Denim is probably the coolest and most versatile garment that exists in all of our wardrobes. It can be styled in so many ways and it manages to maintain its own identity. What makes it iconic? Where did it come from? How was it invented and most importantly, how did it get the name? Today on BandraRoad, we’re looking at its history and the most iconic fashion figures that made denim a staple in our lives.
The Debut
The history of denim can be traced back to the 18th century in France and Italy. In Genoa, a city in Italy, existed a piece of fabric that was coarse and used by sailors to cover goods at the port. It was thick, raw and made of middle quality. A bit similar to corduroy, the fabric came to be known as ‘jean’, from the French word Gênes for Genoa, Italy.
Around the same time, in Nimes, France, there was a fabric that was worn by workers as a smock or overalls. It was of a much higher quality than the jean and was a twill weave.
An anonymous artist known as the ‘Master of the Blue Jeans’ depicted, which many claim to be, the first recorded history of the denim.
The dawn of Levi’s strauss & co.
In 1853, on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, a Bavarian business man named Levi Strauss started his dry goods business in San Francisco. It is believed that he sold pants to miners that were made of brown canvas that he dyed blue using indigo. A tailor named Jacob Davis, who purchase a lot of cloth from Strauss’ company, wrote him a letter. The suggestion in the letter was to use copper rivets on the fabric, to make it strong and durable. Levi took the advice and partnered with the tailor. Thus, the age of Levis began with Levi Strauss & CO. Strauss and David patented the make of their riveted garments in 1873.
The company then started making denim jackets and further branched out into making shirts in muslin. In 1902, Strauss passed away, leaving Levi Strauss & Co. to his nephews, The Stern Brothers.
Levi’s Strauss & co: The ages of change, rebellion and revolution.
With the decline in economy, the Stern brothers had another important issue. The cotton duck (which is commonly know as canvas – a heavy, plain woven cotton fabric) in their denim was too thick and uncomfortable, making the wearer feel like he was in a tent. They let go of it and came up with a much lighter, yet durable garment, even after washing. They added zippers and the concept of button fly to their design as well.
The company the had high profile customers like John Wayne. Though the denim had began shifting its status from the labourers and mine-workers to popular icons of the time, it still had not achieved mainstream popularity. A singer named Bing Crosby was denied a room in a fancy hotel, because he was in pair of denims. The Levi Strauss & CO designed a denim tuxedo jacket and presented it to Crosby at a ceremony in Nevada. Bing was, at that time, the honorary mayor of Elko, Nevada. The day Crosby was offered the infamous jacket was called the “Blue Serge Day” (in reference to Serge de Nimes, which means “durable twill fabric of Nimes”).
From here started the rise of denim in pop culture. The next step? Cowboys!
cowboys and denim in famous pop culture icons
In the early 1920s, leading to 1950, cowboys took interest in the denim pants. They turned out to be a much cooler (comfort-wise) option than the wool pants that they earlier wore. Although denims proved to be durable against the mesquite trees and brush, they still had to be worn with leather chaps. Cowboy films were epic in denim pop culture and names like John Wayne are synonymous with denim, cowboys and western films.
James Dean immortalised the look with denim for the young, raw and restless in Rebel Without a Cause in 1955.
Of course we remember Elvis Presley in the denim shirt and jeans! The king of Rock and Roll had to rock out in his denim duds.
One of the sexiest women in history wore denim in her films and was still every bit of the bombshell as she was known to be! Her name? Marilyn Monroe.
The flare denim gained popularity with glamour icons like Farrah Fawcett in the ’80s and it continued on with Madonna in the ’90s. Even contemporary pop stars like Britney Spears immortalised the look in her videos in the early 2000s.
Another iconic denim look was the daisy dukes in the early ’80s period. These denim shorts have been hot favourites ever since! Sexy icons like Jessica Simpson, Catherine Bach and Beyonce, all added to the craze around the daisy dukes.
Denim and rock ‘n’ roll have always been partners in crime. From the heavy metal rocker to the mainstream pop musician, denim is their uniform of choice. Each musician personalised their use of denim, as seen on Bruce Springsteen to Kurt Cobain! We love the rock and grunge twist these icons gave to the pair of denims.
Hip-Hop and R&B stars gave jeans a strong street edge with looks such as overalls and anti-fit jeans paired with bad-ass sneakers. Tupac, Rihanna and Eminem show us the Street-Cool way to rock denim.
The denim craze wasn’t just big in the States, UK had its say too. In fact, some of the biggest style icons of the 21st century like Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller are known for setting trends in denim like boho or the cigarette-fit. Stars like Victoria showed that denim could also be worn in a high glam way!
Even in Bollywood, denim reigns! Superstar Salman Khan in the infamous song, Oh Oh Jaane Jana, appeared in a pair of ripped jeans and soon the kids in the country took a pair of scissors and created their own versions of torn jeans. In fact, BandraRoad did our Bollywood style twist with the actors of Purani Jeans (which means, old jeans in Hindi!).
So that was a bit on the history of denim and a look at some of its iconic avatars. We, too, are completely in love with denim and find fun ways to express it through DIYs. What is your favourite denim style? Share your story and pictures with us on @BandraRoad and #BandraRoad.
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