Evolution of Jeans

Jeans are the most versatile item in the closet. There are tons of designs of jeans that fits every mood and occasion. Since it’s evolution, it has become a must have item in everyone’s closet and a universal item that is worn by the rich and poor, men, women and children across all age groups. We will discuss about the Evolution of Jeans in this article.

Jeans are named after the city of Genoa in Italy, a place where jeans was manufactured. They were invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873 and a worn still but in a different context.

How Jeans was introduced:

In 1853, Levi Strauss heard about Gold Rush in the West and moved to San Francisco to establish dry goods business. He used to sell clothing, fabric, and other items to small shops in the region. One of his customers was Jacob W. Davis, a tailor by profession. Davis made functional items such as tents, horse blankets, and wagon covers.

One day, a customer of David ordered a pair of pants that had to be sturdy enough to withstand hard work, especially for mining. David made them from denim that he bought from Levi Strauss & Co. He also made the pants stronger by using copper rivets at the places pants rip the most such as pockets and flies. The product was a hit! Later, David partnered with Levi and took a patent for the design. They opened a bigger factory, and the era of Jeans started.

Mass Acceptance:

Jeans continued to be used as work-wear throughout the 1920s and 1930s, among miners, cowboys, and laborers. Later on it was accepted by Hollywood through bold exhibition of jeans in their movies and endorsements from celebrities have taken it to the next level. Jeans became a fashion statement, a fabric of the mass.

Since its inception, jeans have gone from rugged work-wear to fashion apparel. It has changed its form with time due to social, political, cultural and geographical influence but never lost its prowess. 

The gradual change in trend of this fabulous fabric over time, that triggered the evolution, is described in the article Different Era of Jeans.