Stretch Denim Fabric

Jeans are the reason most people come to denim, and stretch denim is the reason a modern fitted pair is wearable at all. A rigid denim cut close to the body fights you every time you sit down. Add one or two percent elastane and the same cut moves, gives at the knee and returns to shape, which is why almost every ready-to-wear fitted jean on the high street is made from it.

Stretch is not the same as recovery

This is the distinction that matters most and the one nobody explains. Stretch is how far a fabric will go when you pull it. Recovery is whether it comes back. A denim can have plenty of stretch and poor recovery, and that's the fabric that produces baggy knees and a seat that has given up by mid-afternoon. Good recovery is what you're really buying when you buy a quality stretch denim, and it comes from the elastane content and the way the cloth is constructed rather than from the stretch percentage alone. When you're testing a sample, don't just pull it. Pull it, hold it a moment, let go, and see whether it returns to where it started.

How much elastane, and what it does

Most stretch denims sit at a low single-digit percentage of elastane, and small differences change the character more than you'd expect. Around 1% gives what's often called comfort stretch: the denim still looks and behaves like proper denim and simply stops fighting you. Nearer 2 to 3% gives a noticeably softer, more forgiving cloth that suits a skinny or close-fitted leg. More elastane means more give but also more reliance on good recovery to stop the garment growing through the day. The composition is listed on every product page.

Weight, and what to make from it

Denim is sold by weight in ounces, and it's the single most useful number when you're choosing. As a general guide, lighter denims of roughly 6oz to 8oz suit shirts, dresses, softer skirts and loose trousers, and are comfortable to sew on a domestic machine. The middle of the range, around 9oz to 11oz, is the everyday jeans and jacket weight and is where most of this collection sits. Heavier denims from about 12oz upwards give a structured jean that holds its shape and wears in over time, though they're harder work under the machine. Most stretch denim sits in the lighter and middle weights, though heavier stretch denims do exist and we stock some.

Stretch or rigid?

It comes down to the fit you're after. Choose stretch for anything close to the body: skinny and slim jeans, fitted skirts, pencil dresses, anything you want to be able to sit down in comfortably. Choose rigid for a classic straight or wide leg, for a jacket that should hold its shape, and for a jean you want to break in and mould to yourself over years. To see rigid denim only, use the Yarn filter and select 100% yarn content, or browse all our denim fabrics to compare the two side by side.

Sewing and washing stretch denim

Use a denim or jeans needle in a size that suits the weight, and consider a stretch needle on the softer, higher-elastane denims if you're getting skipped stitches. A slightly longer stitch length handles the thickness better, and grading your seam allowances keeps the bulk down where several layers meet. Wash the fabric before you cut, since cotton denim can shrink and indigo can transfer colour on its first wash. Keep the temperature moderate rather than hot: heat is what damages elastane, and a denim washed hot repeatedly will lose its recovery long before it wears out. Follow the individual product page and care label for specifics.