The Creation of Levi Jeans

The life of Levi Strauss is a U.S. success story. A German who immigrated to America in 1847 at age twenty, Levi Strauss began by selling needles, thread, and buttons in New York. On the invitation of his brother-in-law, he sailed to San Francisco in 1853.

Gold had been discovered in California a few years before, and the Gold Rush had begun. The population exploded as more and more people came to try to get rich overnight. Suddenly, thousands of people started mining for gold. Strauss noticed that the miners complained that their pants were always tearing easily and that the pockets ripped apart as soon as one put a few nuggets¹ in them.

Strauss saw a business opportunity. He began making pants out of some heavy brown canvas he had brought to use for tents or wagon covers. These new pants were stiff, but they sold briskly. When the original fabric was used up, Strauss sent to Europe for more. What he got was a lighter, more flexible fabric from Nimes, France, called "serge de Nimes." This cloth, which became known as denim, proved even more useful for pants, since it was just as strong but much more comfortable. With indigo, the pants were dyed the familiar blue colour.

Miners still complained of problems with their pockets. On the advice of Nevada tailor Jacob Davis, Strauss went to a blacksmith and had the jeans pockets reinforced with metal rivets. In 1873 they patented² the popular innovation. The rivets, along with the patterned stitching on the hip pockets, became Levi trademarks.

Levi Strauss & Co. has continued to flourish. Since those early days, it has been a leader in the garment industry. Jeans have become desirable and even fashionable clothing for not only miners, farmers, and cowboys, but also for movie stars, executives, women, children, and teenagers from all over the world. The company is still run by descendants of Levi Strauss. Robert Haas, who heads up the Tailored Classics division, is the great-great-grandnephew of the founder. The company now markets a wide range of clothing and accessories, all under the brand name Levi's. Many new Levi products have been launched over the years. The company is still best known, however, as the maker of Levi jeans, the pants that are guaranteed to shrink³ wrinkle, and fade⁴.

Notes:

8. small lumps of rock with gold;

9. legally registered as company property;

10. become smaller after washing;

11. lose colour.

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