History of Jeans
The Germans have lederhosen. The Japanese have kimonos. The Greeks have togas. But what represents pure American style? A pair of riveted blue jeans. And the history of blue jeans is a quintessentially American story, with working-class origins, entrepreneurialist spirit, and an egalitarian attitude towards fashion.
Blue jeans were created by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis in the 1870s in response to the gold-rush mania in San Francisco, but the iconic Levis were almost something entirely different! After receiving the patent for riveting the critical seams on the pants in 1873, the two tailors first experimented with brown cotton duck, a bottom-weight fabric, in order to create tough working clothes for the gold miners who rushed out to San Francisco. But denim, the heavy blue drill that gains comfort and character with age, would prove to be the lasting daily wear for miners, farmers, and cattlemen throughout the West.
Potentially nicknamed “jeans” after the city of Genoa, where denim was first created as a fustian textile of “medium quality and of reasonable cost” back in the 17th century, the sturdy trousers were dyed indigo by Strauss and initially sold to factory workers. After James Dean popularized them in the movie Rebel Without a Cause, wearing jeans became a symbol of youth rebellion during the 1950s and by 1970s had become acceptable in the United States for casual wear and in some offices.
Jeans have over 150 years as a fashion and utility item of clothing, now coming in many colors and cuts. Different brands have different zipper and pocket styles, faded washes, and durability levels. North America accounts for 39% of global purchases for jeans, and United States citizens spent more than $15 billion dollars on jeans in 2005 alone. However when it comes to picking uniforms, jeans are often overlooked as being too casual when the durability and comfort may be exactly what your team needs.
As part of our complete uniform system, SITEX has a variety of denim jean trousers to help you find the right company look for you! When selecting work jeans, it’s important to pay attention to where the fit is more relaxed (such as in the thighs for an employee who needs more mobility) and to the heaviness of the twill. The heavier the fabric, the longer it lasts, but they may be more stiff and take longer to break in. But no matter which type you select, you’ll be able to know your coworkers will feel comfortable. They wear jeans picking up their kids, grilling dinner on the deck and cheering on their favorite team. Jeans are already a part of their lives, and now they can be a part of your company.