Eras of American Denim
Denim in the
1870s - 1890s: Early Days
1872:
It was in Reno, Nevada where Jacob Davis had the idea of making a pair of pants with copper rivets. Davis had been struggling to get by making tents and other functional textiles for use on the frontier.
“Working on a horse blanket, Davis realized that the same copper rivets he used for the straps on the blankets might be useful for reinforcing pants pockets.”
Davis then bought undyed duck cloth from the dry goods store, Levi Strauss & Co., and outfitted local craftsmen and workers with “the strongest pants he could conceive.”
Davis’ pants were supremely durable, and in demand. He made a few more pairs of pants--from the undyed duck canvas (sold at $3.00) and from blue denim (sold at $2.50) which he also bought from LS&CO.--before he decided to attempt to grow the business.
After about a month, Davis wrote to Mr. Levi Strauss to inquire if the wholesaler would fund the patent application (which cost $68) in exchange for “a half-interest in the proposed riveted pants business.”
May 20, 1873:
After two rejections due to the fact that rivets had been used to reinforce boots during the Civil War, Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss & Co were awarded the patent numbered 139,121.
Strauss would soon bring Davis to LS&CO. headquarters in San Francisco for Davis to oversee the production of the riveted pants.
1880s-1890s:
“Fairs and trade shows were an important way for LS&CO. to show off the riveted pants and other garments. The location for this 1898 trade shown is unknown, but the display of clothing and advertising is an important clue to understanding what the company was producing before 1906.” (30)
“Oral tradition states that the riveted pants and other workwear products were initially sewn by women working in their homes. How the riveting was done, however, is unknown. But Levi Strauss & Co. had full-scale manufacturing in San Francisco by the late 1880s at 32½ Fremont Street, south of Market.” (19)
Denim in the
1900s - 1930s: The Cowboy
1872:
Denim in the
1940s - 1950s:
The Rebel Uniform
1872:
Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1953)
James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955)