Hemp-Style

Jeans are a timeless piece of clothing, regardless of gender and age. A must-have in every wardrobe and ideal for almost all occasions, from casual to elegant. Paired with a high shoe or a smart jacket, it is immediately elegant and super chic. Now even jeans are returning to their origins, namely to hemp fabric. In fact, many more or less well-known brands are back in the limelight with new collections of jeans, completely made of hemp denim.

But before telling you about its return, it is important to go back to the roots of this ever-popular garment and explore the origins of its birth: a story of intertwining between Italy, France and the United States. For example, did you know that the first jeans created in 1954 by Levis were made of hemp fabric?

The origins of blue jeans: names and more

To tell the story of jeans, we have to start with two cities Nîmes (France) and Genoa (Italy) and go back a few centuries, namely to 1500. The very name of the garment, in fact, takes its name from one of these two locations. As can be seen, the word 'blue jeans' is made up of two components: the first, 'blue', indicates the iconic colour of these trousers, while the second comes from French. In fact, according to scholars, the term is a variant, which was mispronounced and in time changed into the one we all know, of the word Jeane or Jannes, which was used to indicate the city of Genoa. Later, the word was again changed to Gênes and, with the arrival in America and the subsequent Englishisation of the term, it became the current 'jeans' [1].

The other name by which the fabric of blue jeans is referred to, denim, has a history very similar to that of jeans. In fact, the word derives from French and stands for de Nimes, i.e. the city Nimes where the fabric used to produce the garment came from. Obviously, over the years, the pronunciation of this term also changed, becoming the current one, i.e. our beloved denim. The French city very quickly became famous for the production of this durable fabric, to the point of giving it its very name.

But now that we know the place of origin of the world's most famous must-have, how and especially why did blue jeans come into being?[2]

The first jeans, called simply trousers at the time, were created for very different needs than the way we use it today. In fact, the first jeans were created for workers, with a different purpose than the one we use it for today. What was this purpose? To protect workers from the sharp parts of the sugar cane plants in the fields. And it is for this reason that hemp is the most ideal material for their creation. In fact, hemp is a very resistant fabric: consequently, the sharp leaves of the sugar cane cannot ruin the fabric and penetrate beyond the trousers, injuring the workers' skin. In the 16th century, this type of fabric was in great demand in the most agriculturally inclined countries, often travelling from Nimes to the Republic of Genoa.

The history of jeans, Levi's and hemp fabric

The history of jeans became increasingly prolific and successful around 1853, with the advent of this garment in America. In particular, as the gold rush in the Old and Wild West grew, so did the demand for clothing that was much more resistant to the complicated working conditions in the mines. Consequently, the brand 'Levi Strauss and Co' was founded and large-scale production of blue jeans began, using hemp fabric for some parts. Jeans soon became affordable for everyone from cowboys to miners, representing the 'work uniform' par excellence for every job[3].

Later, the outbreak of the World War also had a strong impact on the creation and production of jeans. Due to the difficult geo-political landscape, there was an ever-increasing demand for clothes that could be durable, cheap and could withstand tougher living and working conditions. And it was for this reason that jeans went further and further afield and made their return to Europe, moving from then on to all parts of the world. From then on, jeans became not only one of the best-selling and most widely used products in the field of clothing, but also a true symbol of world pop culture. From the beginning of the 20th century onwards, they took on different meanings: from the representation of the demanding working class, the representation of young people, to becoming true brands of rebellion.

Hemp jeans: the pop culture revolution

Since their inception, jeans have never ceased to be one of the most influential and versatile elements in fashion. And just like all other garments, jeans cannot be alienated from the great social and cultural changes of our era, among which is the 'ecological revolution' and the quest for a more ecologically sustainable lifestyle and fashion. In fact, we are on a frantic search for ways in which we can produce jeans that do not affect the state of our external environment, or at least do so in the most environmentally friendly way possible. The result of these ongoing efforts and research has led brands to retrace the footsteps of their own past, bringing the production of jeans from hemp fabric back into vogue.

For instance, in the same land where denim was born, i.e. Occitania, in the small town of Castres, we can find a beautiful project trying to make inroads into the market with a new denim, specifically denim made of hemp fabric. In the small town of Castres, there is the old family-run weaving mill Tissages d'Autan, dating back to the 1930s, whose contemporary motto is 'Jeans will grow again in the fields'. This company has been working with a 'VirgoCoop' project for some time now, so that its primary goal is to bring ecological and socially responsible projects to life and evolve with greater pride, in particular by dedicating itself to the promotion of local and organic textile production, such as the creation and production of more French hemp. Thanks to their help and support, many hemp growers can continue to develop their own projects and influence the hemp market until it becomes more and more widespread and guarantees excellent hemp textiles[4].

Even the biggest brands of the past, such as Levi's, are slowly returning to their past and reintroducing hemp fabric into their collections. In fact, the American company recently released a line called Levi's Wellthreat x Outerknown, featuring a pair of trousers and a jacket, in which we can find a mix of hemp (31%) and cotton [5]. But this is only the beginning, with respect to the declaration that the brand manager himself has made: the intention to be able to produce jeans completely in 100% hemp fabric. A number of studies will be conducted, with which a method will be sought to make the material softer and more malleable, so that it can be integrated as much as possible within the production of jeans. In this way, the blue jeans giant, as we know it, takes a step back to the past, as the company itself, during its early days, had repeatedly used raw materials made partly of textile hemp in the production of its products. This great change was possible due to a number of different external social and political factors: for instance, in 2018 the US government passed an important document, the Farm Bill, by which this hemp cultivation was made legal, indeed enacted [6].

Small realities with great potential

Despite the great commitment on the part of the American fashion giant, it must be pointed out that there are a number of small companies that have already managed to turn this little dream into reality. The most exciting element of this story is to be found in Italy, once the second largest producer of textile hemp in the world. Recently, in the Veneto region, two young guys, Matteo and Francesco, created a new, fresh and innovative brand called Gimmi jeans: their aim is to create a new type of jeans that is fashionable and comfortable, but also eco-friendly, made of 100% hemp denim. Matteo and Francesco started working on this project during the period of the pandemic and, following the great advice of their grandmothers, worked on their own personal hemp cultivation, so that they could have the entire process of production, manufacturing and creation of their product under control, hoping to produce a 100% hemp fabric.

Nowadays, there are so many brands, from the smallest and most artisanal to the big fashion chains, that are taking this big step forward and are increasingly committed to bringing more environmentally friendly clothing to the market, including our beloved hemp denim jeans.