Denim Fabrics
There are many varieties of synthetic as well as manmade fabrics, you might have heard of. Denim is one such popular fabric. It is a strong and durable fabric made by weaving white and indigo yarns. The white threads are called weft threads and they run across the width of the fabric, while the blue yarns are called warp threads and they run parallel to the length.
Traditionally, denim is woven using 100% cotton yarn, however, these days it is blended with polyesters for controlling wrinkles and shrinkage. In addition, Lycra is added to get more stretch. You can always find good types of denim in fabric made in USA. Below are a few things you should know about denim fabric.
Common Denim Terms
Stonewashing
This process is done for removing color and improving the contrast. Here, the stones and jeans are rotated together for a specific interval of time. The longer the time, the lighter the shade will be and more contrast it gets. Later, it is rinsed, softened, and dried.
River Washing
Here, cellulose enzymes and pumice stones are added in the washing process to give denim fabric a vintage look. At the first cycle, the stones are added, while the enzymes are added only during the second cycle of washing.
Indigo
Indigo is the pigment used for giving denim the color. This dye is obtained from the Indigofera tinctoria plant. However, synthetic dyes are also used nowadays, as the natural indigo dye is known to have a slightly red shade.
Tate-Ochi
‘Tate-Ochi” is a Japanese term that refers to ‘Iron-Ochi’ occurrences in the vintage denim that is responsible for forming vertical lines in it. In vintage denim, thread width is non-uniform and the color diminishes where there are thick threads.
Common Denim Types
Natural Denim: This is a kind of ring-ring denim, which naturally has uneven wefts and warps.
Polycore Denim: This denim is a mix of polyester and cotton. It has the strength of the polyester core and aesthetics of cotton top layer.
Black-Black Denim: Here, the warp thread is black in color instead of the common blue. After weaving, the fabric is dyed black.
Printed Denim: Printed denims are often printed in some fancy patterns like stripes, floral patterns, etc.
Ring Denim: This is a traditional denim fabric type, which is made using a ring-spun thread for the warp.
