Denim

Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced[1] textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads.

[6] Throughout the 20th century, denim was used for durable uniforms like those issued to staff of the French national railways.

[8] By the 1970s, denim jeans were such an integral part of youth culture[9] that automobile manufactures, beginning with American Motors Corporation began offering denim-like interior finishes.

[10][11] (Because denim cannot pass fire resistance safety standards,[12] indigo-colored spun nylon or vinyl was used,[13] with contrast-stitching and copper rivets helping to sell the effect.)

Rope dyeing eliminates this possibility because color variations can be evenly distributed across the warp during beaming.

Sulfur dyeing produces specialty black and other colors, such as red, pink, purple, grey, rust, mustard, and green.

Most denim made today is made on a shuttleless loom[20] that produces bolts of fabric 60 inches (1,500 mm) or wider, but some denim is still woven on the traditional shuttle loom, which typically produces a bolt 30 inches (760 mm) wide.

The selvedge is traditionally accentuated with warp threads of one or more contrasting colors, which can serve as an identifying mark.

At least one artist, Ian Berry, uses old or recycled denim, exclusively in crafting his portraits and other scenes.

Denim fabric dyed with indigo
Denim fabric dyed with indigo and black dyes and made into a shirt
AMC Gremlin with Levi's trim and upholstery
Denim under a microscope.
Selvedge identifier visible in white at the interior of a pair of jeans
A denim "trucker" jacket, introduced in the early 20th century, and since the 1960's, one of the most well-known products of denim cotton.
The dyehouse at the White Oak Cotton Mill, in Greensboro , North Carolina. The Cone Mills Corporation , which owned the mill, was formerly the world's largest maker of denim.