15 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | Add a comment
TAGS: skinny jeans, history of jeans, ripped jeans

Back to blog home

From our CEO to our interns, here at indi, we all wear jeans at work. But in many offices across the country, jeans are off limits. Why is this ubiquitous, comfortable pant so taboo at work, even on casual Fridays?

Well. . .it turns out America’s favorite garment has a little bit of baggage. During the mid 20th century, jeans were adopted by members of the counter culture and used as a symbol of dissent against mainstream values. Jeans represented a threat to authority during a time when those in power wore gray suits or heels and stockings. But as members of the counter culture grew older and more conservative they continued wearing jeans. By the late 20th century, jeans were commonplace garb for Americans of all ages and political views.

Despite jeans’ contemporary ubiquity, some businesses feel that jeans still symbolize a threat to authority—an unwelcome symbol to most CEOs. Businesses that have an old fashioned view of jeans often cling to archaic dress codes and expect their employees to dress like Milton, shown below.

Such constraining dress codes could lead employees to rebel in other ways. We’re not saying that dress codes cause otherwise honest employees to burn down office buildings or steal thousands of dollars. We’re not even saying that employees should be permitted to look sloppy at work—we’re the first to admit that jeans can be quite dapper! But here at indi, we believe that allowing employees to express their personal style will improve their output. Hey, it works for us!

posted by: danielle on August 18, 2009 at 4:22 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans, jeans at work

Back to blog home

And now for your weekly history lesson. This week’s subject is Amelia Bloomer and her pants.

During the 1850’s, Amelia Bloomer created an uproar when she appeared in public wearing a bifurcated garment—a garment that splits into two parts, covering each leg separately. Americans were horrified by the “scandalous” outfit pictured below.

By today’s standards, Amelia’s bloomers look downright conservative, but Victorians were not ready for this revolutionary silhouette. The press mocked women who wore bloomers, calling them hermaphrodites. Even the suffragettes refused to adopt this controversial clothing style, thinking that pants were a distraction from more important woman’s rights issues, such as the right to vote.

Little did Amelia Bloomer know, her puffy pants would blaze a trail for the blue jeans that women all over the world wear today. During the first part of the 20th century, women who wore pants (and especially jeans!) shocked the public with their audacity. But with repeated exposure, the public finally began to accept the style. By the 1980’s pants and jeans of all sorts were considered appropriate attire for women at home, school, and work.

So if you’re a woman and jeans make up a big part of your wardrobe, it’s probably about time you pay your respects to trail blazer, Amelia Bloomer. Come to think of it, we here at indi have a lot of thanking to do ourselves. Without Amelia, we might have had to start a custom dress company…

posted by: danielle on July 27, 2009 at 5:30 pm
filed under: Misc Musings | comments (1)
TAGS: womens jeans, history of jeans

Back to blog home

Yesterday we posted a commentary on President Obama’s jeans and today we’re reaching into the archives to bring you even more presidents in jeans. Jeans certainly have come a long way since their invention. In their first incarnation, jeans were worn only by manual laborers. The sturdy fabric and practical design that originally attracted workers, soon excited a much wider audience. Jeans were successively adopted by cowboys, college students, performers, and presidents. In fact, our most recent presidents (except for the gentlemanly George H.W. Bush) have all worn jeans publicly in hopes that the average American will identify with them.

When wearing suits and ties, presidents hope to convey that they are professional, wise, and experienced. When wearing jeans, they are communicating that they understand the concerns of everyday Americans. Sound calculating? Obviously! That’s what being a politician is all about.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, we’ve prepared a montage of denim loving presidents. Your thoughts?

Well, first off, they all look like prime candidates for an indiDenim makeover  to us. . .

Maybe Obama’s jeans could use a little “change”. . .

Image from http://www.swamppolitics.com

Nice belt, Mr. Bush! We’re impressed by your accessorizing powers, but we’re not so sure about the rest of the outfit.

Image from http://www.fotki.com

Clinton wears his jeans on horseback. . .well, that depends on your definition of jeans.

Image from http://www.hailtothechiefs.com

Reagan goes all out with double denim. Mistakes were made.

Image from http://www.wiwfarm.com

There he goes again! Manual labor and jeans—rock on, Carter.

Image from: http://www.habitat.org

posted by: danielle on July 17, 2009 at 10:40 am
filed under: Misc Musings | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans, mens jeans, american denim, presidential jeans

Back to blog home

Some wonder why denim lovers often pay a premium for pre-worn jeans. Although purchasing holey and tattered jeans may seem like a bizarre practice, distressed denim, in various forms, has been in style for close to fifty years.

In the 1960’s, those hoping for a worn look ran their jeans in the washing machine for a full day or soaked them in the ocean for a week. Some even dragged their jeans behind speedboats to achieve the desired effect.

But the love of distressed objects is hardly a product of the 1960’s. Distressing, in various forms, is an age old practice. Take, for example, the ancient Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. This world view holds that imperfect objects are more beautiful than bland flawless items.

