It’s safe to say we all love jeans. They have influenced culture and style in the last two centuries probably more than we realize. Jeans have been worn by miners, cowboys, Hollywood stars, rebels, rockers and influencers. Almost all fashion designers and luxury labels have featured jeans in their collections.
For an item of clothing that had humble beginnings, blue jeans have come a long way. In 1871, Jacob W. Davis formed a partnership with Levi Strauss & Co. to make sturdy working pants for sturdy working men. They were utilitarian, made to withstand the rigours of mines, farms and ranches — any industry that would be hard on one’s clothes.
Those jeans barely resembled what we consider a fashion fundamental today. Available at both ends of the price spectrum, the world’s most expensive can cost thousands. Gucci jeans can carry a price tag of up to $3,100 and if you want custom-made jeans by Escada, expect to spend $10,000. (For the rest of us, less than $200 is normal.)
The movies helped romanticize one of the world’s most popular pieces of clothing. As far back as the 1930s, Hollywood put them on handsome cowboys. The popularity of western films helped jeans transcend from workwear into wardrobes.
