The Blue Jeans

Origin of the Word Denim

Although conventional wisdom holds that the word is an Anglicised version of "serge de Nimes", a fabric typical of the French Mill Town of Nimes, the fact remains that srege is a wool blend often mixed with silk, while denim has always been cotton.

As for the word "jeans", it came from the cotton work pants worn by sailors from the port of Genoa, Italy, who were themselves known as "Genes"

Time Line

Mid 1800: Denim established itself as a reliable cloth for workwear

1853
Denim competed with duck canvas and won. It did'nt chafte, was hard to rip and the tough twill of its weave was still light enough to prevent a working men's muscle from sweating too much.

1873
Levi Strauss with Jacob Davis received US patent 139,121 for his riveted blue denim waist overalls

1891
Cone Mills Manufacturing Denim in North Carolina was formed

1904
The Hudson Overall Company (now known as Wrangler) was formed

1911
The H.D. Lee Mercantle Company of Salina Kankar began producing its own denim workwear

1926
Zippered flies were first introduced by Lee on their denim "cowboy pants"

1935
Levis Strauss introduced "Lady Levi's " their first jeans for women

1950
Denim Symbolises 'crime' 'daring' 'rebellion'

1960
Denim become a uniform. A pair of Levi's became part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC

63-65
Japan gave birth to three indigeneous denim labels: BF Jeans, Canton and Maruo HiHuko

1968
'Vogue' photographed the aristocratic Austrian Model Verustika in a Fourteen page spread on denim skirts

1972
Lee invented the leisure suit based on a five pocket knit jeans with a matching jacket

1981
American bought more jeans than ever before

1982
Saint Laurent said "I wish I had invented blue jeans"

1984
Bruce Springsteen reclaimed denim for the working class with his iconic 1984 album cover "Born in the USA"

1985
Stone Wash, Acid wash came into being

1986
Lee began selling its popular "storm rider " label with holes and tears already in place.

1990
Beltless jeans, parachute pants- jeans so loose fitting that they could almost lift you off the ground in a strong wind. The pockets were deep enough so you did'nt lose your cell phone while skateboarding.

In 2000 and Beyond
2002
Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld announced a new partnership with the fashion brand diesel for a range of jeans and jackets.

Songs involving Denim/Jeans

"Venus in Blue Jeans": Jimmy Clanton
"Oh very young": Cat Stevens: "Denim Blue fading up to the sky"
"Tiny Dancer": By Elton John ( "Blue Jean Baby"

Poetry by 1979 Neil Diamond

"...long as I can have you here with me,
I'd much rather be
Forever in blue jeans..."