What is denim fading?

What is denim fading?

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What is colored denim?

Denim has many charms, and one of them is fading.

Denim fading occurs when the indigo-dyed threads that make up the denim fabric lose color through washing and friction, revealing the ‘nakajiro(White Core)’—the undyed part at the center of the thread.

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The fading discussed here refers not to the natural dyeing technique ‘kase-zome’ (cage dyeing), but to the chemical dyeing technique ‘rope dyeing’ commonly used for denim.

For example, jeans fade due to washing and friction from wearing them. As shown in Figure 1, the rich color of jeans gradually lightens through washing and friction.

The degree of color fading varies from time to time, and the texture also differs.

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Generally, fading is thought of as the dark color of denim gradually lightening, but it does not fade uniformly.

『Dark navy denim』→『Slightly dark navy denim』→『Navy denim』— the overall fading pattern is not uniform.

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This is because variations in color fading occur due to the wearer’s lifestyle habits and personal tendencies.

Some parts fade easily, while others fade less due to less friction. This creates a pattern-like effect.

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There are specific names for the fading patterns that occur in jeans, which are pants made from denim fabric.

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Vintage jeans are so beloved by denim enthusiasts that their prices fluctuate based on their fading patterns—terms like “whisker,” “honeycomb,” and “abrasion” describe these effects.

The Mechanism of Denim Fading

Let’s review the definition of denim fading once more.

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Denim fading occurs when the indigo-dyed threads that make up the denim weave reveal the ‘nakajiro(White Core)’—the undyed center of the thread—through washing and friction.

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I’ll explain it a bit more clearly using diagrams.

Figure 2 shows a close-up of denim fabric.

Denim (denim fabric) is a thick cotton woven fabric made by twill weaving warp threads of 10 count or higher dyed with indigo and unbleached weft threads (threads that have not undergone dyeing).

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The indigo-dyed warp threads gradually wear away through washing and friction.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the warp yarn before denim fading.

The outer part of the thread has a deep indigo color, which gradually lightens toward the center. The core remains undyed and white.

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The white part in the center is called ‘nakajiro(White Core)’.

Wearing jeans causes friction, and washing them causes color fading.

Through washing and friction, the surface of the yarn becomes worn away as shown in Figure 4.

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The fading is where you can see the worn-down part.

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The reason why the fading pattern differs depending on the person wearing the jeans is because the threads are dyed to varying degrees.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the thread.

When dyeing thread with indigo, the color penetrates from the outside in. This results in the outermost layer of the thread being the darkest. As the color gradually fades toward the center, the core remains undyed, creating a white core known as “nakajiro(White Core).”

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The thread fades toward the center, and when washed or rubbed, it doesn’t wear away cleanly but develops unevenness.

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Because of these characteristics of the yarn, the way the color fades varies from person to person, and that’s what makes denim even more appealing.

Three Types of Jeans Fading

There are three types of fading in jeans.

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They are called ‘Whisker’, ‘Honeycomb’, and ‘Abrasion’.

“Whisker” refers to beard-shaped fading. It’s the fading that occurs on the front leg area of jeans near the crotch.

“Honeycomb” refers to honeycomb-patterned fading. It’s the fading that occurs on the back knee area of jeans.

“Abrasion” refers to the faded, worn-in look that develops on jeans through regular wear. This fading occurs on the side seams, hems, and stitching areas of jeans.

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“Whisker” and “Honeycomb” are said to add significant value to vintage jeans, affecting their price consider

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The area circled in red is the “Whisker” created by the jeans’ color fading.

The upper red circle area has faint white horizontal ‘whisker’, while the lower red circle area has thick white ‘whisker’ extending toward the thigh.

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This fading resembles a beard, hence it is called ‘Whisker’.

The ‘whisker’ forms on the front panel of jeans, specifically at the crotch area extending down to the thigh. The front panel refers to the front section of the garment.

The ‘whisker’ form in the areas circled in red in Figure 7. The upper red circle shows small, sideways-facing ‘whisker’, while the lower red circle shows large, downward-facing ‘whisker’ extending toward the thigh.

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The area circled in red is the ‘Honeycomb’ pattern created by the fading of the jeans.

The color fading visible in the area circled in red is characterized by deep indentations alongside the creases that form when the leg is bent.

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This deep, uneven color fading resembles a honeycomb, hence the name ‘Honeycomb’.

The “Honeycomb” is located on the back panel of jeans, specifically at the back of the knee. The back panel refers to the rear portion of the garment.

The area circled in red in Figure 8 is where the ‘Hachinosu’ develops. This deep, horizontal indentation that forms on the back of the knee is the ‘Honeycomb’.

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The areas circled in red are the ‘abrasion’ created by the jeans’ color fading.

The red circle at the top shows the ‘abrasion’ that formed on the pocket stitching. The red circle in the middle shows the ‘abrasion’ that formed on the side seam of the jeans. The red circle at the bottom shows the ‘abrasion’ that formed on the hem.

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『Abrasion』 is color fading caused by friction.

『Abrasion』 can appear on the side seams, hems, and stitching of jeans. The side seam is the seam along the side of the jeans.

The red circles indicate the side seams, stitching areas such as pockets, and the hem.

Summary

I have summarized the three types of fading in jeans using diagrams and tables.

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The fading discussed here refers not to the natural dyeing technique ‘kase-zome’ (cage dyeing), but to the chemical dyeing technique ‘rope dyeing’ commonly used for denim.

The three types of fading in jeans are called ‘whisker,’ ‘honeycomb,’ and ‘abrasion.’

“Whisker” refers to beard-shaped fading. It’s the fading that occurs on the front leg area of jeans near the crotch.

“Honeycomb” refers to honeycomb-patterned fading. It’s the fading that occurs on the back knee area of jeans.

“Abrasion” refers to the faded, worn-in look that develops on jeans through regular wear. This fading occurs on the side seams, hems, and stitching areas of jeans.

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I have compiled a table showing the characteristics and areas where color fading may occur.

Category	Features	Available locations	Available locations (photos)	Available locations (illustration)
Whisker	Beard-shaped fading	The area where the front of the jeans meets the crotch
Honeycomb	Honeycomb-like fading	The area behind the knees on the back panel of jeans
Abrasion	The worn-in look achieved through repeated wear of jeans	The side seams, hems, and stitching areas of jeans

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