Preparation of indigo-dyed cotton denim fabrics and garments

A method for preparing indigo-dyed denim fabric, which method comprises:

• A) preparing emulsion copolymer-treated warp yarn by contacting cotton yarn with an emulsion copolymer and thereafter curing said copolymer to adhere said copolymer to the warp yarn;
• B) weaving or knitting said emulsion copolymer-treated cotton warp yarn into denim fabric along with untreated cotton yarn as the weft yarn to thereby prepare griege denim fabric having emulsion copolymer-treated cotton warp yarn in the warp direction only;
• and thereafter
• C) contacting said griege denim fabric with an aqueous dispersion of an indigo dyestuff material under conditions sufficient to preferentially color the outer cross-sectional portions of said emulsion copolymer-treated warp yarn to a greater extent than said indigo dyestuff material colors the outer cross-sectional portions of said untreated cotton weft yarn, to thereby provide indigo-dyed denim fabric having a non-uniformly colored appearance.