前言：
稍微摘要一下這篇文章會解釋到的兩個疑問：
1.為什麼有人喜歡老紡織機紡織出來的牛仔褲？
2. Slub和Nep這兩個單字是什麼意思？
其實會開始想找這篇的這兩個單字(slub & nep)
是因為我一個同好朋友問了我一個問題
「為什麼丹寧愛好者喜歡老織布機生產出來的丹寧布？差在哪？」
我想「對阿，老的有比較屌嗎？貴古賤今嗎？是金庸小說喔？」
所以就開啟了我網路上找尋答案的漫漫長路
最後根據國外討論的多方結果指出，老織布機生產出來的丹寧布比較有「textured」
而且會產生比較特別的色落，例如「縱落」
而到底老織布機（如力織機...等）織出來的丹寧布是如何的有textured呢？
我又進一步的得到了兩個關鍵字：「slub」、「nep」
在不停的搜尋之下，發現了這篇文章，非常詳細的解釋了這兩種質感的丹寧布料
所以我打算翻譯成中文的，希望可以為台灣的丹寧迷們解解惑，盡點微薄之力
在開始這篇翻譯文之前，請大家先跟我附庸風雅一番，欣賞一首很冷門的詩
《寄高員外》
“冷冽蒼黃風似劈，雪骨冰筋滿瑤席。
庭松流污相抵吃，霜絮重裘火無力。
孤峯地爐燒白櫪，龐眉道者應相憶。
倏忽維陽歲雲暮，寂寥不覺成章句。
惟應將寄蕊珠宮，禪剎雲深一來否。”
前蜀 貫休
至於為什麼要先看這首詩，我們下回後記分曉
本文：
Knowing Your Raw Denim: Slub and Nep
了解你的原色丹寧：竹節感和霜絮感
SEP 9, 2013 |101 PRIMERS |by Dennis DePrimo
6 Comments
When it comes to the realm of raw denim, two of the most pertinent, yet often misunderstood, characteristics are nep and slub.
在原色丹寧的領域裡，有兩個很類似、經常混淆的特色，就是霜絮感（nep）和竹節感（slub）。
Though these terms may seem like silly, redundant jargon, we can’t stress enough the importance of these denim traits. Not only do they affect the feel and texture of raw jeans, but they also impact the overall fade and evolution of any pair of denim.
雖然這兩個詞聽起來很無聊，很像專家故意說的一些專業術語，但不得不說這兩個特色在原色丹寧領域裡非常的重要。它們不只影響了原色牛仔褲的質感，也會影響整件牛仔褲的色落演變。
Slub
竹節感
Close up of a raw slub denim
竹節丹寧的特寫
We’ve previously broken down the meanings of slub and slubiness, but in essence slub refers to denim fabric made with indigo warp yarn which differs in thickness throughout. When the denim is woven and made into garments, the result will be a denim without a uniform texture which will have a much different hand than a denim woven with traditional yarns.
我們先前已經在《竹節感和竹節布料的意思》這篇文章裡解析過這個詞了，竹節布料，事實上是因為丹寧布料的indigo色經紗粗細不同而造成的。使用這種布料製做出來的丹寧服飾，手感上會和使用傳統紗線做出來單寧服飾有很大的差異。
In some slubby denims, a technique called loom chatter is employed during the weaving process to help make the finished fabric even more textured. The layman’s explanation of loom chatter is that the shuttle looms that are used to weave the fabric are set to a low tension level while they weave.
在製作竹節丹寧布料的編織過程裡，應用了一種稱作loom chatter的技巧，來使布料的紋理更豐富。用比較通俗的解釋來說，loom chatter就是指梭織機用比較低的張力強度去紡織布料。
This lower tension setting makes the looms literally shake while they weave the denim – an action which, in addition to the naturally uneven nature of the yarn used to weave the denim, makes the product even more uneven and textured.
織布機的張力設定得愈低，從字面上來看就表示它們在紡織時震動的愈厲害－除了直接使用粗細不均勻的紗線去編織丹寧，會有紋理感之外；低張力設定，震動織布機這個行為，會編織出更有顆粒感和豐富紋理的丹寧布。
As a picture says a thousand words, this detailed look at a pair of Naked and Famous‘ Big Slub Jeans is a classic example of some fantastic slub fades.
照片自己會說故事，這裡有一個經典的例子，是一張Naked and Famous的大竹節牛仔褲的超讚色落照片，可以從這件照片裡，看到上述的細節。
Faded Naked and Famous Big Slub Jeans
Naked and Famous的大竹節牛仔褲色落照
Slub fading detail on Naked and Famous Big Slub Jeans
Naked and Famous的大竹節牛仔褲的色落細節
Alternate Close up of Naked and Famous Big Slub Jeans
Naked and Famous的大竹節牛仔褲特寫
Selvedge fade on Naked and Famous Big Slub jeans
Naked and Famous的大竹節牛仔褲的布邊色落
Slub will be quite textured and is able to either posses a softer or rougher feel, depending on the actual cotton used, than most raw denims. Aside from the difference in texture that slubby denim is noted for, its irregularity in yarn thickness also tends to result in more interesting fades.
竹節丹寧的紋理感相當豐富，而且依據使用的棉質，它可以比大部分的原色丹寧，更能同時兼具柔軟及顆粒感。除了竹節丹寧那種特殊的紋理值得注意之外，他不規則的紗線粗度也會養出非常有趣的色落。
Specifically, these fades tend to run more vertically along the fabric than horizontally. The reason behind the unusual fading characteristics in slub denim is very interesting as the vertical fading occurs because the indigo dyes tend to fade at different rates based on the varying thickness of the yarn used to produce the denim. This vertical fading characteristic is also known as Tate-Ochi, or “vertical falls”, in Japanese.
