When it come to classic, iconic Americana, blue jeans are on the same level as apple pie and baseball. The durable pants are a wardrobe staple that many of us basically grew up in and whether you wear them for work, comfort, or fashion, you can always count on your favorite pair of jeans.
While the fit and styles have changed over the years, the underlying design has essentially remained the same. The five-pocket, zipper and button features, as well as those little copper or silver studs you’ve likely noticed called rivets, are all standard parts that make up a good pair of jeans. While the need for pockets and a zipper is straightforward, the point of rivets is not so clear. If you’ve ever wondered what they are really for, the answer lies in the history of how blue jeans came to be.
It all started back in the day when people were flooding west to try their luck at striking it rich during the California Gold Rush. Among the hopeful new arrivals was Levi Strauss, the inventor of blue jeans, who had made his way to San Francisco and was selling canvas pants to miners working in the surrounding mining towns. While he was there, a man named Jacob Davis wrote a letter to him describing a great new idea he had that would revolutionize Strauss’ pant design.
Davis was a tailor from Reno, Nevada, and the bulk of his work came from fixing and mending rips and tears in clothing, especially pants. As such, he knew a lot about garments and discovered that pants could be greatly improved by placing little metal rivets at weak points in them. He’d noticed that the corners of pockets were prone to coming apart and when small copper rivets were used in these locations, the pants became much stronger and more durable. The purpose Davis had in mind when writing to Strauss was to get his help in securing a patent design for his idea.
Long story short, Strauss really liked the idea and Davis eventually received a patent for it. Not only that, in exchange for his use of the rivet idea, Strauss offered Davis a job and brought him on as a production manager. Soon afterwards Strauss ditched canvas and instead started making riveted pants from heavyweight blue denim material, and that is how the modern blue jeans we all know, love, and wear came to be!
Watch the video below for further explanation:
While the fit and styles have changed over the years, the underlying design has essentially remained the same. The five-pocket, zipper and button features, as well as those little copper or silver studs you’ve likely noticed called rivets, are all standard parts that make up a good pair of jeans. While the need for pockets and a zipper is straightforward, the point of rivets is not so clear. If you’ve ever wondered what they are really for, the answer lies in the history of how blue jeans came to be.
It all started back in the day when people were flooding west to try their luck at striking it rich during the California Gold Rush. Among the hopeful new arrivals was Levi Strauss, the inventor of blue jeans, who had made his way to San Francisco and was selling canvas pants to miners working in the surrounding mining towns. While he was there, a man named Jacob Davis wrote a letter to him describing a great new idea he had that would revolutionize Strauss’ pant design.
Davis was a tailor from Reno, Nevada, and the bulk of his work came from fixing and mending rips and tears in clothing, especially pants. As such, he knew a lot about garments and discovered that pants could be greatly improved by placing little metal rivets at weak points in them. He’d noticed that the corners of pockets were prone to coming apart and when small copper rivets were used in these locations, the pants became much stronger and more durable. The purpose Davis had in mind when writing to Strauss was to get his help in securing a patent design for his idea.
Long story short, Strauss really liked the idea and Davis eventually received a patent for it. Not only that, in exchange for his use of the rivet idea, Strauss offered Davis a job and brought him on as a production manager. Soon afterwards Strauss ditched canvas and instead started making riveted pants from heavyweight blue denim material, and that is how the modern blue jeans we all know, love, and wear came to be!
Watch the video below for further explanation:
Please SHARE This With Family and Friends