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Blue jeans: Covering America since 1873Blue jeans have been around longer than any of us. A piece of clothing that started out as waist overalls in 1873, has become a classic look that still influences the world of fashion 150 years later. Jeans are all over the place; from casual Fridays at the office, to the prestigious Grammy's, and at every scene in between. It all began when Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada, invented a process to rivet the corner of men's pants, which he introduced to Levi Strauss, a dry-goods businessman in San-Francisco. Together the two men patented the riveting invention, then bought denim from the Amoskeag Mill in New Hampshire. The rest is history. In 1912 a new denim development was invented: Koveralls. The one-piece play suit for children became the first product sold nationally, and as a result of Levi Strauss & Co.'s growth, a new factory opened in Frankfort, Indiana specifically for Koverall production. In 1935, following the success of Koveralls, Lady Levi's were introduced to the market. In the '30's, a cowboy was adopted as the image-building icon for advertisements featuring Levi 501 straight leg styles. Soon the rough-riding man needed a complementary female image. What better than picking a strong and independent woman? The same concepts used to appeal to men were used to appeal to women -- and the sales of jeans sky-rocketed. As sales continued to climb through the 1950's, the company entered the sportswear market by introducing the "Lighter Blues" and "Denim Family Lines". Levi's jeans were chosen for the American Pavillion at the World's Fair in Germany and were exhibited at the American Fashion Industries Presentation in Russia. By the end of the decade, the company started exporting jeans to Europe. During the sixties and seventies, the pre-shrunk and bell bottom jeans were introduced along with the first pair of wrinkle-free slacks. Levi Strauss expanded into Europe and Asia. The first mass media ads included radio commercials recorded by rock groups. The success of Levi Strauss paved the way for the next generation of designers by expanding the market overseas, raising the bar on advertisements, incorporating new styles, and using different materials such as corduroy and polyester in product lines. What started with two enterprising men in San Francisco became a staple for fashion moguls everywhere. By the 1980s, blue jeans covered America from the west coast to the east coast and could be seen around the globe. Denim had gone classic. Top designers from every corner of the world now have their own signature style of blue jeans, whether it's Polo's "Destructed Jean" or the latest "Iconic Straight Jeans" from Levi's. In the past few years, young people have ripped holes in their jeans, customizing them to their specific styles. New lower cuts, lighter colors, seams on the fronts and backs of thighs, designs, embroidered, fringed and faded blue jeans are all adaptations of the original, cowboy style jeans. With adaptations from the last 100 years contributing to the meteoric rise of blue jeans, it's only natural that styles this season will set new standards for the future. Stretch jeans, cargo jeans, boot cut styles, "Saturday Nights", the relaxed fit option, jeans heavy with embroidery, mirrors and fringe -- there's blue jeans for just about everyone this season. This spring, denim is gracing cat walks, sales racks and people of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Straight leg styles and overalls have evolved into sexy sportswear, setting the dress code for mainstream culture and the world of high fashion. Denim has crossed all fashion lines and has even influenced other aspects of styles, such as jean jackets, shorts, skirts, shirts, shoes, hats; it's everywhere. Just as history repeats itself, in fashion what goes around comes around. Styles from the 60's and 70's have reappeared throughout the 90's with bell bottom styles and patching styles where some people cut the sides of their jeans and added different fabric to personalize each pair. When the fad from stonewashed tight jeans during the 80's phased out for the more baggy and solid color styles of the early nineties, who would have thought sandblasted, slim fit jeans would be so popular in the new millennium? What's in now used to be out, but like the reinvented authentic look, it's back in with a twist. And it all started with Jacob Davis and his little rivets... |