10 Things You Never Knew About Jeans

“Blue jeans are the most beautiful things since the gondola” – Diana Vreeland

Jeans are as much a part of everyday culture as mobile phones, cars and television. They’re an essential in almost every wardrobe in the Western world. Although they are so pervasive, here are 10 things you most likely didn’t know about them:

What’s in a name?

The word ‘jeans’ is believed to come from the earliest wearers of the material, sailors from Genoa, Italy. ‘Denim’, however appears to be derived from ‘de Nime’s – ‘of Nimes’ in France.

Thank God they changed that

One of the oldest denim brands in the world, Levi Strauss, originally designed denim jeans as workwear. This isn’t a particularly unknown fact, but what isn’t so well known is that the there was one significant design change: the crotch rivet. Unfortunately, for any workman who sat by a fire the effects of a rivet in such a place would be, to put it mildly, uncomfortable.

Okay, YKK?

Chances are, you’ve worn a pair of jeans with a zip that says ‘YKK’ on it. YKK stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha, the largest manufacturer of zippers in the world. Translated from Japanese, the name means Yoshida Company Limited, and was founded in 1934.

Copper stitching

The orange/yellow color of stitching on jeans was originally chosen because it matched the copper of jean’s stud rivets.

We gotta take the power back… with our clothes

Jeans were worn to represent rebellion in the 1950s, particularly by teenagers. However, blue jeans had a far greater impact in other parts of the world. During the Cold War of the 60s to the 80s, jeans in the Eastern Bloc were outlawed because they symbolized capitalism.

Variety is the spice of life

There are many different jeans styles available today, from low-rise to flared, skinny jeans to straight leg. However, according to eBay, the most popular jeans this year were bootcut styles, outselling straight leg and skinny jeans by three times.

Different materials

Jeans aren’t just made from denim. Jeans have been made from a variety of different materials over the years, including hemp, canvas, linen and leather.

Movie-star jeans

One of the first appearances of jeans in film was in the 1945 film Leave Her To Heaven. However, it was the cowboy movies by director John Ford in the 1950s that cemented the image of the American West, and the classic blue jeans.

Classic best-sellers

Jeans are still one of the biggest selling items of casual wear, and it’s been estimated that in the UK alone we buy around 7 million pairs of jeans each year.