Denim: our enduring love affair

Image: Elizamagazine

In 1969, a writer for American Fabrics magazine said that “Denim is one of the world’s oldest fabrics, yet it remains eternally young.” Sitting here writing this in 2017, I see what he meant. Denim - and denim jeans in particular - is something which never seems to be in or out of fashion. It never gets old. It's just wonderfully, gloriously here. 

And it's unsurprising really. The sturdy cotton textile has a twill weave which means it is super durable - even thinner denim will last longer than most material. It endures not only in the fashion stakes but literally, physically too! That snag on your wool top? It just wouldn't happen with trusty denim.

Whereas once upon a time, denim was restricted to blue jeans, the fabric has been re-invented time and time again. Coloured jeans were all the rage in 2014/2015 - yellow, green, red, you name it. Forget apps. There's a coloured jean for that. And then we have our low waisted/high-waisted denim shorts - frayed, neat or turned up. And then we have denim jackets. And denim shirts. And denim dresses (my last Insta post). And denim accessories. There's even denim lingerie available now. Have we gone denim mad?

Image: houseofelegancefashion

Not really. The long lasting appeal of this fabric (for both sexes) comes down to a classic appearance that says 'you can't go wrong'. I've even started wearing my dad's old Wrangler jacket - probably the only thing I'll ever borrow from his wardrobe (sorry dad). Double denim may have once gone against the fashion rule book, but rules are made to be broken - especially this one. Fashionistas Alexa Chung, Bella Hadid and Alessandra Ambrosio have all sported double denim in recent years, proving that we just can't get enough of the stuff. 

So what's the deal with denim now, I hear you ask. Well, 2017 was the year where jewels were added to denim - pearl encrusted denim was seen by the likes of Zara, Topshop and ASOS. It's also a big time for flared jeans (#tb to the 80's) and ruffle hemmed jeans. Patterned denim is bigger than ever. 

New embellishment, cuts, colours and patterns. Denim is a fabric which is both timeless yet constantly evolving. Three words - watch this space.

Image: Pinterest