Denim fabric and jeans item is an evergreen fashion trend for all ages of human being. It is almost impossible to ignore jeans appeal. All ages of people love this item whether they are young or old. It is one of the most lovable, comfortable, stylish, trustworthy, fashion clothing items in this universe. From the invention to till now denim never lost its demand. Today, I have tried to compile about 35 fun facts that you may not know before of this item.
- Inventor of denim:
– At the time of 1500s, denim was first invented in Genoa, Italy. It was made for the Italian navy to wear while on duty. The word ‘jeans’ comes from the word ‘Genes’, which is the French word for the city of Genoa. But later then jeans weaving was modernized by Levi Strauss. He popularized this item in the 1870s. He made clothes for miners and other working-class people since the material was budget friendly. Thus, he is believed to be the father of modern denim who patented the first denim with Jacob Davis.
- Orange thread:
If you see a pair of genuine Levi’s jeans, remember that each pair has an orange thread for decorative purpose. Each of these jeans has a trademark orange thread attached to it. This was first used to match the copper rivets which were first used on jeans.
- Origin of the name:
– The origin of the name of Jeans comes from the French word although the exact source is still disputed. It is certain, however, that the term “denim” was first used in 1789 in a newspaper on Rhode Island.
- Why Jeans becomes Blue?
– We know that the most original denim fabric is blue. But why is that?
Well, the first denim made was blue because the inventor found that this color was best for hiding dirt on the pants which got onto the clothing – ideal for miners and sailors. And blue color for dying could collect easily from several resources. Now, of course, blue jeans are preferred only because they look great and lucrative. Before the 20th century, manufacturers imported indigo from India to create the blue denim look. Artificial dyes were then created, so imported indigo become less common.
There are now many other colors available, including black, red, and green. All these colors are achieved with artificial dyes.
- Jeans birthday:
– On May 20, 1873, Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss received patents for blue jeans from the government office. So, globally this day is considered as the birthday of jeans.
- Are Skinny jeans not jeans?
– Girls mostly like to wear Skinny jeans where elastic fabric is embedded which stress the fabric. But real denim doesn’t feel stretch too much.
- Work-wear:
– Jeans have not always been a trademark of fashion and everyday casual looks. In fact, denim was the garment of hard-working miners who worked in the railways and other heavy responsibilities. Denim is one of the most durable materials behind them because people working in this kind of niche were wearing it.
- World War II:
– Denim became very popular among American soldiers during the 2nd World War. They like to wore denim jeans while off duty. Denim also treated comfortable casual wearers among them to get rid of getting dirty.
- Older than your grandmother:
– The beginning of jeans dates back to the beginning but at the moment, the oldest pair of jeans was found in 1998 in a mine in California. That pair of Levi’s 501 style is 115 years old! Speaking of staying in style for decades, the pair was later sold at auction to a Japanese antique piece collector for $ 60,000!
- Jeans vs. denim:
– Although in this list we are covering information that concerns both denim fabric and jeans, they are not completely one. Jeans were originally used for fine clothing, while denim was only used as an irritating material for workers’ clothing.
- Lucky Number 7:
Research has shown that every American has an average of 7 pairs of jeans in their closet. What about you?
- Cotton fiber:
– It takes about 2 pounds of cotton to make 1 pair of jeans. 325 pairs of jeans can be made from one bell cotton.
- West overalls:
– For us, pants made of denim fabric are known as jeans. Although they were called ‘West Overalls’. Denim jeans weren’t known as ‘jeans’ until the 1950s – before this point, they were referred to more commonly as ‘overalls.
- Did Bush hate denim?
– Not all presidents like denim as much as Barack Obama likes his denim style quite well. In 2001, George W. Bush banned blue jeans from the office of American President Oval!
- Prohibited in school:
– Not only were George W. Bush anti-jeans, but many schools also banned jeans in the 1950s. Because they thought denim was a sign of uprising against authority.
