LS&Co. Unzipped
May 19 2010
Happy Birthday, Blue Jeans!
It was 137 years ago today when the awarding of a U.S. patent – number 139,121, if you’re into details – essentially led to the invention of blue jeans.
That patent was for the process of strengthening men’s work pants with copper rivets. And it was awarded to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss was a dry goods wholesaler in San Francisco when Davis approached him about a great new system for making sturdy men’s work pants – with rivets. Davis needed a business partner to make the innovation work. And Levi, who supplied Davis with fabric, agreed to work with him.
Davis had been making riveted pants out of white cotton duck material for his Reno customers since 1871, and after the patent came through two years later, LS&Co. began to make pants from blue denim.
Originally called “waist overalls” or simply “overalls” to distinguish them from bib overalls – these first jeans had one pocket in back and two pockets plus the watch pocket in front. They also had a strap and buckle on the back of the waistband to cinch the pants in, and buttons for suspenders to hold the pants up.
The Arcuate stitching design, now seen on virtually all Levi’s® jeans, was there from the beginning. We don’t know why it was first used or what the design was meant to represent – a result of the loss of our records in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.
The denim came from the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company in Manchester, New Hampshire. Their top-of-the-line denim was so famous it was simply called “XX,” and that’s the name we gave to the first jeans. They were given their 501® trademark in 1890.
Patents are exclusive to their inventors for only 17 years. In 1890, LS&CO. was no longer the only company to make riveted clothing.
But we created this new category of men’s clothing – today called blue jeans – 137 years ago, a fact that no competitor, new or old, can ever dispute.
Posted By: Lynn Downey, Historian, Levi Strauss & Co. |
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2011You know our product – particularly Levi’s® and Dockers® – but we’re betting there’s a lot about Levi Strauss & Co. you don’t know.
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eezacque (not verified) - Aug 01 2010
The last 501 I bought fell apart after no more than 2 weeks of wearing, due to sloppy stitching! The supplier apologized that Levi's are currently produced in countries like Egypt, Mexico and Haiti, and after some discussion he offered me a full restitution. Now, I don't care where my Levi's are produced, but it looks like your current policy implies a substandard quality: you just lost a loyal customer.
Editor’s note: We take great pride in our product, no matter where it’s made. As a U.S.-based company with customers around the world, we work hard with vendors globally to produce top-quality Levi’s® jeans and other products. And we require these vendors to meet high standards — in not only how they treat their workers, but also how they make our product. I’m glad you received your money back, but we definitely don’t want to lose a customer. I encourage you to try another pair of our jeans. And if you’re still not satisfied — tell us directly. You may use the Help/Contact Us section of LeviStrauss.com to reach our Consumer Relations department. The folks there will do their best to turn you back into a loyal Levi’s® brand customer.
Shelly Mack (not verified) - Jul 07 2010
How do I buy jeans on your site? Thank you
Editor's note: Thanks for asking! Scroll to the top of the page and click on "Buy." You may choose from either Levi's® jeans or Dockers® khakis. Of course both sites offer more than jeans and khakis, respectively. Take a look around -- and happy shopping!
Gabby Santini (not verified) - Jun 03 2010
It's a pity you didn't stick with the original and wonderful product. I have worn levis for 30 years but had to stop wearing them because i can no longer buy a pair without spandex or elastane in them. Jeans with these additives are not JEANSand are NOT COMFORTABLE!!!!!! and it's about time Levis went back to being the best in the world instead of compromising on quality.
Editor's Note: Gabby, In response to your comment, I reached out to my product expert colleagues: We appreciate your frustration, and we wish we could offer more cotton options. As demand has become much greater for stretch jeans for women, stores are carrying fewer styles in 100% cotton. We do offer some options at our website, www.levi.com, with a Juniors 513™ Boyfriend jean in the Wanderer finish and the women’s 501® Boyfriend Cut Jeans in four finishes – Aqua Sky, Pacific Damaged, Cracked Blue and Dune. Our quality standards and guarantee apply to all products equally, so we want to know if you have any quality problems with our products. Feel free to call us at 1-800-USA-LEVI or email us here.
shafqut (not verified) - May 20 2010
Levi's is the most loved jean since centuries.... no match of Levi's denim bottoms.
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