Jeans have been an integral part of our lives (or at least our closets) for more than two centuries. Jeans were originally made to withstand the harsh working conditions of workers and miners in the United States.
Over time, jeans have established themselves in our locker room, and have become an icon of American, even Western culture. Today it comes in all forms and can be worn at any age. An item that once was a symbol of rebellion, is today not only universal but also a purely fashionable product.
In this article, we will be sharing the history of jeans, and where it stands today in our fashion lives.
The Creation of Jeans
“Jeans” is short for “blue jeans” invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873.
The word “Jeans” itself comes from the city of Genoa, Italy, where the textile called “jeans” or “Jeane” (cotton and linen canvas), was made in the 19th century. At that time the Republic of Gene was a major exporter of this textile sought after throughout Europe.
Envious of the success of the Genoese, the weavers of Nîmes tried at the time to copy the “jeans” of Gène but did not succeed. It was at this time that they come up with “denim canvas”.
Serge de Nîmes was originally a textile made of wool and silk. The famous blue color of the warp thread comes from a dye called “blu di genoa” (genoa blue), this is where the name “blue jeans” comes from. This color was obtained naturally, thanks, among other things, to indigo (Indigo Flower).
Jeans with Rivets
In 1851 Levi Strauss left Germany for New York to join his brother who ran a family business. He then left New York for San Francisco to open a branch of the family business on the West Coast: Levi Strauss & Co. It was then the gold rush era and the miners needed clothes strong enough to withstand their harsh working conditions.
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Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada was trying to create pants that could withstand these conditions and used denim straight from the Levi Strauss & co wholesale store. However, he faced a rather serious problem: the pockets of the clothes he produced tore too easily. He then had the idea of reinforcing the corners of the pockets with metal rivets.
Aware of the success of his rivet pants, Davis quickly tried to patent his idea to protect it but did not have enough money for it. This is how he proposed to Levi Strauss in 1872 to join him so that they both file the patent. And that’s how to rivet jeans were born.
Jeans were originally a work garment, particularly worn by American workers, farmers and miners.
During the Second World War, a large proportion of the population working in factories began to wear jeans. Once the war was over, the wearing of jeans was supposed to disappear. Luckily for us, it didn’t go exactly as planned…
The Evolution of the Jeans Symbol
Following the Second World War, in the United States, wearing jeans became a symbol of rebellion, of refusal to reintegrate into a conventional society and therefore rejection of social norms.
In the 1950s, jeans, as we know them today, became a symbol of rebellion across Hollywood. Actors such as James Dean and Marlon Brando will popularize it in films. They will wear Levi’s 501 and Lee Rider’s 101.
Elvis Presley, in the musical Jailhouse Rock (1957), dresses entirely in denim to play the role of a prisoner. He made jeans so popular that the rebellious image of jeans quickly became very mainstream. His famous dance steps caused a sensation and quickly, all the youngsters across the country wanted to be like him.
Unfortunately, in many states, wearing jeans was quickly banned in schools, theatres, and restaurants.
Jeans will however become popular again in the 60s and 70s as a fashion product. It was at this time worn by men, women, and children of all social categories. Jeans were widely worn by hippies (often in bell-bottoms), who over-personalized them with beads and cotton flowers; later transforming them into a symbol of the Peace & Love movement.
In the 70s and 80s, it was mainly the punk and heavy metal movements with groups such as the Sex Pistols that popularized jeans. The jeans become holey, faded, and rugged. The 80s marked the beginning of worn/rugged jeans. This appearance was obtained by washing with a pumice stone or even sandblasting.
The 90s were marked on one hand by the controversial advertisements by Calvin Klein (Brooke Shields or Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg) and on the other by the explosion of very “fashionable” brands such as Diesel, and Miss Sixty or even Pepe Jeans.
The 2000s saw the birth of the “total denim” fashion, as well as faded zebra jeans.
Jeans Today
Today, jeans are a unisex, basic object that can be worn anywhere and anytime. It accompanies us in our lives, whether at work or home.
With new technology, denim became stretchier, which allowed it to be more fitted, and the skinny jeans caught on big time by the late 2000s. Even men began wearing slim or skinny versions of jeans.
Nowadays, skinny jeans still prevail — although boot cut could be launching a comeback — and some women’s versions are so stretchy that a new term was invented for them: jeggings. A cross between jeans and leggings, this ultra-comfortable new style is now considered appropriate — at least by some — for work and play.
Dark or medium washes are considered dressy jeans, while light washes are more casual. Baggy jeans for women are also popular in 2022 (no huge surprise given that we’ve all been living in sweatpants for months). Meanwhile, men’s trends have veered toward skinny and straight cuts, and jean designers are still using rips and frays to set their styles apart.