Jeans Through the Ages, From Old Hollywood to the Early 2000s
From cowboys in Levi's to models in low rise, denim jeans have had multiple transformations over the decades.
Denim as Workwear
Introduced by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis in 1873, jeans began as a men's workwear staple. Though denim pants had already been around, Strauss and Davis added the metal rivets to the pants that made them the jeans we know today.
Hollywood, Westernwear, and Rebellion
Hollywood helped push the association of jeans with westernwear, placing famous on-screen cowboys like Gary Cooper and John Wayne in a pair of stiff blue denim. This made jeans fashionable, appealing to those looking for a laid-back alternative to formal trousers to wear on weekends or vacations.
It wasn't until the '50s that denim began its association with rebellion in earnest, with now-classic films like Rebel Without a Cause and The Wild One only adding fuel to the fire. Schools even banned students from wearing jeans, only making them more popular.
Even women of the time were embracing jeans. While denim was originally associated with macho cowboys and bikers, Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe fully embraced the trend, paving the way for others to follow suit.
New Styles, New Movements
In the '60s and '70s, denim's popularity only continued to rise. From hippies to activists, rock stars to punks, jeans found their way into every rising counter-culture movement. As fashion became more free, fluid, and revolutionary, denim followed, coming in a myriad of washes and silhouettes to fit every style.
By the 1980s and '90s, jeans were ubiquitous, and also infused with a new sort of sex appeal via the controversial Calvin Klein Jeans campaign featuring Brooke Shields and Guess Jeans' racy campaigns in the '90s. On the opposite end of the spectrum, oversized distressed denim became a staple of grunge.
This dichotomy continued into the early 2000s, where tight, low-rise jeans ruled alongside baggier styles.
Sustainability Focus
Jeans continue to be a global staple, with brands now conquering a new frontier: sustainable denim. By experimenting with recycled materials, organic cottons, and more environmentally-conscious production practices, much of today's denim is made with the planet in mind.
