Denim, quite a story...

DENIM is us! 🇫🇷

A French story

It has been said too often that jeans were an American invention. False.
The real story begins much earlier, in France , in the 16th century , in the city of Nîmes .

This is where a thick, crossed and particularly resistant cotton canvas , dyed with indigo , appears. It is then called “Nîmes serge” .

💡 Did you know?
The word denim comes directly from the expression “de Nîmes” .

A fabric designed to last

This robust fabric is distinguished by two major qualities:

  • Its exceptional solidity

  • Its ability to patina over time

These characteristics make it a sought-after textile , quickly exported and recognized throughout Europe . It is used for work clothes , but also to dress sailors and workers , who appreciate its durability and comfort .

Over time, “serge de Nîmes” simply became denim . A shorter, more direct word, but which retains the imprint of its French origin .

When jeans appear

It was not until the 19th century that modern jeans emerged in the United States .

In 1873 , Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis filed a patent for work pants reinforced with copper rivets . Their idea: to adapt denim into durable pants , designed for workers , miners , and cowboys .

➡️ Essential nuance :

  • Denim is a French fabric

  • Jeans are American pants made from this fabric

When history gets confused

Over time, the distinction fades.
We confuse denim and jeans , we talk about “denim jackets” (when in fact they are denim jackets ) and we attribute to the Americans an invention that is not theirs.

Levi's built a global myth with a few metal rivets , while the French origin of denim gradually disappeared from the collective memory .

From the 50s to today

In the 1950s , it was rebellious youth who took over jeans.
A symbol of freedom and provocation , it became the uniform of cinema icons and protest movements .

In the following decades, it became universal : worn from the office to concerts , from the fields to the catwalks , it crossed all generations and all styles .

But behind every pair of jeans , there is always the same common thread: denim .
And it was France that gave this denim to the world.

The IZZO mission

At IZZO , we want to set the record straight .
Rehabilitate this historical truth .
Reaffirm that denim is a national treasure , just like baguettes or wine .

And above all, continue to keep it alive , respecting its heritage while reinventing it for tomorrow.