history
In 1847, Levi Strauss left his hometown of Buttenheim in Bavaria, and travelled by boat to New York to join his brother Jonas who had established a small but thriving dry goods business, J Strauss Brother & Co.
At the end of January 1853, Levi became an American citizen, and in February he headed for San Francisco’s West Coast, arriving in early March and quickly setting up shop at 90 Sacramento Street, not far from the harbour. He traded in wholesale dry goods, including fabric, tools and clothing, supplying other shops through California and America’s ‘Gold Rush’ West.
A few years of successful trading passed until Levi’s and immigrant Latvian tailor Jacob Davis’ paths crossed. When a customer’s wife asked for a pair of hardwearing trousers, Davis put together a pair from white sturdy ‘cotton duck’ fabric with riveted pocket corners for extra stength. The revolutionary trouser design was an overnight success and realising he had a potential hit on his hands, Davis took his idea to his fabric supplier and the town’s philanthropist – Levi Strauss. Together they created and patented the first blue jeans on May 20th 1873.
The very first pair of Levi’s, produced under a patent for exclusive rights to riveted clothing, were made from 9oz denim from the Amoskeag Mill, New Hampshire. (*The history of Amoskeag is inextricably linked with Levi’s – for more information see our denim glossary). Sewn in San Fransico’s industrial sector and sold across small independent retailers, the trousers – a pair of cinch back waist overalls – became a template for the brand’s designs when the rivet’s exclusive patent expired in 1890. Within a few years the line included riveted coats, overalls and non-denim clothing, as well as the waist overalls – all essential uniforms for the hard working, hard living men of the American West.
Shortly after the Levi’s patent was granted, a clothing factory was set up in San Fransico but details from around this time are patchy – the company’s records, along with warehouses and the factory, were destroyed soon after in the great earthquake of 1906. Levi Strauss had died four years earlier, leaving the business to his nephews to continue. The four brothers, Jacob, Sigmund, Louis and Abraham Stern rebuilt the family business after the earthquake and fire, introducing new lines for women and finer corduroy and khaki clothing.
By this time, Levi’s were making such a variety of riveted pieces that individual 3-digit numbers were given to each; the number 501 being assigned to the very first riveted jean produced by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis back in 1973. The business was expanding rapidly, by 1919 Sigmund Stern’s brother-in law Walter A. Hass had joined the business – who brought his cousin Daniel Koshland to the business three years later and after Sigmund’s death in 1928 the two cousins worked together for the next thirty years. As the 20s ended the business made the decision that was crucial to its longevity and success – it trademarked the name Levi’s (previously any pair of riveted trousers has been known as ‘Levi’s’).
As the company moved into the 30s, it began to associate itself with the now iconic cowboy imagery. As well as bonafide cowboy customers, a Dude Ranch Duds line was established to cater for city living Westerners who spent their holidays on ranches simulating the cowboy lifestyle. ‘Dudes’ who’d never worn denim in their life were now stocking up on entire Levi’s lines for their adventure holidays. Lady Levi’s was also established at part of the Dude Ranch Duds line and in 1935, in a turning point for the brand’s fashion kudos, Vogue ran a travel feature on dude ranching illustrated with two chic women wearing … Lady Levi’s.
However, as Levi’s became more and more prolific amongst the horse riding, cattle ranching, campfire burning community, one or two design flaws came to the fore. The copper rivets that reinforced pockets were badly scratching saddles and the unfortunately positioned crotch rivet was becoming dangerously hot when the wearer crouched over a campfire. In 1937, the pocket design changed to cover rivets and in 1942 the crotch rivet was removed completely.
The Second World War was another (non-negotiable) influence in the evolution of Levi’s design. Rationing of raw materials meant surplus design features had to be abandoned. Cinch backs and suspender buttons was removed (although these had fading from fashion since the 30s anyway). Rivets were removed from the watch pocket and the base of the button fly and the famous Levi’s Arcuate was removed. Considered ‘false stitching’ and with no function, production workers instead painted the design on every pair of jeans to leave the factory.
The dry goods wholesale business Levi's Strauss had begun back in 1853 which had been operating alongside the company’s own clothing manufacture was discontinued shortly after WWII so Levi’s could concentrate on making its own apparel.
The 50s saw an upturn in the fortunes of America and of LS & Co. Through the endorsement of Hollywood and forward thinking advertising campaigns denim found a new audience – the teenager. As denim and in particular the 501 became associated with rebellion, youth and nonconformity American teenagers adopted them as their uniform, wearing them everywhere except ‘in bed and in church’. And thanks to American soldiers taking their Levi’s abroad a new wave of interest was generated across Europe and Asia.
The term ‘overalls’ became used less and less, replaced with the more modern ‘jeans’. Teenagers were becoming a hugely influential consumer group and as the 60s broke Levi’s chose to expand beyond denim to appeal to an even broader youth demographic. Jean-style trousers in twill and corduroy (known as ‘Slim Fits’) and stretch, patterned jeans that embrace hippy iconography were available to the teenage market.
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