The history of jeans
Jeans are a garment worn by everyone. From politicians to laborers, they have crossed all social classes to become an iconic piece in our wardrobes.
A fabric born in Italy, reworked in France, imitated in England, and finally transformed into a garment by two Americans.
This blue-colored fabric, made of cotton and linen, appeared during the 16th century in Genoa. Robust and inexpensive, it was dyed with indigo and exported by English ships to America and throughout Europe for its durability. This is where the word "blue-jeans," meaning "blue of Genoa," originated.
French weavers attempted to reproduce the famous blue of Genoa without success. After several tests, in the 17th century, they developed a resistant fabric called denim (because it came from Nîmes), made of wool and silk in a twill weave. It was very quickly used for workwear due to its durability.
The Industrial Revolution made the fabric accessible to the masses. Starting in 1800, English spinning mills produced a cotton canvas imitating French denim.
At the beginning of the 19th century, American textile industries were flourishing. One of them launched the manufacturing of its own denim in the early 1800s: a twill woven with a dyed weft thread on a natural warp thread. It is this denim that would become the raw material for jeans. The indigo dye sits only on the surface of the thread without penetrating it and fades with each wash. It is said that jeans do not age, but develop a patina.
How was the first pair of jeans that started Levi's created?
The oldest pair of Levi's jeans ever found was purchased at auction for $45,000. A simple pair of work pants turned into a collector's item.
It all began in 1853, in a San Francisco shop. Jacob Davis, a tailor, received a customer who asked him for a very sturdy pair of pants for her lumberjack husband. He then selected some denim from Levi Strauss, a fabric merchant in San Francisco, and added rivets to reinforce the garment at stress points. That is how the first pair of denim jeans was born.
In the same year, the patent was filed, and jeans were officially born. They first clothed workers, miners, and lumberjacks—those who needed durable clothing.
From slaves in cotton fields to Hollywood
Before becoming trendy, jeans were a symbol of misery. Worn as overalls, they were worn by slaves in the cotton fields. This memory would long weigh on their image.
In 1930, jeans saw considerable success in America. It was the golden age of cowboy films in Hollywood, and all the stars wore them. It was at this moment that jeans ceased to be just workwear.
During the Second World War, jeans were adopted by factory workers. Practical and resistant, they became their uniform. They then crossed the Atlantic in the luggage of American soldiers and began to circulate in Europe.
In the 50s, jeans were a symbol of rebellion in Hollywood. Actors such as James Dean and Marlon Brando popularized them. Faced with this, some schools and public places decided to ban them.
Jeans would become popular again in the 60s, worn by all social classes combined. They would also become a symbol of the hippie movement, which made them a flag of freedom.
In the 70s and 80s, punk and heavy metal movements like the Sex Pistols made them their stage uniform. During the same period, Calvin Klein became the first major American designer to launch a line of jeans.
The arrival of jeans among designers
Jeans then invaded European fashion houses. Every major house reinterpreted them in its own way, from the unstructured to the most luxurious. We notably see Vivienne Westwood in 1991 with a punk vision. Then there is Jean-Paul Gaultier in 1994 with unexpected cuts. Then, in 2000, we discovered Versace Jeans with a bling-bling, luxurious side, and Alexander McQueen with the "bumsters": jeans with an ultra-low rise. In the same year, Dior, with John Galliano, presented black jeans enhanced with leather. Later, in 2020, Stella McCartney imposed ethical denim. We also see Chanel and many other brands reinterpreting jeans.
Vivienne Westwood, 1991
Jean-Paul Gaultier, 1994
Versace jeans, 2000
Alexander McQueen, 2000
Stella Mc Cartney, 2020
Jeans at Jadice
Jeans, as bearers of stories, are upcycled and restyled in our own way. We wanted to extend their lifespan by upcycling them into handbags. To ensure their durability, each bag is heat-bonded after cutting, which reinforces the denim and ensures the bag holds its shape over time. The material already has a patina from its first life; each piece is unique.
