Cowboys, cattlemen and blue jeans in the Old West

Historically, half overalls’ that lacked a bib and were dyed dark blue to hide the dirt have always been used as durable working clothes by cowboys and cattle farmers in the US

- Dr Mac

Anyone who has worked with cattle eventually realises that the ideal work garment is made out of denim. This dense fabric is on the verge of being waterproof, and it’s hard to wear it out or tear it. Denim also hardly shows the dirt and is thick enough to keep out those long thorns that easily rip through khaki and thin cotton trousers.

Denim was originally designed for workwear and made of thick strands of cotton woven to make a fabric called twill, or fustian. This fabric originated in Genoa, Italy, and the word ‘jeans’ is a colloquialism linked to the name of the city.

Denim workwear was dyed blue as that colour did not show the dirt. It was exported to the US for use by miners and agricultural workers who were involved in cropping and cattle farming at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century. Today, denim is made mainly from cotton grown and processed in China, India and the US.