The bowl below typifies the wabi-sabi aesthetic. Its bumpy texture, uneven glaze, and wobbly shape add to its charm.

bowl from Elm Studios www.elmstudios.com

Now compare this pottery to the 120-year-old jeans below. Despite the differences in materials, the colors and textures are remarkably similar. If you can believe it, these antique jeans sold for $60,000 in an Ebay auction!

image from www.forbes.com

Most denim consumers do not want to pay thousands of dollars or wait 120 years to achieve the distressed looks they desire. That’s why manufacturers have invented a wide range of techniques—from washing jeans with golf balls to treating them with ozone—to create the looks that we crave. Here at indi, we’re constantly perfecting new washes and finishes, so get excited for our next round of finishing treatment—coming to indiDenim.com next month!

posted by: danielle on July 10, 2009 at 11:35 am
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans, japanese denim, distressed denim

Back to blog home

We all know guys who swagger down the street, clutching their belts and spreading their legs, so that their sagging jeans, four sizes too big, don’t fall down. Prefer a visual? See the example below.

image by Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Hip hop baggy style jeans became popular in the late 80’s, but the style didn’t become mainstream until the mid-nineties. Some people hope that this fashion statement would slip away just like the jeans themselves do in many a wardrobe malfunction. In fact, some hate this style so much that sagging is actually outlawed in parts of Georgia, Louisiana, and Michigan. Unfortunately, I have bad news for those who want to ban sagging—baggy jeans are not a fad; they’ve been with us for twenty years and they’re here to stay. Neither laws nor lectures will keep jeans up.

Baggy clothing itself has been in style much longer than twenty years and has always symbolized wealth and opulence. Excess material shows that the wearer can afford to purchase more fabric than necessary to cover the body.

Some might be surprised to hear that medieval monks preferred clothing similar to the style that upstanding citizens are now prohibiting. That’s right! Monks liked to sag, too. The monks wore their sleeves several feet longer than their arms, dragged their hems on the ground, and had hoods large enough to fit multiple heads.

Need proof? Check out the hip monk with his sweet threads below.

Painting by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

posted by: danielle on July 1, 2009 at 2:51 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans, mens jeans, baggy jeans, hip hop jeans, sagging jeans

Back to blog home

Ripped jeans have been worn as a fashion statement since the 1970’s. Many chose to deform their jeans in an effort to separate themselves from mainstream culture. Ironically, the mainstream eventually embraced ripped jeans.Today ripped jeans and patched jeans have become part of the fabric of American culture. Both styles are now welcome in places that range from the dorm room to the board room, the art studio to the art opening, and the vegetable garden to the garden gala.

The truth is, we just love to abuse our jeans. Since their invention, jeans have been ripped, bleached, shrunk, permanent pressed, cut off, torn, shredded, distressed, sanded, stone washed, and acid washed. On the other hand, they’ve been lovingly embroidered, beaded, patched, painted and sequined. We definitely have an intriguing relationship with our favorite article of clothing. Through the good times, and the bad ones, our loyal jeans still love us. And we still love them.

Which reminds us, in the 1970’s, during the height of the free love movement, the US also saw an outpouring of denim love. Americans were using their jeans to visually express their hopes, political views, and religious beliefs. In 1974, Levi’s held a denim art contest and received thousands of entries.

The worst part (or best part!) is that people actually wore these jeans. That’s right, take a look at these bad boys below . . .

images from:

by Richard M. Owens, Baron Wolman, John Burks

posted by: danielle on June 23, 2009 at 4:33 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (3)
TAGS: history of jeans, ripped jeans, patched jeans

Back to blog home

Though the original custom credit has to go to your local tailor, the history of custom denim in its retail form has its beginning (where else!) but with Levi Strauss.

In 1997, Levi’s launched the Personal Pair program. It consisted of an in-store fit specialist, armed with tape measure and access to a few jean styles and expertise on how to make your denim work for you. Customers tried on jean after jean until they found a style they liked and a hip measurement that fit. The fit specialist would then determine what changes needed to be made to the jean waist and inseam length to maximize that custom fit. New jeans arrived in-store a few weeks later.

Drawbacks of the program included the fact that it was a mostly manual, time consuming process, and centered only on fit rather than complete customization of both fit and style. Customers could only choose from pre-created denim styles sold from Levi’s and had the option of fabric, washes, and leg styles.

Improvements to the custom denim program were made with the opening of the San Francisco Levi’s store in 1999. The entertainment-filled, mega-flagship store featured four variations of customization—-Original Spin total custom and “Modify an Authentic”, Embellishment additions, and shrink to fit. 

Original Spin was the new and improved Personal Pair custom program.  The customized program expanded the size offering and added more fabrics, finishes, and leg styles.  Customers could get that perfect custom fit by stepping into a body scanner.  The scanner used white light to take customer’s measurements in a fitting room. The downside? The person being scanned had to wear a skin tight leotard for their measurements to be accurate. Not exactly what I call fun.

