Red or green cast – Nudie Jeans | Create tomorrow's vintage

What’s a denim cast?

A denim cast refers to the tone of the indigo shade in a particular denim. It’s the color you see in both dry denim and how it changes after wear and washing.

Red cast Dry: Has a bit of a red tint to it.
Green cast Dry: You’ll notice a slight greenish tint.

Red cast Washed: Fades into a clear blue.
Green cast Washed: The blue isn’t as clear, and it leans more towards a green-yellow shade.

What makes denim have different casts?

It all comes down to how the indigo yarns are dyed. Red cast denim is dyed purely with indigo. For green cast, the dyeing process often uses an additional dye, traditionally a sulfur dye. This dye is typically applied before the indigo but can also be applied afterward, or as a combination of both. This method was likely first used to achieve darker indigo tones while using less indigo dye. However, this alteration changes the cast of the denim, transforming the naturally reddish indigo into greenish-blue tones.