Jeans - History - Fashion - Brands of Jeans

History of Jeans

Jeans were first invented in Genoa, Italy when that city was an independent Republic, and a naval power. The first jeans were made for the Genoese Navy because it required an all-purpose pant for its sailors that could be worn wet or dry, and whose legs could easily be rolled-up to wear swabbing the deck. These jeans would be laundered by dragging them in large mesh nets behind the ship, and the sea water would bleach them white. The first denim came from (French:de) Nîmes, France, hence the name denim. The French word for these pants was very similar to their word for Genoa; this is where we get the term 'jeans' today.

When did jeans come to America?

Jeans were developed in America around 1872. Levi Strauss was a Bavarian dry goods merchant living in San Francisco. One of Levi's customers was Jacob Davis, a tailor who frequently purchased bolts of cloth from the Levi Strauss & Co wholesale house. After one of Jacob's customers kept purchasing cloth to reinforce torn pants, he had an idea to use copper rivets to reinforce the points of strain, such as on the pocket corners and at the base of the button fly. Jacobs did not have the required money to purchase a patent, so he wrote to Levi suggesting that they both go into business together. After Levi accepted Jacobs offer, on May 20, 1873, the two men received patent #139,121 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the blue jean was born.J

Jeans in popular culture and Fashion

Blue Jeans

Initially blue jeans were simply sturdy pants worn by workers. In the United States during the 1950s wearing of blue jeans by teenagers and young adults came to be symbolic of mild protest against conformity. This was considered by some adults as disruptive, for example, some movie theaters refused to admit patrons who wore blue jeans. The alternative to jeans was a type of light khaki pants worn by conformist teens who were branded with the name "Socs" (apparently from "social"). During the 1960s the wearing of blue jeans became more acceptable and by the 1970s had become a general fashion in the United States at least for informal wear.

Outside of the United States particularly in Russian popular culture blue jeans were and are fashionable, symbolizing American culture and the good life. Being imported American products, especially in the case of the Soviet Union which restricted hard currency imports, they were somewhat expensive.

Processes used in making Jeans

Dyeing

Traditionally, jeans were dyed to a blue color using natural indigo dye. Most denim is now dyed using synthetic indigo. Approximately 20 thousand tons of indigo are produced annually for this purpose, though only a few grams of the dye are required for each pair. For other colors of denim other dyes must be used. Currently, jeans are produced in any color that can be achieved with cotton.

Pre-shrinking

In 1962 Levi Strauss introduced pre-shrunk jeans, which did not shrink further after purchase, allowing the consumer to buy his or her correct size. These jeans were known as the 505 regular fit jeans. The 505 are almost identical to the 501s with the exception of the button-fly. The Levi's Corporation also introduced a slim boot-cut fit known as 517 and 527. The difference between the two is the 517s sit at the waist line and the 527s sit below the waist line. Later, Levi's would develop other styles and fits such as the loose, slim, comfort, relaxed, skinny, and a regular fit with a tapered leg.

Used Look or Acid Wash

The used or "acid wash" look is created by means of abrading the jeans and/or treating them with chemicals, such as acryl resin, phenol, a hypochlorite, potassium permanganate, caustic soda, acids etc.

Ripping or distressing of jeans, though also arising naturally as a result of wear and tear, is sometimes deliberately performed by suppliers - with distressed clothing sometimes selling for more than a nondistressed pair. For example, Pucci sold "embellished mid-rise boyfriend jeans" for £600 GBP ($860 USD).

Consumers wanting jeans that appear worn can buy jeans that have been specially treated. To give the fabrics the worn look, sandblasting done with chemicals or by adding pumice stone to the washing process or abrading with sandpaper is often done.

Best Selling Brands of Jeans

Here is the list of top 10 best selling jeans brands in the world in 2016-2017.
1- Levi's Jeans
2- Wrangler Jeans
3- Diesel Jeans
4- 7 For All Mankind Jeans
5- True Religion Jeans
6- Guess Jeans
7- Calvin Jeans
8- Pepe Jeans London
9- Lucky Jeans
10- G-Star Jeans