Another added feature to Original Spin was “Modify an Authentic” which offered the consumer a wide range of waist sizes and inseam lengths that were not available off the shelf.  So if you could never wear 501’s because your 40” inseam was not available now you could.

Even though customer demand was high, Levi’s eventually discontinued its Original Spin program in 2004. Nevertheless, the program and its scanner pioneered a field that would give indi its future success.

There was also an Embellishment station where customers could take their newly purchased Levi’s and “funk them up” with a selection of embroideries, screen prints, hem treatments, and patches, holes, and tears. While this aspect of custom denim is a definite entertainment attraction, customers were stuck with their (sometimes amateur) designs for better or worse.

The next way customers could customize their jeans came in quite unconventional form; Customers bought a pair of “shrink to fit” jeans and sat in a giant copper tub filled with water and a special shrinking agent. They would then step into a waist high human blow dryer until their new jeans hugged every body curve. Unfortunately this was a 3-4 hour process and your skin and underwear would be tinted indigo blue from waist to ankles until you showered!  Not to mention, your once-white undies would be blue forever!

In the year 2000, the US National Size Survey launched as an anthropometric research project, gathering information that would eventually help the clothing industry find out just who they were selling to. The survey lasted three years and scanned over 10,000 subjects. The data gathered is still used for fit algorithms across the mass-customization industry today.  Since then, custom fit technology has been near-perfected by the Intellifit Corporation. Working with the same concept as the [TC]2 scanner, Intellifit’s Virtual Fitting Room (VFR) uses low-powered, safe radiowaves to detect a customer’s measurements accurately down to a centimeter without removing a single piece of clothing.

Other developments in the evolution of the custom jeans included the emergence of websites like zafu.com. These sites ask customers questions about their body. Using that information, a list of products that would complement their shape is generated. It’s not quite custom fit (more like a great personal shopper), but the concept is solid in its attempt to pair customers with jeans that fit their body.

Finally, 10 years after the first custom jean idea made it to the mainstream comes indiDenim. indiDenim is the first company to put all the elements together—a special fit algorithm based on statistical data that can accurately predict measurements such as waist, hip and inseam so customers don’t tie themselves silly with tape measurers, over 90 million style combinations (with more options added every day), a fit profile that lets customers describe their body in a simple, intuitive way, and even the utilization of Intellifit’s VFR (if you can make it to the office in Emeryville, CA).

With all of these features, indi has put itself at the forefront of custom jeans by giving customers the most accurate fit while providing infinite style options—giving people a look that is truly their own. Oh and don’t forget lovely blog writers!

posted by: maggie on March 13, 2009 at 1:57 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (7)
TAGS: custom jeans, history of jeans

Back to blog home

In the early 1850s, German-born Levi Strauss began manufacturing rugged work pants that would withstand the lifestyle of Northern California’s gold miners.  Levi’s original design was a far cry from the blue jeans we know and love today, most notably because they were made of brown (yes, brown!) canvas intended for tents, tarps, and sails.  The style was loose-fitting with no belt loops, instead held up by suspenders and a waist-cinching buckle in the back.  Over the following decades a number of changes were made, including the addition of reinforcing rivets, more pockets, and top-stitching details.  Most importantly, the signature blue jean fabric came into use.  Called serge de Nimes for the town in France where it was first loomed, we now refer to the fabric as just denim.

Continuing through the early 1900s, jean overalls were the garment of choice for blue collar workers countrywide.  Though it was by no means considered stylish, denim was the prevailing style seen on American streets both during and after the Depression.  Beginning in the 1940s, however, all this changed.  The status associated with denim began to shift, and what was once a purely utilitarian garment evolved into a range of compelling fashion statements.  First through the popularity of the western cowboy films, and then because of rebellious rock and roll idols, denim came to represent youth, sexual freedom, and progressive culture.  Europeans took note, and began to import the American-made fashion in the 1950s.

In the 1960s and 1970s consumers began exploring denim personalization, adding panels at the hems to make bell bottoms, or painting statements and images directly onto the garments.  Manufacturers too played with the idea of customization, experimenting with bright colors, embroidery, lace, rhinestones, and other lavish details.  The 1980s were dedicated to developing denim treatment processes; the more extreme styles applied acid washes and skin-revealing tears to the fabric.  Out of these fads came the “grunge” anti-fashion of the early 1990s alternative scene, which matured into more refined vintage and distressed looks in the later part of the decade.  Finally, since the turn of the new millennium, the market concept has been premium denim.  Great body-shaping cuts and designer detailing are paramount, as retail prices reach new highs for jeans.

Now that you are familiar with the history of jeans, what do you predict for the future of denim?  At indi, we believe the future lies in custom jeans as unique as you.  You choose the fabric, you create the style, and you enjoy the fit that is tailor-made for your genes.  Only indi allows you to select your own wash, rise, fly, cut, hem, pockets, embroidery, and distressing effects.  When you design your own jeans, the future of denim is in your hands.

posted by: Emily H on September 30, 2008 at 3:27 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (8)
TAGS: custom jeans, design your own jeans, history of jeans

Back to blog home