Fashion Revolution Encyclopedia/Denim/Fashion Revolution Encyclopedia / Denim

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Denim is a fabric that has transcended all cultural barriers to represent our social and political attitudes, from the work clothes of the early 1900s, through the peaceful hippie protests of the 1960s, to punk. They were never ironed, rarely washed, you owned a pair (maybe a spare), and they reflected a person's style.

Today, the trend is for jeans to look worn. Denim distressed through chemicals, not through time and wear, is the symbol of fast fashion. Wearing these jeans isn't a joyful experience. They represent everything that's wrong with this industry. Pre-distressed jeans are the physical manifestation of a senseless race to the bottom, with dramatic social and environmental consequences.

In 1873, Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss invented denim 50. This cotton-based fabric can be woven with other fibers to add features that denim doesn't have naturally. One example is elastane, which adds elasticity. Jeans are the most popular denim-based product in the world, with 1.24 billion pairs sold annually.

For the care of garments made with this material, the following is recommended:

WASHING:

Always make sure to close all zippers and buttons, and turn the garment inside out before washing. Wash in water at 30°C.

DRYING:

To dry denim, flatten the garment thoroughly. You can hang it or leave it to dry horizontally. This way, you won't need to iron it (or at least not as much).

DISCARD:

Denim is a very durable material and should last you a long time. Before throwing it away, you can ask someone if they want it. Denim can be reused, recycled, and even further recycled. For example, the Blue Jeans Go Green program turns unusable denim into insulating panels for construction, preventing these garments from ending up in landfills.