Denim History

Most valuable pair of jeans

WHO: Levi's & Co
WHAT: $60,000 (£33,230)
WHERE: USA
WHEN: June 15, 2005

An original pair of Levi Strauss & Co (USA) 501 jeans aged over 115 years old were sold by Randy Knight (USA) to an  anonymous collector (Japan) for $60,000 (£33,230) through internet auction site  eBay on June 15, 2005. Who would have thought a fabric that has remained largely unchanged for over a 100 years could remain at the forefront of our fashion options for every new fashion season, while our favourites from past seasons will remain in our wardrobes because they just look so damn good on us(those frayed edges don't age us they just increase the value of our jeans! Just look above!

So, how did rough canvas for wagon covers and a German dry goods salesman come together to start the business that turns over $ billions and employs millions?

Leob Strauss came over to New York with two sisters and his mother at the behest of his brother who ran a successful dry goods business to take part in what wasn't even thought of as 'the American dream' yet. He remained in New York for 20 years in his brothers business and though he changed his name to Levi , nothing much else had changed until he decided to try his luck in the California Gold rush of the 1850's - not prospecting, but tostart developing his brothers dry goodsbusiness there.

With the Gold rush in full swing and with everyday supplies in high demand and short supply , a prospector wanted to know what Levi was selling. Upon hearing that he had a lot of rough canvas made for use in tents and wagon covers, the prospector exclaimed " you should have broughtpants!" as with the nature of the digging for gold , he couldn't find any pants that were strong enough to last. Responding to similar claims, Levi soon had the  canvas made into waist overalls which the miners liked. The rough texture caused some miners to complain that they chafed, which promptedLevi  to source a similar cotton that was strong but gentler on the skin.This he found in a twilled cotton cloth from France called "serge de Nimes."

Before the introduction of artificial dyes, the 'blue' in blue jeans came from the blue  pigment obtained from indigo dye. It was at the time the most significant natural dye the world over mainly due to it's colour fastness and it's darkness providing a good choice whenfrequent washing wasn't a possibility.

By, 1894 the process for producing an artificial  blue dye was finally perfected. It is generally accepted by most jeans purists that the name 'jeans' is derived from the  pronounciation of the word 'Genoese' which was he name given to Italian sailors of genoa who, when at sea ,dressed in blue fustian fabric composed of cotton and wool or linen blend. 

In the 19th century American weavers produced the long wearing cotton duck, denim and jeans fabrics in order to satisfy the home market. At some point the manufacturers started replacing the yarns with the large amount of locally produced , and readily available, cotton; eventually resulting in an exclusively cotton based fabric.This fabric would eventually become known as denim and the pants from which they were made were nicknamed 'blue jeans'. In 1873, Levi Strauss & Co started the  pocket  stitch design on the jeans.With tailor David Jacobs' help Levi would  solve  the longstanding problem of pockets getting torn  from the jeans relatively easily. Jacobs suggested using rivets in the pants  for  added strength, especially around the pockets;placing them on each corner and on ortant.

They found this method so successful that on May 1873, they applied for, and were granted a  U.S.  Patent for their design. This date is now considered the official birthday of 'blue jeans'. To differentiate and brand their jeans to protect their business, their efforts in introducing the two-horse brand design(a leather label of a pair of jeans being pulled between two horses) in 1886 resulted in trademarksthat are still in use today.

A' newer' addition is the red tab attached to the left rear pocket in 1936 as a method to identify Levi's jeans at some distance. Other manufacturers who had joined the growing industry were also keen to differentiate themselves with new ideas. Some of the new ideas to become part of our jeans culture include a fellow called Jack Spence who while working for Lee jeans started prewashing them. Stone wash, started by francois girbaud-in the 80's, was done using firstly; pea gravel; then pomice as they float around with the jeans as opposed to lying on the bottom. 

The preferrred stone comes from Turkey where it's desired for it's porosity and cleanliness; or even Sicily, though their scarcity is a problem. Sandblasting is an even newer technique that took off from many parts in Italy in 1988. Cowboys and Jeans in the 1930’s- the Westerntheme boosted the popularity of jeans among young and middle-aged men. Cowboys were wearing blue jeans, and so was every other male that wanted to be cool.

The 20's and 30's.

As the company grew in size , making multi millionaires of Levi & Co , by this time the 'waist overalls' were the most widely used worker's pants in America.Young, leisure loving young boys and men had  been calling colloquially their overalls 'jeans' for some time.Their popularity was being fuelled in no small measure by the 'Western ' theme with the 'cool' factor being provided by the cowboys, and though Levi's didn't officially adopt the term jeans' till the 60's it realised it's relevance.

The 40's.

