3. Foundational Texts
An episode of the iconic BBC program Design Classics (1987-1990) that tells the brand’s history, and hones in on the 501. Includes Levi’s ad footage from the 80s, other 501 oriented footage, some clips from movies, historical footage, and talking heads like Milton Glaser and Levi’s employees
“Cone Mills Denim: An Investigation into Fabrication, Tradition, and Quality” by Sonya Abrego (2019)
“Contextualization of jeans in terms of Americana has been persistent throughout denim’s history. The invention and promotion of the five-pocket blue jean by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss is offered as an example of American ingenuity, more along the lines of Henry Ford and industrial design than fashion design.” (522-523)
BBC Design Classics: “Levi’s 501 Jeans” (25 minutes, 1987)
“Jeans are part of the standard equipment of the world's youth. Ownership indicates that the wearer sees himself as part of a new, liberated, progressive, supposedly classless society. Levi's have powerful competitors such as Lees and Wranglers but they have spared no effort to persuade us that they were the first. Theirs is the authentic jean.”
The Language of Clothing, “I. Clothing as a Sign System” by Alison Lurie (1981)
Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style by W. David Marx (2015)
The most comprehensive history of Japan’s intertwinement with American clothing. Robust context of how denim came to produce the most sought-after denim in the world in terms of production, and the landscape of Japanese denim and Japanese denim collectors today.
“An American Culture Grid, with Texts” by Jay Mechling (1989)
Mechling explains the principles that guide his teaching of American Studies. Central is a grid of cultural texts, on which Levi’s jeans appear. Also great parts about centering human stories when studying material culture/cultural studies.
“Think of American culture simply as those stories that Americans tell one another in order to make sense of their lives.” (3)
“Valuing things: The public and private meanings of possessions” by Marsha L. Richins (1994)
Studies predicated on the idea that we should figure out why people love all the stuff they/we have.
Theoretical framing through semiotics and constructionism, then the studies asking people why they value things, and those results.
Below are pages 510-512, with Exhibits and Tables from Study 2.
“Study 2 was designed to assess shared public meanings as they relate to sources of value. The valued possessions generated in Study 1 were used as stimuli. Following Prentice (1987), multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) of outside observers' perceptions of these possessions was used to identify the underlying dimensions of public meaning.”