- Zipper trademark:
– Most jeans zippers are printed “YKK” by a Japanese zipper manufacturer who produces most jeans zippers in the world! “YKK” is a well-known benchmark zipper for jeans lovers.
- Different zippers location:
– At an early age when jeans were still worn by most miners, men had zippers in front of jeans, and women had zippers on side of their jeans.
- Cheap pants?
– At the beginning stage these clothes had invented for miners and other working-class people since the material was budget friendly. Nowadays, the average price of a pair of jeans is about $45. However, surprisingly the most expensive pair of jeans was priced at $250,000 so far! Those jeans were Dassault Apparel’s Trashed Denim Jeans that cost so much.
- Jeans shrink:
– When denim washes, it is a bit shrunken. However, to prevent this from happening, some manufacturers pre-shrink their jeans. For example, the Levi 501 style is pre-shrink.
- 2.4 Billion:
– The amount of fabric produced per year for denim clothing is about 2.4 billion yards.
- 450 Million:
– The number of jeans sold worldwide is 450 million pieces every year.
- Rocks and denim:
– I am always wondering where jeans will get that iconic look? Although nowadays most of the enzymes are used to bring out the wash look of it, the oasis is less seen with jeans in stone.
- Elvis Presley Jeans:
– Elvis Presley, the king of rock and roll, named a pair of jeans after him. A pair of Lewis jeans called the Elvis Presley Jeans was made in 1958 and was worn by Elvis Presley. Moreover, jeans have featured on several songs by popular artists over the years. Lana Del Rey released a song titled ‘Blue Jeans’ in 2012, and Neil Diamond released ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ in 1979.
- Use of water in jeans production:
It takes about 900 gallons of water to produce a pair of pants. It takes 10,000 liters of water for a pair of jeans pants. Can you imagine the bad impact of the environment to produce jeans clothing?
- Interesting fact about jeans:
Levi Strauss is the creator of modern jeans through the famous brand Levi’s but never wore a pair of jeans from his production line. He was a wealthy businessman and at that time jeans were treated wearer for the poor people.
- Mom jeans:
– We all know and like or dislike mom and dad jeans. Did you know that their zipper was 9 inches long?
- Limbo:
– A denim called “Limbo” became a new fashion trend in the eastern village. Limbo Boutique House introduces the first denim wash method to get a new look. Denim cannot be imagined without wash at present.
- Canadian Tuxedo:
– Denim has brought a lot of controversy over time. In 1951, Bing Crosby was not allowed to enter any Canadian hotel because he was wearing jeans. That’s why Levy’s style is called “Canadian Tuxedo”.
- Jeggings:
– To combat leggings-overpower, jeggings a.k.a jeans + leggings were invented. Even the Oxford English Dictionary has the word jeggings!
- Jeans made in China:
– More than 50% of globally sold jeans are made in Asia. Did you think jeans are all western? Bangladesh, India, and China together account for 50% of global jeans production.
- What is not popular jeans?
– Between 2013 and 2014, when jeans sales fell by 5%, global leggings became as popular as a storm.
- Indigo:
-Every year, about 20,000 tons of indigo are produced for the sole purpose of dying jeans. For your kind information that indigo is treated as a harmful element to the environment.
- Is jeans illegal?
North Korea is the only country in the world where wearing jeans is banned nationally. North Korea has a cold war with the USA. Thus, they could take such a decision.
- The chronological sequence of jeans:
There are many different styles of jeans available now, including bootcut, skinny and straight. While baggy jeans and bootcut jeans were popular in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, lots of people prefer wearing skinny jeans nowadays. These are made by mixing denim with another fabric called elastane, which helps to slightly stretch the material.
- Coin pocket:
The small pocket in the larger pocket of your jeans was originally designed for a pocket watch by Levi Strauss.
I have tried to accumulate about 35 fascinating facts about jeans & denim. Now you know more about denim than the ordinary people. So, you’ll have many opportunities to impress someone if arise any discussion regarding denim items! Do you know anything more? Please let us know in the comment section which facts were new to you and which already knew!
You may like: It is not wise to wash out the Jeans ever!
