Denim & Tencel

Learn About The Different Types Of Denim

To most people, denim is just denim. That being said, there are different types of denim fabrics out there, which have their own properties and benefits.

Crafters working with denim are often interested in the various types of denim available. To inform those crafters, we have listed some of the common types of denim below. With the help of this guide, you can easily pick out the best denim for the crafting project you have in mind.

What Is 100% Cotton Denim?

100% cotton denim is often the base material for other types of denim. Therefore, many of the types of denim we will describe below will have been made from this variant.

Cotton denim does have its own range of advantages. It is one of the most durable and versatile types of denim, this means it can be used in a lot of crafting projects where additional durability is required.

What Is Raw Denim Fabric?

Crafters should take particular care when working with a raw denim fabric, this since raw denim is not washed after it has been dyed. Manufacturers will wash denim to prevent shrinkage, but also to make the material softer.

There can be certain reasons why you want raw denim fabric. However, if you want to use this material in garments, you should always prewash the material before you start sewing with it.

What Is Sanforized Denim Fabric?

Sanforized denim is the opposite of the raw denim we mentioned earlier. Opposed to raw denim, sanforized denim is washed and processed before it makes its way to the consumer. Therefore, most sanforized denim does not have to be prewashed before you start sewing with it.

What Is Coloured Denim Fabric?

When you take a closer look at the available colours for denim, you will notice that you usually get a lot of blue options. That being said, other colours are available too. Because of the dominant blue and the lesser occurrence of other colours, manufacturers will usually divide coloured denim in blue and other coloured denim.

Contrary to popular belief, denim is not blue naturally. Since most denim is made from cotton, the material will have an undyed and raw appearance until it goes through a process called indigo dying. If another colour must be achieved for denim fabric, manufacturers will use a process called sulphur dying, this can create colours such as black, pink, grey, yellow, and more.

What Is Stretch Denim Fabric?

Stretch denim has increased in popularity over the years, this due to the stretchy properties of the material. To create the stretch in regular denim, manufacturers will use additional fabric fibres in the blend. For most cases, these will be synthetic fabric fibres such as lycra and spandex.

Most crafters will use a stretch denim for garments, as the stretch provides more comfort than regular denim. That being said, stretch denim could also be an option for certain handbags and other accessories.

What Is Selvedge Denim?

Selvedge denim is a material that has a finished edge, more specifically a band around the fabric. The band usually has a specific colour as well, this is predominantly red and orange.

We must mention that selvedge denim is more popular in certain areas than others. Japan is currently one of the leading manufacturers of this kind of denim, so you will find selvedge denim a lot more in Asian culture.

What Is Crushed Denim?

Crushed denim is characterised by its unique appearance, since this kind of denim looks quite wrinkled. To achieve this appearance for denim fabric, the manufacturer must first weave the material and then treat it with a unique chemical process.

What Other Types Of Denim Exist?

There are loads of different denim types out there, so we only mentioned the most common and best-known ones above. In addition to the denim fabrics we have already mentioned, you can also encounter options such as waxed reserve denim, acid wash denim, ecru denim, polyester denim, bull denim, and thermo denim. Since these types of denim also have their own properties, it is recommended to do some research into each of these denim fabrics before you use them for crafting projects.