The Uncomfortable Truth About Denim

Denim is one of those things that I have mixed feelings about, the production of denim has been linked to slavery since the 18th century, when it was first used to make workwear for enslaved people in the United States and after reading about this in high school, I’ve never been able to look at it the same way since, yet on the other hand if you didn’t own a pair of Levi’s when I was at school, then you were definitely not ‘cool’ or with the ‘in crowd’. Eventually I gave in, just to fit in, but none the less I still think it’s important to remember the history both good and bad behind the cult item. The connection with slavery doesn’t just stop with being a workwear item and it is both connected through ‘Indigo’ the dye used originally in the dying of denim to give it it’s characteristic blue colour and also for ‘cotton’ production, which relied heavily on the slave trade. In modern culture It is a ubiquitous fabric and has rarely gone out of fashion in one form or another since the 1940s and 1950s and it’s durability and versatility means it can be found in nearly every wardrobe. I’m going to discuss in more detail the history of denim, it’s production, how it’s linked with slavery, environmental pollution arising from denim production and how to make a conscious choice to find the right piece for your wardrobe.

The History of Denim

The origins of denim are a bit of a mystery and complex. In reality it is probably a culmination of a variety of fabrics and names from different countries, which have influenced what we know today as denim. These include:

Saharan nomadic tribes

Dating back probably as far as medieval times Saharan nomadic tribes wore indigo-dyed cloth, the fabric which was commonly used as turbans and wrapped across the face was used to protect against the desert sand and caused the tribesmen’s faces to be stained blue. The records of ‘Indigo’ dye can be found in the literature as early as the 7th Century BCE.

Dungarees from India

The word dungaree entered the English language in 1696 but originates from the Hindi word Dungri, meaning a type of coarse, sturdy cloth. Styled a bit like sailor pants with wide legs and made from thick cotton, they became popular with sailors that visited the port to trade other commodities.

Serge de Nimes

Denim or at least the word itself probably originates from France. Serge was a twill, weave fabric, originally a mixture of wool and silk devised by shepherds in the Cévennes mountains. At the end of the 17th century, Nîmes a town in Southern France was economically booming thanks to its textile industry, specialising in silk. Its merchants and manufacturers exported across Europe, with a fabric called Serge de Nîmes – the term from which the English word denim is thought to derive (when shortened to de Nimes and eventually denim).

Jeans

A fabric known as jean pops up in the history books as early as the 15th century and the name goes back to sailing, where the name echoes from the Italian port of Genoa [Genes in French]. This textile was a blend of wool and cotton, large quantities were imported to England during the 16th century, meaning that denim and jean were being exported from France and Italy, respectively, at roughly the same time.

The Darkside of Denim.

Denim fabric was cheap, durable, and readily available, making it an ideal material for harsh labour conditions. Unfortunately, the exploitation of enslaved people in the production of denim did not end with the abolition of slavery and even today, the denim industry is still plagued by labour abuses and exploitation. Many of the workers who produce denim are paid poverty wages and forced to work in unsafe and inhumane conditions. In some cases, workers are subjected to forced labour, meaning they are not free to leave their jobs and are forced to work against their will.

Blocks of Indigo from a market in Morocco.

Indigo

Indigo dye is originally derived from the tiny leaves of the Indigofera plant species in tropical regions. The rare colour became a highly prized import in the Middle Ages, travelling with ivory, gold and salt to the Mediterranean. It became desirable in Christian, Islamic and Jewish cultures and the colour came to symbolise the ancient caliphate, royalty and sainthood.

True blue is very rare in nature and the flower used from Indigofera itself is in fact not blue, but pink and through a process of extraction, fermentation, pressing the resulting paste and drying the dye is made. Indigo’s mysterious dark beauty and the challenging processes required to make it usable even led many to call the colour “blue gold” (Story of Denim Blue Jeans across the Eras – entries from www.indianoceanhistory.org). The final fabric dyed with indigo is very strong and colourfast when washed.

As the popularity for the dye became greater, so did the competition to produce and supply it as cheaply as possible. India’s indigo trade became brutal and bloody, as workers were exploited, abused and overworked. As a cheaper alternative, Europe produced woad dye from the more commonly available knotweed, or Isatis tinctoria, but it was less vibrant and steadfast than the Indian variants. The African continent was also a key producer and as colonialism spread across the continent, the highly profitable skills West Africans had in indigo crafts were exploited by American and European slave trades. As slaves were traded to the colonial West Indies and Americas, Indigo plantations were established where slaves from West Africa were forced to produce dyes for wealthy European and American markets. The brutality and rivalry in indigo production arising from this competition in the 16th to the 19th century, sometimes led to it being called “the devil’s dye” (Indigo: Blue Gold, May 26, 2020 by Rosie Lesso, Indigo: Blue Gold – the thread (fabrics-store.com)).

