30/08/2026
Jeans and denim. We use the words interchangeably, but historically they tell two different stories. 👖
The story of “jean” begins in Italy 🇮🇹
By the 14th–15th centuries, Chieri in Piedmont was an important centre for fustian: a strong fabric made from cotton, h**p and linen.
The blue came from guado (woad), a plant cultivated for its natural blue dye.
These hard-wearing fabrics travelled through Genoa. Genoa was Gênes to the French, which eventually gave us the word jean.
Denim takes us to France 🇫🇷
Around the 17th century, Nîmes was known for serge de Nîmes: a sturdy twill originally woven from wool and silk and coloured with indigo from the Indigofera plant.
And today?
Classic denim is generally 3×1 twill, with an indigo-dyed warp and undyed weft. This creates its blue face, lighter reverse and characteristic fading.
Most denim today uses synthetic indigo rather than plant-derived dye.
So the jeans in your wardrobe carry traces of two very different textile histories:
JEAN: Chieri + Genoa, Italy 🇮🇹
DENIM: Serge de Nîmes, France 🇫🇷
MODERN DENIM: 3×1 twill + indigo-dyed warp 👖
Two cities. Two fabrics. Two blue-dye traditions.
Footage of woad dyeing from RAI + Guado d’Urbino
