Denim – Not Just for Jeans
Fabric characteristics
Denim, by definition, is a twill weave fabric woven with yarn-dyed threads (yarns that were dyed before weaving). Classic denim is woven with a warp-faced twill so that the dark-coloured warp yarns are visible on the face of the fabric while the undyed (white) filling yarns are visible on the fabric back. The warp face twill weave is one of the reasons that denim is so rugged and wears well.
Today the term ‘denim’ is used to describe many fabrics which are indigo coloured or have the look of denim. The traditional all-cotton fabrics are frequently blended with polyester, nylon, silk, rayon, Tencel and spandex.
Denim is easy to clean and does not wrinkle badly. It can be washed or dry-cleaned. When washed, many classic denims shrink, fade and whiten at any edge or fold that is abraded during the laundering process.
