Denim has been a part of American culture for more than 100 years, and is common all over the world. It has developed over the years and has become a central part of most people’s wardrobes. Denim went beyond just the pair of blue jeans and is used to make shirts and jackets, increasing its value as a fabric. I strongly believe that there are very few articles of clothing that are as versatile and easy to wear as a pair of jeans. With that said, I feel that jeans will be a staple in fashion for both men and women for many years to come. The origins of denim come from a man named Levi Strauss, who saw a need for type of pants that would last longer. The jeans would mostly be used for laborers during the Gold Rush in the late 1800s. So, on May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and his financial partner Jacob Davis created the blue jeans (Our Story). His brand, Levi Strauss and Co., also known as simply Levi’s has become one of the most well-known denim brands in America. Little did Levi Strauss know, but he would be the catalyst for one the most iconic and durable garments of clothing to date. It wasn’t until the 1930s that denim became an item that was worn in everyday life rather just a pant to wear while working. In the 30s there were many Western movies with cowboys wearing denim jeans, which became very popular for Americans (History). In the 1940s, during World War 2, the denim overall was introduced and was worn by off-duty soldiers (History). This was the time that brands like
With other companies starting to encroach upon the Jeans market share, Levi’s decided to introduce a new product. With the goal to gain profits, Levi’s pursued diversification with the new product. This product was formal clothing for men.
In the introduction of Chapter 1 “Consuming Passions” “The Culture of American Consumption,” it talks about how American popular culture is grounded in consumption. With the media in our hand, it is a huge influence towards the advertising world. With how styles of clothing have been changing over time, this talks about how from the earlier times wearing a simple type of blue jeans can change between who wears them over the years. As stated, “ By the 1950s, however, blue jeans began to bear an additional class significance as “casual wear” for middle-class Americans.” (72). In 1970 these pants have then become a simple fashion wear. They have also been introduced as a hipster type wear. Then in 1980 through the early 2000s, baggy jeans were
Jeans have been around for decades, but have you ever wondered how they got their start? The passage Birth of the Blues, written by Melissa and Henry Billings, focuses on miners problems during the gold rush, and then later explains how this impacted a man to create the durable pants we wear today. Melissa and Henry billings show the birth of the blue jeans through a problem and solution text structure, they use examples of miners being too tough of their pants and the seams constantly ripping.
To begin with, the development of clothes from before the American Civil War and the early 21st century is extraordinary. “The Civil War was a pivotal event in the historical development of men’s ready-made clothing” (Source 1). The clothing before the Civil War were made from tailors, and by individuals. As the government started needing more uniforms for their soldiers tailors realized that some measurements of the men tended to reappear more frequently. After the war they started to use those measurements that they
Katharine Hepburn, a beloved movie star of the time, fell in love with pants. Even the popular magazine Vogue featured women in pants in 1939. (Caplan-Bricker, “Women Who Wear Pants: Still Somehow Controversial”) Soon, everyone wanted a pair.
I believe blue jeans are a product that requires an investment, especially if you want them to last for a while. Likewise, I have a brand preference when I purchase blue jeans. Ferrell and Hartline (2014) acknowledge that, a brand preference is a type of brand loyalty in which a customer prefers one brand to competitive brands and usually will purchase the preferred brand if it's available. However, in my case with blue jeans I usually have a brand insistence in which I must have the brand that I fully enjoy and I will not accept any other brand of jeans in place of them (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014). I like for my jeans to last versus having to go out and buy new jeans every other month due to wear and tear, fading, and frazzled ends. Essentially, I purchase the brand of jeans I have been loyal to for years and that I truly enjoy the fit, style, color, quality, and durability of the jeans. I refuse to purchase other brands despite the fact that I have attempted to try other brands, but essentially, they just don't supply me with what I am looking for in the quality of jeans that I desire and
Most days I usually wear a pair of jeans, with a cotton t-shirt, and gym shoes made from synthetic fibres like any other teenager. At times, I would wear certain t-shirts, and shorts made from synthetic materials such as polyester or nylon. The complex science behind making these synthetic fibres did not exist till late 1900s, and all the science that went behind the production of such synthetic fibres can be traced back to the Columbian exchange where the most basic fibres: cotton and wool, were exchanged between the Indians, and the Europeans. These clothes that the general population of America wears on a daily basis would not have come into existence until much later if the Spanish never reached the ports of the
Jeans were made in in the 1850s. The place they were made was in New York. Yet, Strauss, the creator was not pleased with the money he was getting so he moved to California because he wanted to get some of the California Gold Rush. With him knowing Jeans were made for work he tried to get miners to get new jeans to mining. Not only was that a great choice, but it did better than he expected as he was not only changing his generation then, but now he changed my generation. He never thought that he would have gotten such success just from moving his creation to a place that people found that jeans were perfect for mining. If he would know how much he did for the fashion in American clothing he would be proud. Mainly because it is the number one
The Gold Rush created many opportunities for up and coming entrepreneurs such as Levi Strauss, Henry Wells and William Fargo, as well as John Studebaker. Levi Strauss invented the blue jeans for the miners and the working class, which became loved by all. Levi Strauss went to San Francisco in 1853 to take advantage of the giant sales opportunity in California (PBS.com). Once in San Francisco, Levi opened up a store and began to sell merchandise. John Davis, a Nevada tailor, approached Levi Strauss and wanted to create a partnership for his heavy duty cotton work pants (PBS.com). The jeans became a huge success with miners, cowboys, and the working class. “By the end of 1873, thousands of San Franciscans were wearing Strauss and Davis's pants”
The ups and downs of the premium jeans industry and the constant fluctuating of threats to the industry made it interesting to see how the denim lines would respond. They were originated in the 1970s by Calvin Klein who created highly priced, skin tight jeans who used celebrities (i.e. Brooke Shields) to endorse the product. Since they were higher priced compared to your common, regular blue jeans sold by mainstream brands like Lee and Wrangler, they were meant to serve as fashion statements as opposed to comfort. They started off well in early on in the 1980s, but then hit a decline just a few years later. The mid 1990s came and they surpassed their highest annual sales in
Levi’s is a brand recognizable in the whole wide world. There is no person who wouldn’t be able to associate correctly the Name with the product. LS&Co has managed to create something timeless, just like their classical 501 blue jeans.
One company that faces these cultural issues daily is Levi Strauss and Company. Levi Strauss and Company is a large American company founder in 1853 and is well known for its denim line. Currently Levi Strauss and Co. has operations in over 110 countries with over half of its corporate revenues coming from outside the United States. In American history we have all heard complaints of companies in the garment industry hiring underage employees outside the United States and poor working conditions. Levi Strauss and Company has not been left out of these accusations.
I don’t think they were correct to use that brand name because the Levi Straus is bringing down the Levis name. Personally I would not buy Levis jeans anymore if I knew that there were such low price Levis jeans around. It degrades the brand to the eyes of the higher end customers.
New product development: Levi Strauss and co.’s women’s wear division markets several line of casual sport wear including jeans, slack and knit and woven tops, blazers and skirts. New products are continuously introduced by Levis Strauss. The recent introduction of women 501 jeans has been very successful.
Clothes are made in the Far East or North America. Prices start around £250, or $482, per pair of jeans. They don’t carry any stock, are never on sale, and receive cash upfront before manufacturing. They have very high sales per square foot – about $2000.