The word dungarees is a relic of the British colonial presence in India. Dungri was the name applied to a durable cotton cloth exported from India to England in the 1600s, and used to make sails and tents. Dungaree comes from the Marathi term...
The fabric called denim originated in the town of Nimes, France, hence the name. The fabric known as jean, originally from Genoa, Italy, was popular long before Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis and teamed up in 1873 to make durable work trousers using...
Someone should write a love letter to a new book called Letters of Note. It’s a splendid collection of all kinds of correspondence through the ages: Elvis Presley fans writing to the president, children making suggestions to famous...
jeggings n.— «“What’s so great this year,” she says, “is that they’re making jeans that are great for boots.” They’re slim, soft, light and tight, fitting almost like leggings. In fact, At the store they like to call...
bum bra n.— «I noticed the denim was pulling across the top of the back of my legs. Dang, I thought, too tight. Then the clerk pointed at the taut fabric and said, “That’s the bum bra.”… It’s a dynamic trio of jean...
whisker n.— «For example, to create “whiskers,” or the horizontal lines of discoloration that run across the thighs, Caitac made balloons that inflate and deflate, mimicking legs inside a pair of jeans, so employees can sand the denim by...