Denim is by far the most cherished American fashion known to man til this very day. Denim has adorned the bodies of women, men and children of all ages since it's inception back in the 1800's. I personally favor the brand of Guess although I own other name brands and some 'off brands', Guess seems to fit me just right. So what did we do before the invention of denim? I suppose this ties directly to my previous post on the Pretty Girl Rock challenge. Women dressed like ladies with skirts, dresses, gloves and fancy hats to boot while men dressed as gentlemen should. It will be fun to bring back class and style in street wear, it should have never left.
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.
