How Were Jeans Invented? The History of Denim Jeans

Everybody owns a pair of jeans nowadays. That is not surprising because jeans have been around for a while, since the 17th century to be precise.

Now jeans are generally made out of denim but it wasn’t always like that. The origin of jeans can be traced back to the 17th century where a fabric called “bleu de Genes” was created. The new fabric was made out of a mixture of cotton or linen with wool. The origin of denim is also found in Europe, with the name “serge de Nimes.” The difference between jeans and denim is that denim was made out of silk and wool and used a mixture of colored and white thread, similar to denim used today.

As years went by, denim evolved from a blend of wool to one of cotton but it kept the hallmark combination of white and colored thread. Nowadays we all think blue when we hear denim, this was after the great success that resulted from using indigo dye on denim.

The next leap forward for jeans was during the Gold Rush in California. The miners there needed sturdy pants that could withstand the work in the mines. Along came Levi Strauss providing heavy duty pants reinforced with copper studs. The “levis”, as they soon became known, were soon a hit.

The popularity of jeans denim has only grown since. Cowboys liked them for the same reasons miners did; they were comfortable and durable. Movie stars and soldiers often wore them which helped making them gain popularity. The increase in demand caused other big companies to pop up for a share of the market.

It was not until the 1950’s that jeans started to be associated with young people and rebellious attitudes. Interestingly they were banned from public places in many states of the U.S.

The 80’s and 90’s saw yet another explosion in the jean market as new and trendy designers joined the jeans market. Levi’s finally lost control of the industry and had to downsize. Other designers and companies were happy to take the slack, creating the huge variety of brands we now see on the shelves of our shops.

Now jeans are a well established type of casual clothing that is part of nearly everybody’s wardrobe independent of age and gender. The variety in jean material and color is huge. Fashion changes the style of jeans everybody year creating endless cycles where jeans are tight, baggy, cropped, bell bottomed and any number of combinations of the above.

They are still popular as working clothes; most of us have several pairs. Denim pants, however, are now exclusive for more sophisticated dress styles. The price range is absurd, from a few bucks to thousands of dollars. If the past is anything to go by jeans will be reinvented many times more and continue to be a part of our lives for generations to come.