Denim jeans: the history of our favourite clothing piece
Jeans are a piece that we all love and have in our wardrobe. So what's the story behind our favourite clothing piece?
We go back to 1873 when the first jeans were born. Their inventor was the wholesaler Levi Strauss who wanted to make trousers and overalls for the workers in the French city of Nimes. He originally used shiplap, but the fabric was too stiff. So he replaced it with a French cotton fabric called Serge de Nimes, hence the name denim.
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The first jeans ever
The first appearance of jeans in Hollywood was in the 20s and 30s in western movies. That was when Vogue officially recognized jeans and called them a "western chic" piece.
40's & 50's
Ιn the 1950s, denim began to take on a revolutionary tone. They became a symbol of youth and were associated with cowboy culture, hard work and youthful rebellion. Marlon Brando and James Dean were the idols of that generation.
60's
Jeans were first worn in black by Elvis Presley in 1960. We've all seen the scene with Presley's signature dance while singing the Jailhouse Rock song from the all-time-classic movie. In that movie, he wore Levi's "Elvis Presley" denim. In that decade rock n' roll stars now established denim as a "cool" piece for the youth. It then became a symbol against the establishment, resulting in many schools banning it.
70's
In the 70's hippies played a leading role in fashion. They were talking about gender equality and rights wearing their signature flare trousers.
80's
In the 80's they became more mainstream but in a darker and much more expensive version. The washed-out flare jeans of the hippies were slowly leaving. In 1976, Calvin Klein was the first who dared to put jeans on the catwalk and for the first time launched the "provocative" for that time campaign with Brooke Shields. Guess, on the other hand, presents Claudia Schiffer's sexy giant posters. By then, denim pants were gaining a bold presence.
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90's
By the 1990s Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Dior had strongly embraced jeans. Then Tommy Hilfiger manufactured baggy for the first time, influenced by pop culture.
00's
In the 00's, low-rise trousers had a leading role, with fashion icons such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton taking them to the next level.
So this was a throwback to history. What is certain is that jeans were adopted by groups of different perceptions and aesthetics. The hip-hop trend was characterized by baggy, low-waisted trousers, hipsters and intellectuals preferred black denim, pop stars established faded, ripped jeans, while fashionistas spent big on vintage Levi's.
We as NO THINKIN, are a Greek brand based on denim. Discover our jeans here
xoxo,
M.