While sitting on a bench in front of the Tribune offices last week, enjoying the sunny, warm weather, I observed a young lady walking towards me. As she got closer, I concluded that she would be the subject of today’s column. Believe me, I was not checking out the physical characteristics of this young lady as, due to my age and marital status, my girl watching days have long ended. Rather, an item she wore, patented May 20, 1873, by San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis had caught my eye. Join me today as I review the creation and evolution of the Levi Strauss’ creation of blue jeans, back in the day.
I did not wear jeans back in the day. Well, I actually did wear jeans, however, jeans worn during the ‘50s and ‘60s were incorrectly referred to as dungarees. I have since learned, from several internet searches that dungarees are a pair of trousers with a bib attached to the front and suspenders that go over the shoulder. They have additional pockets on the bib and pant legs, making them ideal for carrying tools or other items. Most of us called them overalls. They were originally designed as a practical item of clothing for manual workers in the 19th century, miners in particular. They had a distinct, utilitarian look. For some, overalls without bibs and suspenders, which were introduced in 1960, were referred to as waist dungarees. They have since become a fashion statement, are referred to as jeans and now worn by people of all professions and ages.
Until 1960, Levi Strauss called his flagship product “waist overalls” rather than dungarees or jeans. The traditional image of dungarees, bib and non-bib, were worn by cowboys in old cowboy movies. The differences between dungarees and jeans are not always straightforward. Jeans are a type of sturdy cotton or denim trouser with a zipper fly, belt loops, and pockets with no bibs or suspenders. Dungarees of the past had a looser, more relaxed fit and were reinforced with metal rivets and no zipper. It is the use of denim that has made them popular over the years. You may also recall that dungarees of my era had a small hem and were often worn with the pants leg rolled up. I must pause on this point and ask how many of you recall when dungarees had a fabric on the inside of the pants leg that would be visible when the pant legs were rolled up? Many thought that this style was cool but for me, it was beyond corny.
Jeans have become a popular clothing item for people of all walks of life; they can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. The term jeans was first used in 1795 by Jean-Gabriel Eynard and his brother Jacques. Denim used for jeans is durable with holes and frays that make them cooler, the dark blue color can hide stains, and they can fit into casual and dinner party settings. Today, they come in a variety of colors which was not an option, back in the day. Since my dungaree days of the ‘50s and ‘60s, there have been many changes. Clearly, we have moved from dungarees to jeans although a few, including yours truly, still wear bib dungarees of the past. Some of you will recall a step before jeans; this was when they were called Levis. Personally, I avoided wearing Levis as I did not like the leather “Levi Strauss & Co. 501” patch on the rear of the pants.
Another big development with regard to jeans was the color. Jeans are referred to as blue jeans for a reason. A goldbio.com article, “How Blue Jeans Became Blue” by Katharine Martin provides an interesting point that many of us may not know; blue jeans started out yellow — well sort of. This history is much more than I can cover in this column. Simply stated, however, jeans we wear today are the result of amazing evolutions in textile production and dye processes. Levi jeans initially came in two color options; cotton duck and blue denim. The blue denim, however, outlived the cotton duck option. Strauss phased out the duck color in 1911 and turned to jeans only in blue .
Many of you may recall the transition of jeans to various colors, back in the day. Today, jeans come in an array of colors. I will never forget when I purchased my black jeans, I thought they were beyond being cool. My purchase of white jeans was also special. I even recall owning a pair of brown jeans. While the style of jeans was quite basic in the past, the variety in jeans can be seen as early as June 1935 in an issue of Vogue. Today, we find fashion jeans by Sergio Valente, Jordache, Guess, Sasson and Bugle Boy. We also find variety in jeans that includes stone washed, acid washed, preshrunk, ripped or distressed. There are also style choices such as cigarette or tight fit, cropped, wide-leg or skinny-leg, boyfriend with a mid-low waist, flared or bell-bottomed. The sailor type dark blue navy, bell bottomed jeans were a big favorite in the past.
Back in the day, jeans were limited with regard to where they could be worn. Establishments such as restaurants often posted signs indicating that jeans weren’t allowed. Today, jeans are worn to the office, to church, even to funerals as they have achieved widespread cultural acceptance. Think about James Dean and President Ronald Reagan sporting jeans which aided in bringing about their popularity. An internet report reveals that the average American owns seven pairs of jeans with approximately 450 million pairs being sold in the United States per year. Clearly, it is a booming business.
While wearing jeans is not my thing, I do wear them for yard work. I go to the extreme of having my jeans laundered, even starched to provide a crisp look when dressed in a casual manner. Jeans have increased in popularity. With new manufacturers and styles, along with a more relaxed lifestyle, it is clear that jeans are not going anywhere. So, get used to them, as they will continue to grow in popularity and will remain a staple in our wardrobes much more than they were, back in the day.
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