Materials & Yarn
8 articles · Specialist writing on materials & yarn
- Materials & Yarn
Zimbabwe Cotton in Denim — Rain-Fed Cultivation, Hand-Picking, and What They Mean for Fade
Zimbabwe cotton's reputation in selvedge denim circles extends well beyond its organic credentials. This analysis examines staple length (28–33mm), micronaire values, and hand-picking's effect on nep count — and how those specific fiber properties translate into indigo uptake uniformity and fade character.
- Materials & Yarn
High-Twist Yarn Denim — Why That Sharp Contrast Fade Costs You Longevity
High-twist yarn delivers the crisp, high-contrast fades that photos love. But eight months of hard wear on a custom-ordered pair revealed the real trade-off: dot fading, accelerated crease failure, and a lifespan quietly spent in advance.
- Materials & Yarn
More Than Denim — Herringbone, Hickory & Wabash: The Weaves and Stripes of Workwear
Denim is an indigo twill — but workwear has other working fabrics: herringbone (HBT), hickory stripe, and wabash. What each weave and stripe is, and the distinct fade each develops, shown with our own vintage pieces.
- Materials & Yarn
Indigo vs. Reactive Dye — Why Some Denim Fades and Some Doesn't
Indigo fades because it was never truly bonded to the fiber. Reactive dyes form covalent bonds with cotton. Understanding that chemistry is the key to understanding everything denim culture is built on.
- Materials & Yarn
Why Denim Is Blue on the Front and White on the Back — The Warp/Weft Division of Labor
Flip your raw denim inside-out and you'll see it: deep indigo on the face, near-white on the reverse. This isn't paint — it's structural. Here's the textile logic behind denim's most defining characteristic.
- Materials & Yarn
Twill Weave Explained — The Structural Foundation That Makes Denim, Denim
Most denimheads know their jeans are 'twill.' Far fewer can explain what that actually means for fade patterns, strength, or why the face of your jeans is blue while the back stays white. Here's the full breakdown.
- Materials & Yarn
Why Selvedge Denim Holds Value — The Three-Layer Structure of Edge, Loom, and Culture
'Selvedge is better' gets thrown around constantly — but why, exactly? We break down the structural, scarcity, and cultural layers that actually explain selvedge denim's enduring value for serious denimheads.
- Materials & Yarn
Rope Dyeing & Ring-Spun Core — Why Denim Fades in Patterns, Not Just Washes Out
Why does denim fade into whiskers and honeycombs instead of turning uniformly pale? The answer lives inside the yarn itself — in a structure called the white core, engineered by rope dyeing.