Levis Jeans - An American Tradition



Posted: Wednesday, February 16, 2005

by
Online Discount Mart Home & Garden Decor

They’re lean, they’re mean, they’re the original 501 Levis Jeans. And the material, if not the actual pants, has been around for over 200 years.

There is great debate over where the heart and soul of Levis jeans, the denim material, came from. General theory says that it was named for a material first made in France around the end of the 1700s, and known as serge de Nimes. But the problem was that the serge, was made of silk and wool, whereas denim has always been made of cotton. The name however, made sense, since de Nimes, of Nimes, was simply pronounced denim.

Complicating matters, was that a material was imported from Genoa, Italy around the same time. Jean, was a fustian- a blend of cotton, linen and/or wool. It sounded the same, but just wasn’t made the same. Though similar in many ways, denim was the stronger material, which is likely why it ended up in Levi’s jeans, instead of the sturdy, but less durable, jean.

Both materials crossed the Atlantic to America, in the late 18th century, where by the 1800s, each had developed a distinctive composition and use. Jean went into clothes worn by men not engaged in manual labor, while denim became the material of the workingman’s attire.

Levi Strauss, who had immigrated from Germany in 1829, set off for San Francisco in 1853 to open a branch of his step-brother’s dry goods business. Among the many items he sold were jean pants that he ordered from back East. Then in 1872, he was contacted by Jacob Davis, of Reno, Nevada. Davis had a brilliant idea to strengthen men’s pants by adding metal rivets. But he didn’t have the money for the patent. He proposed a partnership, and so Strauss paid for the copyright, and in the face of demand for stronger, longer lasting pants, switched the fabric they were made of to denim. But the “jean" stuck, and although he was manufacturing Levi’s waist overalls, the original name for Levi’s jeans, that label eventually fell by the wayside.

Over the years, Levi’s jeans have adapted from work clothes to leisure wear, and from plain waist overalls to cuts of every dimension and demand for comfort, encompassing both men and women, and the differences in their anatomy and tastes.

Among the most popular styles of Levi jeans today, are:

Men’s Levi's Women’s Levi's
Lorien1973 writes articles about home decor and garden decor for such sites as Online Discount Mart.
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)
» left by Hannie from England 6 years 4 days ago.
Where are Levi Jeans manufactured? How much does it cost to make them? How many countries are involved? How much do they sell for?
» left by Jenny
from Liverpool, UK 5 years 144 days ago.
i am doing a project and was wondering what your personal opion is on why levis jeans are so popular. how are the different styles design and made?
» left by Dean Thomas
from Wales U.K. 4 years 253 days ago.
I have worn levis jeans sinc i was a lad of 12 yrs old ,, I am now 48 . and still wering them , not the same ones of course , but levis non the less , may the good lord grant that i go to my grave in a pair ,, becouse if any jeans are the best to wear for comfort , fit , and of course that inevitable style ,, its got to be a pair of LEvis.
» left by Anonymous 3 years 84 days ago.
I hope that they bury me in my  Levis 501 too! I'm, nearly the same age as you, but had to wait until 15 for my first pair - paid for by a paper round. I rarely wear anything else.
» left by Em
from Aus 4 years 163 days ago.
where are levi jeans manufactured and the location of the brand headquarters? This article helped heaps I need this by 3 days so if its past then dont worry
» left by nat
from aus 4 years 99 days ago.
where are levi jeans manufactured
» left by Anonymous 4 years 33 days ago.
why did levis quit making womens 512 straight leg jeans those jeans are the best
» left by Anonymous 3 years 284 days ago.
Why did Levi's change the boot cut 517 design? They used to be slim fitting, but now they are low cut/relaxed fit! They used to be the only jeans that I would wear.
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