Cotton Production

Cotton was absolutely front and centre of the slave trade and it actually replaced indigo as a key crop in America’s South in the early 1800’s, driven by an expanding textile industry in Europe towards the end of the 1790’s. By the start of the civil war in 1861, America’s south was producing 75% of the world’s cotton. The industry relied heavily on slave labour until the abolition of slavery in 1865.

Unfortunately though exploitation didn’t end there in the cotton industry and one of the most significant issues facing the denim industry today is the use of forced labour in the production of cotton, which is a primary ingredient in denim.

Much of the world’s cotton is grown in countries such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where the government forces citizens to work in the cotton industry. These workers are often children and are subjected to harsh labour conditions with little or no pay. China has also recently been criticised for forcing hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other minorities into hard, manual labour in the vast cotton fields of its western region of Xinjiang, it currently produces 85% of China’s cotton and 20% of the world’s cotton (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/nz0g306v8c/china-tainted-cotton). India is another example where in tribal areas, children have ended up as child labourers, helping hybridise GM, genetically modified, cotton ‘because children’s hands are small enough to do this work’ (https://denimdudes.co/post-civil-war-slavery-and-the-supply-chain/).

A cotton picker on a plantation in Georgia

Levi Strauss

‘Denim’ and ‘jeans’ linked up in the United States during the 1850’s California Gold Rush. In 1853, a German Jew named Levi Strauss went to San Francisco, California and opened a store to serve the mining camps. His store sold various items and after complaints from miners about easily ripped trousers, he began to make them from the thick denim fabric with pockets, for the miners to place their gold nuggets.

Now that in itself wasn’t especially unique, but after a chance meeting with one of his customers, a Mr Davis who was a tailor, they created a pair of trousers with the pockets reinforced with copper rivets. They patented the idea and put the red Levi’s tag on the back pocket. After growing popularity, at first across the US, but then globally, they became associated with the name ‘jeans.’ The name we know them by today.

From Workwear to Hollywood Cool

Up until the second world war ‘jeans’ and denim weren’t especially popular, they were seen purely as ‘workwear,’ but in the 1940s and early 1950s, it was fashionable to go to the western states for vacations, with visitors wanting to experience the real Western cowboy lifestyle. Many of these tourists would take a pair of jeans back with them. They gained in popularity and soldiers travelling outside of the US, stationed in Japan and Europe expanded the trend internationally.

In the 1950s and 60s famous ‘bad boy’ singers and Hollywood stars such as Elvis Presley, John Wayne, James Dean and Marlon Brando catapulted denim to being the ‘fashionable item’ that it is today and the rest I suppose we say is history. It became an icon of the modern working class man. Of course it is now common to see denim used in avant-garde designer apparel, gracing runways and pages of fashion magazines, far removed from it’s shaded past. I’m sure the workers and slaves for who they were originally made for, would be bemused at us striving for ripped and distressed denim. Still as an ethical consumer, we have a responsibility and therefore it is important to remain informed on the origins of our chosen fashion pieces and the logistical pipeline to get it into our closet.

Environmental Concerns From Denim Production

Denim is now one of the most popular articles of clothing on the planet and in addition to forced exploitation of workers, the denim industry is also linked to environmental degradation.

The environmental impacts of denim processing are wide ranging. The production of cotton requires large amounts of water and pesticides, which can pollute local water sources and harm the health of workers and nearby communities. For example production of just one pair of denim trousers consumes 1,500 gallons of water. The dyes used result in dyeing and finishing effluent discharge and processing also results in air pollution through cotton dust and chemicals. Next of course there is the transportation related to the cotton, dyes and the final garment to the retailer once complete. Finally once they are washed they release microfibres which end up in our rivers lakes and oceans, of which the impact of this is unknown (many denim items are now mixed with synthetic fibres such as elastane).

How can we reduce the negative impact of denim?

So, what can we do to address these issues and reduce the negative impact of denim on society and the environment? One solution is to support brands that prioritize sustainability and fair labour practices. These brands use eco-friendly materials, reduce waste, and prioritize fair labour practices. Look out for certifications such as Fair Trade cotton (although few and far between), Fair Wear (improving working conditions and wages in garment production) and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards), you could even be brave and try undyed denim (sort of a beige colour, which reduces water consumption and pollution) or recycled denim. Why not check out our selection of pre-loved, reworked and vintage denim. Additionally, we can all make a difference by buying less, buying better quality denim and recycling or donating denim that we no longer need.

In conclusion, while denim is a versatile and beloved fabric, its dark history and troubling present should not be ignored and certainly the issues of the past linked with exploitation shouldn’t be allowed in modern society. It’s up to us as consumers to make informed choices about the clothing that we buy and to support brands that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility in their supply chain. By doing so, we can reduce the negative impact of denim on the planet and the people who produce our clothes.