Denim, according to Ellicott & Co., a men’s clothing store that also sells other goods, was a material made accidentally by weavers in Nimes, France in the late 17th century. They were trying to replicate another popular material of the time, serge, a fabric used in military uniforms, suits, and coats. The early denim was first called “serge de Nimes” as a lot of materials during the time were named based on where they were first produced. As time went on, and the material expanded to other parts of the world, it was later to be known as denim.

Today, denim is a key part of most wardrobes and are sold in a lot of popular clothing brands, such as American Eagle, Levi’s, and Hollister. The brands listed can be found to have sections on their website dedicated specifically to jeans. Even with clothing brands that don’t have denim pieces being a big part of their brand, you are most likely to find something if they have a wide variety of clothing styles and pieces.

This is a stark contrast to denim’s first use. Originally, denim was used as overalls for miners. It was sturdy and practical, which made a good durable work uniform. Eventually, Hollywood made movies displaying actors wearing jeans which spread to the public. Over the years jeans now come in more of a variety and more accessible to be worn by everyone.

“Jeans have become more diverse for people,” sophomore Annie Silverman said. “There are many different designs and styles of them in low rise, mid rise and high rise. Also, you can get them in many different colors.”

Jeans come in many different types. You can have skinny jeans that fit tight around your legs or wide leg jeans for a baggy look. Mom, boyfriend, straight, flare, boot cut and slim fit jeans are just a few of the many different styles of jeans. These all may have different fits from top to bottom that separates themselves from one another. Different rises allow them to be worn with different styles of shirts and silhouettes. You can have them ripped to fit a certain style or even embroidered with pictures of designs by hand or by someone else.

“I’ve seen more and more different styles of jeans come in bigger sizes so everyone can experience a jean style they like,” freshman Alexa Yale said.

Brands have expanded their jeans sizes over their years to include people of all sizes. Old Navy has jeans in size that go from an XXS all the way to a 4XL. Levi’s also has a wide range of sizes, but also allows for you to specifically choose the waist size and the leg length of the jeans, solving a frustration that has been vocalized by some MSD students.

“Most jeans I have bought have always been way too long so I think that is something that could be fixed. Other than that, I feel like everyone can find a pair of jeans that can suit them well,” sophomore Adinda Firman said.

Jeans aren’t the only thing denim is used for. Overalls, skirts, shorts, jackets, and hats are some of the other pieces that it is applied to.

In an article titled, “A History of Denim in Pictures” by Sara Holzeman and James Barrett, published on Aug. 14, 2020, pictures of celebrities and famous photos of denim are compiled to show the history of denim in clothing. A picture of American Airlines Stewardesses are shown in denim bathing suits in 1958. Elaine de Kooning is shown with a denim button down as she paints in 1964. Bob Marley is shown with a denim-on-denim outfit in 1975. Madonna shows off herself wearing a denim jacket backwards and Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake display their full denim outfits at the 28th Annual American Music Awards. The following shows that denim can be used to create unique and stylish outfits. The variety of denim items allows for creative possibilities for all.

“My favorite outfit I’ve paired with jeans was one when I wore a light washed, baggy jean, with a tight-fitting tank top, and a solid gray, slightly oversized, jacket,” Yale said.

There are many ideas of outfits with denim. It can be as simple as jeans with a white button-down or a tank top. Sometimes people go all out with denim, as can be seen online with the denim-on-denim look that has started trending again. People wear multiple denim items at the same time such as jeans and a jacket or can even wear denim shirts and other accessories. Sometimes they wear denim of different colors or all of the same for the outfit.

Denim is a versatile material and has a rich history in fashion. Worn by famous celebrities to the students of MSD, there is a wide variety of options for people to try and experiment with.