The pattern of fading that appears behind the knees of jeans — the lattice-like marks — is called “honeycomb” in English (in Japanese, hachinosu).
Why this name? Break down the structure: the back of the knee is the place where fabric is repeatedly folded by the bending of the knee. The action of sitting and crouching compresses the fabric vertically and stretches it horizontally. This force strips indigo from the fabric in a way that emphasizes the relief of the weave.
For sharp, well-formed honeycombs, several conditions matter:
- Thick yarn (higher ounce, lower yarn count number)
- High weave density
- Indigo dyeing with a white core (incomplete penetration to the yarn’s interior)
- Stable bending frequency from the wearer
Put differently, whether honeycombs come out beautifully is largely determined by fabric specs — not just the wearer’s habits. Half of what people mean by “easy-to-grow denim” is exactly this.
Honeycomb variations broadly split into “vertical-leaning,” “horizontally spread,” and “running diagonally.” This is determined by the interaction between weave structure (right-hand twill, left-hand twill, broken twill) and yarn twist direction.
When collectors examine a vintage denim jacket, they look not at the back of the knee but at the inner elbow — because the same physical principle is at work there.
※ Term note (short column)