THE ENCYCLOPEDIA LISTED FROM A-Z
This page lists all entries and FAQs of the Denim Encyclopedia in alphabetical order. Each entry is explained briefly – you can read more by clicking the link (the term itself).
A-Z navigation
Looking for a specific term? Use this navigation to get to it:
A
Anti-fit – jeans with the rise cut in a straight line (as opposed to a curve)
Arcuates – patterns of stitching on the back pockets of jeans, also known as back pocket signatures
B
Back cinch – a feature that can tighten the waistband of jeans
Back pocket flasher – a removable tag, usually placed on the right back pocket of jeans
Bartack – stitches that reinforce stress points of jeans
Belt loops – features that help wearers keep a belt in place at the waistband of jeans
Boot leg – jeans that flare out slightly from the knee down, originally designed to fit over boots
Brand patch – a label found at the waistband of jeans above the right back pocket
Broken twill – twill fabric twill lines zig-zag, originally designed to prevent leg twist
Button – fasteners that’re used to attach two pieces of fabric together
C
Chain stitch – a type of stitching with one continuous thread that is looped back on itself
Coin pocket – a small pocket that’s half-tucked into the left front pocket of jeans
Cotton – a natural fibre from the fruit of the cotton plant
Cuff – the rolled or turned up parts of fabric at the end of the legs
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D
Denim – a type of woven twill fabric, usually made from cotton
Denimhead – someone who’s extraordinarily passionate about denim
Denim weight (oz.) – denim is measured in weight of ounces per square yard
Dyeing – the process of adding colour to yarn
E
Ecru – the colour of undyed cotton or denim
Enzyme wash – a fabric finish where cellulose enzymes are used to create a worn and washed look
F
Fabric finishing – processes that either correct and prevent issues of dimensional stability or enhance the look and feel of the denim
Fades – the colour differences in denim that’s been worn and washed (or pre-washed)
Five-pocket jeans – the quintessential jean has two pockets on the back and three on the front
Fly – the front opening on jeans, either with buttons or a zipper
G
Genes – demonym for people from Genoa in Italy
Genoa – the Italian city that is believed to have given jeans their name
H
Hank dyeing – a dyeing method where bundles of yarn, known as ‘skeins,’ are dyed by hand
Heavyweight denim – denim that is heavier than 16 oz. per square yard
Hidden rivets – rivets on the back pockets of jeans that are covered by denim fabric
History of indigo – archaeologists have traced the use of indigo back 6,000 years
Heddles – wire or cord with an eyelet in the middle that yarn passes through on a weave
Honeycombs – fading patterns on naturally worn in raw denim that resemble honeycombs in beehives
How cotton is made – it takes an average of 140 days from planting to picking
How to dye with indigo – to get the indigo onto the yarn or the fabric, it’s solubilised in water with the help of a reducing agent
How yarn is spun – there are two stages in the spinning process: preparation and the actual spinning
I
Indigo – the colour that makes blue jeans blue
Inseam – the length from crotch joint to hem of the inner leg on jeans
J
Jeans – also called ‘blue jeans,’ these are trousers made from denim
K
Nothing here yet …
L
Left hand twill – twill fabric where the twill lines run from left to right on the face of the fabric
Loomstate denim – is denim that hasn’t been treated with any fabric finishing
M
Mercerisation – a finish that opens the fibres and gives them a rounder shape
N
Natural indigo – indigo pigments that are extracted from dried leaves from the indigofera tinctoria plant
O
Open-end spinning – open-end spinning creates a more even and flat denim. The cotton is fed directly into the ‘spinner’ by a stream of air
Ounce (oz.) – denim is measured in weight of ounces per square yard
Oxidation – the process that binds the indigo colour to the fibres of the yarn
P
Pre-skewing – is a finish that eliminates leg twist
Pre-washing – industrial processes and abrasive techniques that imitate the fading on naturally worn-in raw denim
Projectile loom – a type of shuttleless loom (wide loom)
Q
Nothing here yet …
R
Raw denim – denim that hasn’t been washed or treated
Red tab – a small, red branding label with the name ‘Levi’s’ on it
Redcast – the most classic cast of denim, which is naturally achieved when dyeing with 100% indigo
Redline selvedge – denim where the self-finished edges have red yarn in between the white edge yarns
Right hand twill – twill fabric where the twill lines run from right to left on the face of the fabric
Ring spinning – ring spinning is the old-school way that create more slubs in the yarn
Rivets – pieces of metal found at the pocket corners of jeans with the purpose of strengthening these stress point
Rope dyeing – a continuous dyeing method where the yarns are roped together during the process
Roping effect – the abrasion on jeans hems sewn with chain stitching
S
Sanforization – is a finish of pre-shrinking fabric before it is made into a garment
Selvedge denim – denim woven on shuttle looms, which is recognised by the self-finished edges of the fabric
Shuttle – is a device used to carry the weft yarn back and forth on a shuttle loom
Shuttle loom – is the type of loom used to weave selvedge denim
Shuttleless loom (wide loom) – is the modern type of weaving machine that most denim is made on today
Singeing – is a finish that makes denim smoother
Sizing – a protective starch coating that’s added to yarn in the dyeing process to prevent abrasion and breakage in the weaving process
Slasher dyeing – a continuous dyeing method where the yarns are laid out as a carpet, also called a sheet, during the process
Slubs – slubs are thickenings in yarn that result in a desired unevenness in the colours of denim
Spinning – the process of turning fibres into yarn
Staple length – staple length refers to the length of the fibre
Stonewashing – a pre-washing process where jeans are washed with pumice stones to create wear and tear before they are sold
Stretch denim – denim that contains a synthetic elastomer in the yarn (usually only the weft)
Suspender buttons – buttons that are used to ‘anchor’ suspenders to jeans
Synthetic indigo – a synthesised version of indigo, which is used for almost all denim today
T
Tate-ochi – a Japanese term that refers to vertical lines you find on vintage denim, which are the result of slubs
Train tracks – faded lines along the outseams of jeans
Twill – the type of weave used for denim
U
Unsanforized – denim that is not sanforized, meaning it hasn’t been preshrunk
Unwashed denim – denim that hasn’t been washed, also known as raw denim
V
V-stitch – a row of single needle stitches found on the fly of jeans
Vintage jeans – desirable and collectable jeans that were made prior to the 1980s
W
Waist overalls – the name of blue jeans before they were called jeans
Warp and weft – are the names of the two yarns used to weave denim
Weaving – the process of interlacing of two sets of yarn
Weight (oz.) – denim is measured in weight of ounces per square yard
Whiskers – horizontal and diagonal faded creases on the thighs of jeans
Wide loom (shuttleless loom) – is the modern type of weaving machine that most denim is made on today
X
XX – the name of the Levi’s jeans before they were named 501
Y
Yarn count – yarn count describes the thickness of yarn
Yoke – the V-shaped section at the back of jeans that give them a curved seat
Z
Zipper – a fastening device you can find on the fly of jeans
