Author : Irfan Moeen Khan
During the mid 19th century, the
sheer necessity to provide comfort and durability in a pair of pants for gold
miners during the California Gold rush has today become a fashion definition.
A trader from New York moved to California for better prospects, partnered with a local tailor and started manufacturing “Waist Overalls” to provide for the immediate need of the gold miners.
Rivets of saddles were used on pockets for reinforcement and the material used was duck fabric usually used in making ship sails. Since the manufacturing process was unique they got it patented and the pants became very popular not only among gold miners but also among farmers and others.
During the same period France developed a fabric called “serge de Nimes” as it was made in the French city of Nimes and soon the name was shortened to Denim. This was a traditionally durable twill woven fabric dyed in indigo blue colour. During the same period exports of indigo (commonly known as neel in the Indian sub continent) dye stuff from Sindh via the port of Bhambore and then all the way through the port of Alexandria to the modern Europe substantially increased. (Plants and Drugs of Sindh by James A. Murray 1881, courtesy Sindh Archives Complex, Karachi).
A trader from New York moved to California for better prospects, partnered with a local tailor and started manufacturing “Waist Overalls” to provide for the immediate need of the gold miners.
Rivets of saddles were used on pockets for reinforcement and the material used was duck fabric usually used in making ship sails. Since the manufacturing process was unique they got it patented and the pants became very popular not only among gold miners but also among farmers and others.
During the same period France developed a fabric called “serge de Nimes” as it was made in the French city of Nimes and soon the name was shortened to Denim. This was a traditionally durable twill woven fabric dyed in indigo blue colour. During the same period exports of indigo (commonly known as neel in the Indian sub continent) dye stuff from Sindh via the port of Bhambore and then all the way through the port of Alexandria to the modern Europe substantially increased. (Plants and Drugs of Sindh by James A. Murray 1881, courtesy Sindh Archives Complex, Karachi).
