Denim denotes a rugged cotton will textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp fibers, producing the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim was traditionally colored blue with indigo dye to make blue "jeans," though "jean" denoted a different, lighter cotton textile. This is because our usage of jean comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy, for whom the first denim trousers were made.
A denim shirt is a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. In the UK, it refers most often to what Americans call a dress shirt or tailored shirt, i.e., a garment with a collar, cuffs, and a full vertical opening with buttons. It tends to have a vaguer meaning, being applied to many types of tops, leaving the word "top" generally for ladies wear. |