As the war raged during the 40's it affected the production of jeans. Production was decreased as there were a few restrictions on certain  materials.Also, in an effort to conserve some fabric, the back cinch and crotch rivet were removed in 1941. A widely rumored tale told of the crotch rivet removal having been a long time coming, even overdue , as it had contributed to a unforeseen problem suffered by many a cowboy and cowhand on cold nights on the prarie in front of a roaring fire. Apparently, the president of the company, the unfortunate Walter A.Haas,' really' understood the problem cowboys had been complaining about for years while out on the range one cold night. While wearing his new '501's', he crouched down quite near the fire, when it seems, the rivet at the base of the fly (being an excellent conductor of heat) is also well exposed to the fire. Shortly after his new 'experience ' of  standing up he did not waste any time, having the
offending single rivet removed by executive order.

The American GI's spread across the globe.

Unwittingly as ambassadors for the company. After a few years, other countries started  associating jeans as an intrinsic American style.When soldiers started wearing them  off duty as well, connotations associated with jeans became modified as jeans weren't only worn for work-but for leisure as well. This time also saw the brand Wrangler enter the market with it's first "body fit " style in 1947.

The 50's

With the continued success , Levi's had by the fifties begun to sell the jeans on a national basis, which meant that for the first time everybody had  a chance to own a pair of Levi's jeans.

Other brands had also emerged following the huge rise in popularity of jeans in the years following WWII. This popularity is greatly attributed to the strong influence the movie and music industry had on the teenage population. This is when it first became relevant to young people the question of what celebrities were wearing.

The 60's

Jeans lovers embraced the 60's and 70's as a time of freedom of thought and expression, and this can be seen in the jeans trends at the time. 

People were keen to show their individuality and hence jeans became personalised and embellishing them was very popular. This attitude could be seen very clearly in the "decorated denim" craze in the 1970s, which included beaded, embroidered, painted and sequined jeans appearing on streets from California to New York and abroad. Personalising one's jeans was such a huge trend in the United States that Levi Strauss & Co. Sponsored a "Denim Art Contest" in 1973, inviting customers to send in pictures of their decorated denim. 

The company received 2,000 entries from 49 of the United States, as well as from Canada and the Bahamas. The winning garments were sent on an 18-month tour of American museums and some of them were purchased by Levi Strauss & Co. for the company archives It's even said jeans had a hand in the fall of communism! Jeans were seen as the ultimate symbol of 'western decadence' and as such were highly sought after.Bellbottoms, hiphuggers, baggies, and elephant ears were all the rage at the time.

The 80's

This decade the term 'designer jeans' was coined, and denim debuted as haute couture.Calvin Klein , Sergio Valente, Jordache were the first designers to come out with the sexy new styles that were slimmer ,tight, and butthugging.

The 90's

The fashion rebels still wore jeans in the 90's though it had to come from anywhere but your conventional jeans stores- they had to be authentic, rare , vintage , found in markets ; or ,at the very least employ new finishes, cut or styles. The 'in' style was an about face of the tight, figure hugging and neat styles of the 80's as baggy was hot with a capital 'B'. Worn by both boys and girls, and the baggier the  better, coupled with matching oversized shirts, it was obvious that the youth market had lost interest in 501's and the more traditional jeans. The 'baggy look' even went so far as to wear the jeans back to front a la the boy band 'CrissCross'. This look didn't last.

The popular treatment at the time was 'stone washing' which had mercifully ended the rule of the 'acid washed'. As this seemed to be a strong reaction to the 80's styles, a more moderate swing of the pendulum again from 2000 towards the middle was inevitable.

Now! With the new decade a new trend began in earnest in the US with a very strong desire for individuality and exclusivity. Interesting fabrics and combinations flourished as designers were keen to establish themselves hoping to leave their mark on the suddenly booming industry as well as on the behinds of their customers. What started with some new cuts to add to the 'old' ones quickly took on another dimension; sandblasting, whiskering, lasering were new treatments that allowed a myriad of combinations of colours and textures depending on the look you wanted and these days that look was largely determined by what Hollywood was wearing today.

To add to the individual look embellishments in the form of ornate or intricate pocket decorationand the addition of interesting studs, zippers, bits of leather are the order of the day. From the frayed cuffs and strategically developed' holes' to the 'detroyed' look (as gained by even the use of anglegrinders) the emphasis is back firmly on accentuating your individual body shapes, bringing out the best in your natural curves. 

The choice available has never been better, and though the prices for some brands can be sky high the customer can be assured that the quality of jeans is equally high- meaning your favourite jeans will last the test of time.

"I Have Often Said That I Wish I Had Invented Blue Jeans: The Most Spectacular, The Most Practical, The Most Expression, Modesty, Sex Appeal, Simplicity..." Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent