Over the last 160 years, denim has become an iconic and influential part of world culture. Classless, utilitarian, and yet classically stylish, denim jeans have been worn by prisoners, tradesmen, models, and presidents alike. Denim is a sturdy cotton textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces the diagonal ribbing that is characteristic of denim. Japan-based Kurabo produces denim with a twist - colourfast eco-friendly denim. We will delve into the differences between regular denim and Kurabo’s new denim offering here. Introduction to Denim and Kurabo Aquatic Denim It is said that denim came to life in Nîmes, France, although this has been contested. During an unsuccessful replication attempt of a hard-wearing cotton fabric called ‘Jeane’ the fabric weavers of Nîmes realised they had developed a unique and hardy fabric unlike anything else available at that time. This fabric was made using a twill weave, with indigo used to dye the warp threads blue, leaving the weft threads their natural white color. This process gave the fabric a unique blue color on the outside, with white on the other. It became known as the Serge de Nîmes (translated to ‘twill of Nîmes’). Modern jeans began to appear in the 1920s, but sales were largely confined to the working class of the western United States, such as cowboys, lumberjacks, and railroad workers. The dark hue and stiffness of denim bolstered its rise to fame, and by the 1950’s people began referring to denim trousers as ‘jeans’ rather than denim overalls. Over time, American textile producers started making other apparel items out of denim, and these days, you can even purchase home decor products made with this durable and aesthetically appealing fabric. More recently, Kurabo Corporation has introduced a next-generation denim material that gives that authentic denim appearance, yet without the fading and transfer of color. Aquatic takes the worry out of staining your white items with traditional dark or raw denim, offering new potential in wardrobe coordination. Similarities Between Regular Denim and Kurabo Aquatic Denim
Both are made from cotton, a plant-based biodegradable fiber.
Both fabrics are used primarily in the production of jeans, one of the most worn pieces of apparel in the world.
In saying that, both have a huge range of applications from apparel to home-wares.
A vintage look and feel can be attained with both fabrics during the industrial washing phase of production (using different methods).
Both fabrics dye well, however, regular denim can lose its dye from the very first wash.
As neither requires the tending of or use of animals, both are vegan-friendly.
Both can be machine washed.
Differences Between Regular Denim and Kurabo Aquatic Denim
Regular denim tends to fade in color with each wash, whereas Aquatic denim has excellent colorfastness.
Washing regular denim with other garments can often stain them blue, however, this is not the case with Aquatic denim. It can be washed with whites and not stain in any way.
For the reason above, Aquatic denim, therefore, uses less water and electricity as it is not necessary to wash denim garments separately from other garments.
Whilst a vintage look can be attained in both regular and Aquatic denim, with the latter it is a dry process using lasers and tints and requiring no water resources.
Water consumption and the processing time is 50% less during the manufacture of Aquatic denim.
Aquatic denim completely eliminates the use of bleach, whereas regular denim uses significant volumes of bleach during processing.
The industrial washing process of regular denim is incredibly dirty and polluting the environment. This is not the case with Aquatic denim, as there is little contaminate waste, chemicals, or proteins coming from the fabric.
Regular Denim and Kurabo Aquatic Denim: Environmental Impact Kurabo Aquatic denim is the clear winner in terms of environmental impacts. As noted above the biggest difference is that of resources - Aquatic denim requires 50% less water and energy during processing. This is a vast improvement on regular denim which is water and energy-intensive process. Also, the fact that it is a cleaner process requiring no bleach lends to its eco-friendly appeal. Lastly, it doesn’t pollute at the end of its manufacture as regular denim does. In saying all that, denim be it regular or Aquatic denim uses conventionally grown cotton for the most part. This is slowly changing as people see the devastation to the environment of the continued use of pesticides. Kurabo is also working on organic cotton and selvage options, so they are moving in the right direction in this regard. Regular Denim and Kurabo Aquatic Denim: Applications Both regular denim and Aquatic denim have similar applications - from apparel to soft furnishings. As a hardwearing, sturdy, and durable fabric, denim performs well in uses where there will be lots of friction such as upholstered sofas or jeans. https://gotohomerepair.com/denim-sofas-and-loveseats/ Regular Denim and Kurabo Aquatic Denim: Conclusion We have compared the similarities and differences between regular and Aquatic denim. Whilst they share many of the same properties, the Kurabo based denim has the environmental edge since it requires fewer resources and doesn’t pollute our planet the same way that regular denim does.