Since the introduction of riveted blue jeans to mainstream american culture, some 120 years ago, indigo has been synonymous with denim and therefore workwear.
But it's history is so much richer than that.
The use of Indigofera as a dye-source has been traced back to Bronze Age India, more than 5000 years ago. Bricks of processed Indigo dye were introduced to Europe once trade routes were established with Ancient Greece and Rome, becoming an important luxury commodity for use in paints, cosmetics, and medicines. In fact, the Greeks named it after India itself; Indicon which was later anglicized to Indigo.
During the late 15th century more trade routes opened to China and India by sea from Europe, lowering the price by forgoing the Arab tariffs and middlemen from the land route and thereby making it more accessible. Increased demand resulted in large scale Indigo cultivation in India, which further dropped prices and established Indigo as the European dye of choice. It was referred to as Blue Gold because of its high value, compact size, and long shelf life: the ideal trading commodity.
By the 1800s it became one of the most lucrative cash crops in the world. But in 1897, with German advances in organic chemistry, Indigo was successfully synthesized and introduced to the market. By 1914 production of natural indigo dropped from 19,000 tons per year to around 1,000 tons. Synthetic indigo provided a cheaper, albeit more toxic, option and natural indigo was virtually lost.
The traditional methods for dyeing with natural indigo were quietly passed on for generations in rural villages throughout India, Japan, and West Africa. Today it is more art than industry, practiced by craftsmen who apply thousands of years of experience to perfect their craft. It is this knowledge that