Denim has been used as clothing material for centuries. Originally denim was worn by manual labourers due to its high durability but today the fashion arena is more interested in denim as a style statement through designer jeans than for its robustness. One of the main ways designer jeans brands differentiate their jeans from each other is through the colour of the denim.
Traditionally, denim is dyed using an indigo dye which leaves the jeans in a deep shade of blue. There are two types of denim finishes - raw and pre-washed. Raw means that the denim is not washed after it is dyed. Typically these jeans are therefore dark indigo in colour as they have not been subjected to water or washing detergents which dilute and fade the colour. Raw denim wearers allow the colour to age naturally through wear which often leads to lighter patches around the areas where wear and tear is more common such as on the knees, the thighs and around the buttocks. In some instances the raw finished jeans are worn for up to six months before they receive their first wash. It is believed by enthusiasts that a more natural colouring is achieved through raw denim.
Washes
However in most instances, raw denim is not practical as it rubs off on other materials it comes into contact with such as chairs or settees. The excess dye can be extremely difficult to remove and in some cases will permanently stain the fabric. Plus the practicalities of not washing your jeans for months can be very unhygienic. Most designer jeans such as Duck and Cover jeans are therefore pre-washed. This means that after the denim is dyed, it is washed. This usually happens before the denim is cut and stitched into the shape of designer jeans but some designers produce all the denim jeans and then wash them in batches. The main advantage of pre-washing the denim from a practical point of view is that the colour is not transferred to other fabrics or surfaces during wear. The pre-washing of the jeans also leads to a wide variety of colours which include:
• Indigo - this is a rich blue/purple colour where the jeans are just subjected to a light pre-wash.
• Mid-blue - this is a light navy colour and jeans are subjected to a more intense pre-wash process.
• Stonewash - this is a very pale shade of blue, often with a very worn look. It is achieved by subjecting the dyed denim to a number of intensive wash cycles.
Most designer brands have named the shades of their jeans. Duck and Cover jeans come in a distressed wash as well as stonewash whilst Bar Denim jeans come in light, sandblast and dark washes. Generally, darker washes such as the mid blue shades and the dark indigo shades look smarter in appearance and make a great outfit for a night out. Lighter and stonewash shades however look more worn and are therefore better for a more relaxed, casual look.
Denim Washes
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