Until you read these lines, you probably never questioned why when we think of jeans, we usually think of blue ones and that we have been adopting these colors for years.
However, it is very interesting to see what stages these clothes have gone through until today, and how the color blue is identified with jeans.
First, let’s take a trip to the past of jeans and see how this outfit became popular.
The expression “jeans” has been used for coarse clothing – so to speak – worn by men since about 1600, and in fact the durable fabrics used to make these jeans were often imported from Nîmes, France.
American manufacturers also shortened the name “serge de Nîmes” to “denim” and continued to be called that way. Dark blue and cotton denim jeans were first produced in California in 1849 as a work trousers for gold miners.
However, these clothes, which were produced, were not durable enough in the first place and did not promise long periods of use.
Meanwhile, Levi Strauss set up his first factory in the 19th century and started producing jeans as we know them. The color of these garments was no doubt blue, but why only blue?
One of the main reasons why the color chosen for jeans was blue was the chemicals that this dye carried, unlike other colors. Most dyes often penetrate the fabric in hot weather, causing the color to stick, but the function of the blue dye is the opposite. It only sticks to the outside of the threads without penetrating the fabric.
In addition, indigo dye is preferred because it interacts much better with cotton than other dyes.
When cotton is heated, most dyes penetrate, but the indigo adheres to the surface and stays there. Indigo also first appeared in Ancient Egypt, and at that time this color was a symbol of power and status.
The reason for this was that it was very difficult to obtain this dye, called indigo blue. Levi Strauss, who currently continues to produce trousers for mine workers, has also started using this color to dye trousers.
These trousers, which Levi dyed blue, had become a symbol of wealth at that time, and almost every person in the period sought to own these trousers.
Levi, which did not leave the increasing demand unanswered, laid the solid foundations of the Levi’s brand, which still exists today. In addition, the production of these trousers, which everyone admired, was very limited because the production of indigo blue was also very difficult.
Over time, this dye began to be produced in synthetic forms and thus became the raw material of a trousers accessible to everyone. Again, this paint did not release itself when it came into contact with water and did not cause contamination.
There is one more detail: Why are these trousers blue on the outside, white on the inside?
In fact, this is purely a savings strategy. The warp threads used in the production of trousers are easily dyed, but the weft threads have no color, that is, they are white. Manufacturers, who develop a fabric weaving method in their own way, reduce the amount of dye they spend on each piece of clothing.
Thus, it is also possible to conclude why trousers other than blue and its shades wear out faster and that their colors are not permanent for a long time. So dyes other than indigo are much more prone to lose their color and thread.
In summary, these clothes, which were once intended for miners, have now become one of the most popular and widespread clothing products, and in fact, the trousers, which we can easily reach today, have come to these days by going through quite difficult roads.
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