Jeans

How was blue jeans discovered? Levi Strauss Metal rivets J.W. Davis J.W. Davis had an idea about making work pants with metal rivets on the stress points at the corner of the pockets and the base of the button fly to make improve durability of pants but he did not have enough money. So he wrote a letter to Levi Strauss in1872. J.W. Davis suggested that Strauss provide the funds and that the two men get the patent together and Strauss agreed The patent for "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings“ the innovation that would produce blue jeans as we know them was granted to both men on May 20, 1873.

How did jeans became popular? 1930’s Westerns: Hollywood made lots of western movies and cowboys who wore jeans in the movies became very popular. 1940’s War: Fewer jeans were made during the time of World War 2, but jeans were introduced to the world by American soldiers who sometimes wore them when they were off duty. 1950's Rebels: denim became popular with young people and it was the symbol of the teenage rebel in TV programmes and movies

1960's Hippies/ Cold war: many university/ college students wore jeans 1960's Hippies/ Cold war: many university/ college students wore jeans. Different styles of jeans were made to match the 60's fashions: embroidered jeans, painted jeans, psychedelic jeans. In other countries, jeans became a symbol of 'Western decadence' and were very hard to get. 1970's: Sweatshops As regulations on world trade became more relaxed in the late 1970's, jeans started to be made more and more in sweatshops in countries in the South. Because the workers were paid very little, jeans became cheaper. More people in the countries of the South started wearing jeans. 1980's: jeans finally became high fashion clothing, when famous designers started making their own styles of jeans, with their own labels on them. Sales of jeans went up and up.

Jeans Guide The classic style of jeans has not changed much since they were invented in the nineteenth century. Today’s jean has their distinguishing features: five pockets, a fly with metal buttons, orange stitching to match the copper of metal rivets, and leather patch sewn on to the waist. The red tab is the most recent change made to jeans and was added in 1936 in the seam of the right hand pocket and has white letters of “Levi’s”. The leather patch shows two horses being urged on by two men with whips as they try to tear apart a pair of jeans. It also gives information on the waist size, leg measurement , and the quality of the fabric (XX means its extra strong)