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From cowboys to catwalks, blue jeans are big business. Whether you are a celeb with sass, or an average Joe seeking a relaxed look, the style, cut, color, and fit of your favorite pair of jeans say a lot about you. And this year marks the 150th anniversary of the indispensable bottoms. So whom do we have to thank for this most treasured piece of clothing? None other than Levi Strauss, the Bavarian-born American icon who clothed rugged cowboys in their signature work pants. The young
immigrant made his way to San Francisco with his siblings in tow and dreams of success filling his head. In 1866, he established a dry-goods store on Battery Street, where it remained for 40 years. Many of his customers were miners and cowboys who needed rough-and-tumble work clothes. Due to its durable nature, canvas was already a staple of workwear, but it tended to chafe the wearer. Strauss searched around and found a new fabric from France called "serge de Nimes" (later shortened to denim). One of Strauss' customers was Jacob Davis, a tailor who purchased bolts of cloth wholesale. Davis' clientele included one particularly demanding customer who
continually ripped the pockets off his pants. Davis fashioned him a pair of denim pants strengthened with rivets that could withstand a great deal of strain and abuse. Davis' pants were a hit, and he quickly saw the potential for big business. Lacking the $68 to file a patent and protect his design, Davis approached Strauss. The two quickly became business partners and filed a patent for their "waist overalls" on May 20, 1873. U.S. Patent 139,121 specifically covered the process of riveting men's work pants. Featuring a single back pocket with an arcuate stitching design (a double row of arched stitching -- one of the oldest apparel trademarks in existence), a "cinch" buckle strap on the waistband, and suspender buttons instead of belt loops, the first pair of jeans were officially born
in the San Francisco fog.
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