Denim forever – the history of jeans
The baggy jeans of a skater, fringed at the seam; the jeans of a tatooed rocker, sagging slightly at the bum; in the schoolyard, the tight and low cut stretch jeans with panties peeking out; the horribly expensive but «perfectly cut» designer jeans that make the behind of a more mature woman seem lean and that of a 25 year old – clubbing at a trendy venue – even slimmer. Since quite some time, it is designer jeans in every shape and colour that dominate our streets. Even though jeans are deemed suitable throughout society for almost any occasion, they still carry an air of dirt, dust and rebellion, back from when they were invented in the 19th century.
Jeans were first used in 1873 in Californian pits and workshops. Around that time, the merchant Levi Strauss and the tailor Jacob Davis patented the first jeans with copper rivets and buttons for the Levi Strauss Company in San Francisco. This was the predecessor to the very successful 501 model. Miners and forest-workers were the first convinced by the quality of the cotton denim- and canvas cloth..
In the forties, US cowgirls- and cowboys took to wearing the indigo trousers and from then on fought their rodeos in jeans. Back then, US-brands such as Lee and Wrangler made a name for themselves with western- and rodeo fashion. In the fifties, jeans became a fashion-symbol for the anti-establishment: bikers, outlaws and rock 'n' rollers stood against the bourgeoisie in jeans, white t-shirts and leather jackets. People wearing jeans were seen as rebels. This enticed actors, musicians and stile-icons like James Dean, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot to wear jeans. The world became aware of the traditional work-wear labels Levi Strauss, Lee, Wrangler and Mustang – and it wasn't long before jeans became presentable.
From the mid-seventies, there was only one trouser for the fashion-scene: the Levis 501 Raw, in its unwashed, dark denim material. Fashion victims shaped the jeans onto their bodies by immersing themselves in a cold bath wearing the jeans. The more a jeans was worn, the more individual it got in shape and colour.
Towards the end of the seventies, the «blue miracle» made the transition from the street to the catwalk: designers like Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent and Gianni Versace (during the eighties) jumped on the denim-wave. Even today, there is hardly an Haute Couture and Prèt-à-Porter show without them.
But first came a time, where denim was no longer fashionable. The eighties brought a low point in the popularity of jeans. Instead of blue jeans, people bought colourful cotton pants. This was the time for brands such as Jet Set or Replay. They succeeded the denim pioneers. In the eighties though, Levi Strauss were back. It was the start of an actual Levis mania: if you wore a jeans, it had to be a «501». TV-spots revived the «golden« fifties: Motifs like an American retro laundrette triggered peoples desire for Levis. The music from the advert even made it into the charts. For almost a century, the Levis «501» was the jeans that sold most right across the world. The hype died off in the beginning of the nineties, when the kids refused to wear the same trousers as their parents. They were looking for alternatives and found them in the shape of baggy pants or in workpants by Carhartt.
If you look at the prices of jeans labels like Seven, 7 For All Mankind, Blue Cult, Paper Denim, Diesel Jeans and Evisu, you realise the rebel image becomes hard to maintain when you pay two- to five-hundred dollars a pair. Nevertheless, this is the price you have to pay nowadays, if you want to wear a pair of trousers as a status symbol. It is the price of so called designer jeans, the «premium» denims. This refers to labels that have acquired the luxury and glamour of high-end brands like Gucci, Dior and the likes, yet manage to keep the casual feel of "conventional" jeans. The term "luxury light" would be adequate. This new price category comes with a new class of customers, that have the kind of cash at their disposal that allows them to freely pick their wardrobe: from H&M produce to designer gems.
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For all those that are unwilling to heed the call of premium denim – because even this trend already penetrated the mass market – there are some nice alternatives.
Small but fine young brands like the Swedish Nudie Jeans for men or Denimbirds, the equivalent for women. They use the Scandinavian «easy going» lifestyle to market their products. Also the traditional denim pioneers Levi Strauss and Lee offer special lines that cater the demand for individuality: The higher priced lines Levis Red and Vintage, Edwin and Lee with their re-issues of originals in high quality denim all offer collector's items.
Either way, jeans brands come and go. Just like the silhouttes of pants, – be it flares, tight-cut or baggy jeans that make the flavour of the month. What remains, is the fascination for the «blue wonder» called Denim – the eternally re-invented classic.
Andrea Bornhauser
