How and when did the color blue become the default for jeans?

Denim was produced in Nimes, France in the late 1800s. In fact it is hard to determine when they started making it; perhaps as early as the mid-1600s? The cloth is properly called Serge. read more

The default blue colour is from the dye called Indican. Prior to the importation of Indigo, woad leaves were the only source of blue dye in Europe and North America. Woad gives a fainter blue and you need at least 2x the amount compared to indigo. read more

Of course the cowboys and prospectors back in the day weren’t too bothered about how their denims and dungarees looked in terms of style – they were all about the long lasting, durable plus points, but as the popularity of jeans went on to grow over the years, the blue colour became iconic and increasingly diverse. read more