Do not feel bad if you are unsure what denier actually means. During four plus years of school studying textile design I never heard the word uttered once. It wasn’t until I had my degree in textiles that I realized how much I didn’t know.
So obviously, the bigger the number the stronger the fabric, but why is that?
Denier is a unit of measure for linear mass density of fibers. A unit of measurement just for my favorite thing…TEXTILES! How did they not teach us this in school? A single strand of silk measures 1 denier. The measurement is defined as the mass of 9000 meters of fiber. So, denier indicates fiber thickness and also weight in grams.
1 Denier =1 gram per 9000 meters
Our 600 Denier Polyester – 9000 meters (9842.52 yards) strand of the yarn unwoven weighs 600 grams (21.1644 oz.)
Our 1000 Denier Polyester – 9000 meters (9842.52 yards) strand of the yarn unwoven weighs 1000 grams (35.274 oz.)
The Denier count is important for manufacturers to make sure their materials are durable enough for the product they are producing. Originally denier was used to measure natural fibers like cotton and silk, but now it is mostly commonly associated with synthetics like polyester and nylon.