Denim became the standard cotton fabric for blue jeans.
Denim is a sturdy textile traditionally woven with a blue warp yarn and a white weft yarn. This method creates the characteristic blue outside and lighter inside seen in many jeans. The fabric’s diagonal ribbing comes from its twill weave, which also contributes to its durability.
The word denim is commonly linked to the French phrase “serge de Nîmes,” meaning serge from Nîmes. Historians discuss the exact development of the term and fabric, but denim became strongly associated with durable work clothing in the nineteenth century.
Not every early riveted trouser was necessarily identical to modern denim jeans. Other sturdy cotton fabrics, including duck or canvas, were also used in workwear. Denim eventually dominated because it combined strength, flexibility, recognizable appearance, and compatibility with indigo dyeing.