Denim / Denim Mix Fabrics

Denim is a twill weave fabric that is woven with a coloured yarn in the warp and a white yarn in the weft, it is constructed by passing the warp thread over two threads in the weft before going under one, this produces the well known denim texture and look. Denim fabric varies in texture and weight, each denim fabric on our website provides the weight information which will give you an idea of how heavy the denim is.  Some of the denims may be blended with alternative fibres such as polyester and spandex, this sometimes results in a denim that has a slight stretch.  

The Indigo Dye typically used for denim results in rich navy blue colour. It is made up of fairly large molecules that do not fully penetrate the fibre and therefore it is prone to running when washed. All blue denim starts off as dark navy and it washed to create the desired effect.

So how you prewash your denim fabric is really important, especially when using a typical dark indigo denim.  (If you rub your hand on the fabric you will probably see some colour transfer)

Darker denims can be pre-soaked in a tub before you put them in the washing machine to get rid of some of the dye. Make sure your denim is not folded when you put it in the washing machine or pre-soak it. Unfold it and lay it in your machine, don’t squash it down too much.

Use a colour catcher in your wash to try and catch as much dye as possible. If they dye lies in any creases it will cause lines to appear on the fabric, a colour catcher should prevent some of this.

Once the wash cycle is finished get your denim hung up as soon as possible and smooth out any creases. Tumble drying will cause the denim to shrink even more, and if it has any Lycra content the elasticity could be lost.

For darker denims you can repeat this process up to 3 times to ensure the dye will not run.