A Brief History of Jeans - How Denim Dominated The World

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Nearly all of us have a pair of jeans in our wardrobe. But why? Today, they're an easy-to-wear smart casual classic, suitable for men, women, and children of almost any age, but what made the jeans take the coveted position of a modern-day essential over the humble corduroy trousers or chinos? Let's dive into the history and find out. Denim was first created in the French town of Nîmes, and was originally used as a fabric for workwear clothing for impoverished Europeans. In 1851, Levi Strauss moved from Germany to New York and was inspired by the material. He designed his own version of utilitarian workwear for manual labourers in the USA. The tough fabric was reinforced with pockets and rivets to become extra strong, making it the ideal choice for factory workers, miners, and cowboys. Blue jeans were later adopted by the US Army, but it was during World War II that more and more everyday people were embracing them. If agricultural and industrial work was needed to defeat the fascists, then men (and women) thought they'd better have the right clothes to do it in, and jeans became mainstream. After the war in the 1950s, blue jeans gained counterculture status as a symbol of youthful rebellion. Think James Dean’s troubled teen character in 1955's Rebel Without A Cause or the 1959 film Blue Denim, also known as Innamorati in Blue Jeans, which dealt with the issue of teen pregnancy and abortion. Through the decades that followed, from the 60s to the 00s, jeans have managed to retain their youthful cool. From the drainpipes of the '60s to the bell bottoms of the '70s, denim has proven it can be reinvented in endless silhouettes while remaining incredibly comfortable. And that appears to be the timeless appeal of jeans.