The history of jeans

Jeans are one of the basic wardrobe items that each of us has in our wardrobe. Classic denim trousers can be used in an incredibly simple way to create a great style. Of course, denim trousers are not everything - our wardrobes also include denim jackets or skirts. Jeans surround us on all sides, but have you ever wondered about its history?

The history of jeans is fascinating, and it is over 160 years old! Who would have thought that this piece of clothing would accompany people for a dozen or so decades in various forms. The name jeans itself comes from the expression "blue de Gênes", which means "Genoa blue". It was in this Italian city that sailor's clothing in this color was produced. In turn, the equally popular term denim comes from the name of the French city of Nîmes. This is where the largest factory of this material was located, which was initially used as tent canvas.

Jeans, Gold and Cowboys

Jeans as a material were already known in the 17th century, but it was not until the 19th century that we got jeans as we know them today. On the wave of the American gold rush, Oscar Levi Strauss designed the first pair of trousers, which soon became iconic. Jeans were not created for fashion - they were supposed to be durable and comfortable, because Levi Strauss created them with miners and farmers working in difficult conditions in gold mines in mind. In 1853, the first jeans factory was opened, which had to meet the growing expectations of the market at that time. The first model was dungarees. A few years later, in 1905, Levi's produced the iconic boot-cut 501 model, which has never gone out of fashion.

Jeans – comfort and masculinity

What made jeans stand out so much that they became so successful? Levi's trousers had additional seams that reinforced the material in strategic places - on the pockets and around the fly. The first models had three pockets: two at the front and one at the back. However, this was changed and Levi's introduced a second back pocket. Interestingly, the small additional pocket in the front pocket, which is still present today, was once used to store a watch. Over time, jeans became an iconic piece of clothing worn by men in the Wild West, making denim trousers an indispensable part of their outfit. Jeans also contributed to the creation of the ideal of American masculinity - wild, rough and inaccessible.

Jeans boom

When jeans started appearing on movie screens, mainly in Westerns, they penetrated mass fashion and became a general object of desire. James Dean wore them, hundreds of teenagers wore them. In the 50s and 60s, the first models of jeans for women appeared, which were popularized by Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot, scandalizing public opinion and at the same time paving the way for women to wear fitted trousers. In the 70s, flared trousers appeared, often decorated and worn by hippies. The 80s were a great denim boom - everyone wore them and for every occasion. Jackets, shirts and skirts appeared, thanks to which it turned out that denim is a universal material, suitable not only for the production of trousers.

The history of denim, a piece of fabric dyed with indigo pigment, is fascinating. From pants for gold prospectors to clothing tailored to women's shapes, jeans are an incredibly versatile wardrobe staple that is still worn by everyone today, regardless of age, body type or size.