準確地來說，這種布料會產生更多的縱向色落。竹節丹寧會有這種不常見的色落，背後的原因非常有趣，是因為在生產丹寧布料時，紗線不均勻的粗細的變化導致indigo色落速率的不一致，所以就產生了縱落。
Nep
霜絮感
Nep has often been confused with slub because of the textural characteristics that they both share. However, the difference between the two often needs to be very clearly defined. Have you ever stumbled upon a pair of jeans that seemed to have little particles of white fluff protruding from the main part of the garment? It may have looked a little bit like below.
霜絮感和竹節感兩者常常會被搞混，因為他們擁有差不多的紋理特色。但是這兩者之間的差異是需要被明確的定義的。你有沒有曾經偶然的發現，你的某件牛仔褲，上面有一點一點小小的白色棉點凸出來？看起來可能有點像下面這張照片。
Close up on horizontal and vertical nep fades.
橫向和縱向的霜絮色落特寫
When a garment is neppy, or has nep, it usually just means that the fabric of the garment has been woven in a way that some of the cotton fibers extend and protrude from the main surface. Usually these fabrics tend to posses a “snowy ” look, as if fresh fallen snow is sitting on the surface of the denim. The texture in this type of denim will be more noticeable on the surface of the fabric than the peeking glimpses of white in the composition of a slubby fabric.
當我們說一件服飾是霜絮感的，或他充滿霜絮，其實就是指它的布料上有一些棉纖維凸出表面。通常這種布料看起來像“雪花”一般，就像有剛降下的雪，落在這件丹寧上一樣。這類型的紋理，比起偶然才會瞄見的竹節感更顯眼。
Nep denim also possesses some peculiar traits throughout life of the fabric. It still fades naturally like most raw denim, but the neppy fibers will become more pronounced in the appearance of the jean; bringing about a furrier look. One of the most desirable features of a nep denim is their uncanny ability to fade horizontal, as well as vertically like the snowy nep denim below.
霜絮丹寧布料也有一些奇異的特點。像是它和其他原色丹寧一樣都會色落，但隨著色落愈來愈強，布料上的霜絮會愈來愈明顯，使表面看起來更毛茸茸。另一個更吸引人的特色是，這種丹寧布除了會產生縱向的色落外，它還會產生神秘的橫向色落，就像下面這張照片一樣。
Snowy Nep Whiskers
雪花般的霜絮丹寧貓鬚
Loom chatter also plays a role in the production of nep denim. As noted neppy denim usually has visible fibers exposed from the main surface of the fabric; fibers which are usually knots and broken fibers within the yarn that occur as it is spun and then woven. Loom chatter exacerbates the nepping process by further agitating the fibers and leaving them more exposed through the shaking and tangling of the yarn while the loom weaves.
Loom chatter這個技巧也會產生霜絮感丹寧。就像前面所提到的，霜絮丹寧上有一些肉眼可見的纖維暴露在表面；那些纖維在紡紗和紡織的過程中，會破壞紗線裡面的纖維，或使紗線裡面的纖維打結。當織布機在紡織時，Loom chatter這個技巧因為會震動、纏繞紗線，使攪動纖維的幅度變大，讓纖維更暴露，加劇了霜絮感的產生。
後記：
其實不難從文章裡看出來，竹節和霜絮都是布料裡的瑕疵
例如紗線的不均勻、紗線裡有棉結...等等
在一些國外的論壇裡，討論到老式紡織機會有一些震動，或是機器運行不順暢
造成老褲的布料有比較多的霜絮和竹節，因此老褲比較具有顆粒感，養出來的色落也比較迷人
這也是為什麼「有人崇尚使用老式紡織機製造出來的牛仔褲」的原因啦！
古人應該沒想到以前機器造成的瑕疵，竟然成了現代人追求的「美」
現在有很多牛仔品牌故意製造出霜絮和竹節質感的丹寧布料，用這個來當賣點販賣
這類型的褲子，上面的霜絮和竹節就比老褲明顯很多，畢竟是刻意做出來的
也提供現在的丹寧愛好者更多的選擇
最後有三點想要在後記補充：
- 內文裡提到一個詞叫Loom chatter，我不知道該怎麼翻譯它，其實我連這個技巧是啥都不太清楚，將來希望有高手可以幫忙補充。
- 為什麼開頭要請大家欣賞那首詩呢？其實是因為這篇文章裡提到的”nep”這個單字，在台灣丹寧界似乎沒有一個正式的翻譯，而我想了非常久（這篇文章我好幾個月前就看過了），一直在思索有沒有更棒的翻譯。目前網路上只看到有人用「棉絮感」來形容這種質感，而且在相關的敘述中，nep這個單字依然沒有被翻譯出來，它依舊保持英文狀態，所以我在靈光一閃的情況下，想到了這種白色點狀棉絮附著在牛仔褲上，就好像牛仔褲結霜了一樣，因此我融合了霜和棉絮感，成了霜絮這個詞。又剛好發現真的有詩人用過霜絮這個詞來寫詩，詩裡霜絮的意思是「白棉絮」，這樣的巧合加上意象的符合，最後我決定把nep denim的翻譯翻成霜絮丹寧。
- 那為什麼slub會翻作竹節呢？這個就不是我自創的啦，這個詞已經被廣為使用了，甚至有一種東西就叫竹節紗，金斯大也曾經在部落格裡介紹過竹節質感的商品喔！
文章細膩用心，我覺得‘霜絮’這個詞用的頗佳，具象又典雅。
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