Today jeans are one of the most worn pieces of clothing in the world, but initially they were worn exclusively by miners.
If there is one piece of clothing that is almost universal, it is jeans. Everyone has at least one pair of jeans in their wardrobe, or if they don’t, they’ve worn one at some point in their lives. Regardless of the style, jeans are a key and democratic piece that goes with various looks.
Let’s face it, it’s impossible to go out on the street and not see someone wearing this piece. Whether men or women, jeans are the most common item worn everywhere. This is because the piece, which appeared almost 200 years ago, with the aim of being a resistant piece for work in the field, is very practical and versatile. Therefore, it reinvented itself over the years, and became what it is today.
Therefore, let’s learn more about the history of jeans, how they emerged and became the most worn item of clothing in the world.
The history of jeans
The history of jeans begins in the 18th century, more precisely in 1792, in the city of Nimes, France. From what the story tells, it was there that the fabric that would become the jeans we know today was manufactured for the first time.
It was a more robust, resistant and rigid fabric, which became known as “Nimes fabric”. Over time, the term was shortened to “Denim”, which is still used today. Initially, it was a characteristic fabric of the French city, existing only there.
The difference with this fabric, in addition to being very durable, is that it does not require much care when using or washing. And so, it began to be used exclusively to make clothes for field work and for sailors who worked in the port of Genoa.
Therefore, you can imagine that French jeans were completely different from the jeans we use today to make jeans. Starting with the color, which was far from the indigo blue of today, at the time, the fabric bordered on brown, and didn’t have many details.
The raw material for jeans is of French origin, but this term comes from Italy. The word jeans began to be used as a way to refer to the citizens and products of Genoa, the city in northern Italy.
Arrival of jeans in the United States
Until the following century, denim fabric was exclusive to France, but it eventually made its way to the United States. In 1851, shortly before the start of the so-called American “Gold Rush”, German Levi Strauss moved to New York City. At the time, the city was beginning to take on the shape and appearance of the metropolis it would become.
There, the young German began working in a store that sold canvas for miners’ carts. In this work where he had direct contact with the miners, he noticed that they did not wear appropriate clothing and that the items were quickly worn out. With that in mind, he looked for a tailor and asked him to make pants using the same fabric he sold to cover the carts, a type of canvas.
Soon, the pants created by Levi became a hit among all California miners. However, despite being more resistant than the old ones, the new canvas pants were very rigid, which made work difficult. Therefore, Levi decided to look for another type of fabric, one that was resistant, comfortable and, above all, flexible.
And so, he decided to go in search of this fabric in Europe, where it was the most developed place at the time. And it was there that he found the “Nimes fabric”, which was made of twilled cotton. With this fabric, he began to manufacture his new trousers, which became the most famous and classic model of trousers at the time.
Evolution of jeans
With good acceptance by workers, over the years the pants underwent improvements. Until 1860, metal buttons were added. Soon after, zippers came along, as a way to make it easier for miners to do their business without having to take down all their pants. All of this offered greater agility and comfort to workers.
In 1873, Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis spread the American denim trend worldwide. After that, the piece took on more of the shape it has today, with the leather label on the waistband of the pants, and the color blue, which was chosen to make the piece more attractive. Back pockets only appeared in 1910.
Popularization of jeans
It was a long way before jeans left factories and mining companies to conquer the streets. The popularization of the piece began around the 1930s, thanks to American cowboy films. But it was during the Second World War that the fabric’s image of virility emerged. Especially because after the war, denim began to be used to make army uniforms.
Furthermore, another factor that contributed to the popularization of the piece is that miners’ pants were a fashion that went against the rule. Since it emerged from the people and reached the designers, and not the other way around. It became a democratic piece of clothing, as it was worn by both rural and urban workers, by rich and poor.
But if you have one name that helped jeans establish themselves as a fashion item, it was the American actor James Dean. Known as a rebel without a cause, the young man began using jeans as an everyday item. Therefore, with his influence, the play became increasingly popular among other media.
He used the piece as a symbol of rebellion, since until then pants were worn primarily by workers. In this sense, the use of the piece was unacceptable, since it was “low-level” clothing. And he broke this paradigm, as after he wore the piece, it became one of the most popular in the world.
History of women’s pants
Knowing the history of jeans and how they became popular, it’s time to also find out how the piece arrived in women’s wardrobes. Nowadays the piece is used without distinction by men and women but it wasn’t always like that. After jeans left the mining companies, it took a long time for the item to become part of women’s fashion.
First pants
Pants arrived in women’s fashion around 1909, when designer Paul Poiret created the first female model. The piece had a light and wide design, characterizing the first trousers for women. The model resembles pantaloon pants. However, despite the creation of the piece, it was still not used as much as full skirts and long dresses.
Therefore, pants only began to be worn more frequently by women due to the First World War, in 1914. This is because as men had to go to war, women stayed at home and had to take on work responsibilities. In this sense, pants were more comfortable and practical than dresses.
Popularization of women’s pants
Since then, women’s pants have gained more and more space in fashion. In fact, designer Coco Chanel was one of the first women to wear pants, and helped make them popular. Another woman who contributed to this was actress Marlene Dietrich, who appeared in a scene from the film Morocco, wearing the piece, along with a jacket.
And then, with the height of the Second World War, in 1939, when women began to work hard again, pants became a kind of uniform. Therefore, with the end of the war, women were in a moment of discovery, looking for new models of life and began to look even more like the actresses of the time.
Actress Audrey Hepburn was one of the greatest icons of women’s fashion at that time. She had a unique, elegant and classic style. And in 1954, she appeared on screen wearing capri pants in the film Sabrina.
Women’s jeans
From then on, with the increase in information due to globalization, several other trouser models emerged. In the 1970s, bell-bottom pants, now known as flare pants, were popular among hippies.
Years later, more modern models began to emerge, moving away from the common, straight style of traditional pants. An example of this was the Clochard-style pants, which left the shins exposed. Finally, in the 200s, women’s jeans became a favorite, remaining a popular item to this day.
Women’s jeans ended up breaking the standard of clothing and work, to become a fashion item of empowerment and rebellion.
Anyway, what did you think of this article? In fact, take the opportunity to also check out how to wear mom jeans.
Sources: The Origin of Things Web Insider Passarela
Featured image: Lifestyle at the Minute
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