Two pieces of clothing in our wardrobe world owes Americans. It's the tuxedo and, of course, jeans. These clothes are favored by people of different sex and age, in may 2003 celebrated its 130th anniversary.

Jeans appeared in our wardrobe with a light hand to Levi Strauss, who emigrated from Germany to America, where in California he opened a clothing store. California of those times was famous for the legendary "gold rush", and its main town of San Francisco was a small tent settlement. Merchant, Levi Strauss brought a considerable load of canvas for making tents, as this material is durable and tough and are best suited for this purpose. The merchant initially expected to sell all his goods and brought the money to open a small store different small items. The goods he intended to deliver from new York, where he left his brothers.

Levi Strauss very quickly realized that can get rich and not resorting to heavy work in the gold mines, because all his goods had instantly fled, and left only a bit of canvas. Her enterprising merchant gave to the tailor for making the party press, which, however, also were instantly sold out. In the port were many ships abandoned by sailors wanting to try their luck in the gold mines. Levi Strauss thought to buy their sails and continued the manufacture of comfortable trousers. People wanting he was not, as the pants were comfortable and cheap, and was supplied with plenty of durable pockets. In addition, they were made of very sturdy fabric and differed a good wearability. Thus, this garment is ideal for the demands of key customers — sailors and gold diggers.

Levi Strauss (Levi Strauss)

In 1853, at the address Sacramento street, 117 opens a haberdashery shop. Is a joint venture between Levi Strauss and his cousin David, titled "Levi Strauss & Co.". Specialized this institution on sewing pants out of any durable material. The same year gave the world's first jeans. They were somewhat similar to what we used to consider a traditional pair of jeans. In form they resembled overalls and were brown. Levi Strauss personally carried this piece of art on sites of gold. They were made of coarse fabric of the tent, but soon it was replaced with softer — "denim" is derived from French "Serge de Nime". But here there was some unexpected trouble. When the pockets were stuffed mined nuggets, soft fabric not withstand the gravity and inevitably torn. In 1870 a new companion brothers Strauss found a solution to this problem. Jacob Davis, a tailor coming from Nevada, realized that the metal rivets that secure the harness, can be a wonderful strengthening of the pockets. The idea was so original and so fond of the audience that all subsequent party press had such a unique ornament. Davis himself was an immigrant from Latvia. In 1872 he sent Strauss a letter of proposal to improve pockets with metal rivets. His wife threatened him with care if he'll pay for the copyright. The patent in the time cost 68 dollars, which Davis was not, himself, Levi Strauss gave him the money to apply. Was soon ordered the first batch of new trousers with pockets. By the way, material for sewing was twill blue. Nice blue color was given with natural Indigo dye, which in the 19th century was the most durable and also very inexpensive. So, 1873 can be considered the birth year of Original Riveted Levi's. The wider public sturdy, comfortable and hardwearing pants immediately hit the spot.

Rivet was at first done only on the pants and on the back pockets. However, they were soon removed, and was preceded by this very curious incident that occurred in 1941. Walter Haas, (President of the company at the time), was sitting by the fire. Rivet the front was red and painfully burned him, after which he, of course, ordered the rivets with the crotch removed. Removed and with their back pockets as they scraped the chairs and seats.

21 000 jackets with rivets and pants sold by Levi Strauss during the first year after the patent was issued.

In 1873 the company Levi Strauss & Co has launched the mass production of jeans. Widely known and now Levi's 501 jeans, then released, has not changed for many years, and many to this day wear them with pleasure. Then they were called waist overalls (the"jumpsuit to the waist"), and until 1960 it retained the original name. The number 501 is just the batch number of the material. In 1912, the inventor was the son of Jacob Simon, who launched the children's overalls. In 1886 there was a leather label showing two horses trying to tear the jeans apart.

The history of jeans on a series of questions that can be called a mystery. For example, it is unclear where did the word jeans ( jeans) and denim. About the origin of denim is a little we wrote above, perhaps it comes from the name of a French material serge de Nimes (Niska twill). But this is probably unreliable information, because the fabric of the same name existed in the 17th century, and its basis were cotton and wool. At the same time England produced cloth from cotton, which was called "gene" (jean). But it was also known that a century earlier this textile was seen in Italy, and later the secret to making this fabric came to England. As for America, there denim appeared only in the early 18th century. May, Levi Strauss called its product the word "jeans" to celebrate the fact that they are made from popular and durable fabric.

Levi Strauss did a lot for the development of the American economy and in the day of his death, September 26, 1902, mourn the whole country. In San Francisco there were even half-mast flags, and the Newspapers were filled with mournful obituaries.

Condition Levi Strauss had six million dollars. At that time it was huge money. The company inherited four nephews Strauss, as he has no children of his own. The President of the company chose Jacob stern, the eldest of them.

20 years of the twentieth century gave us modern jeans. Pants 501 original models did not even have belt loops, and wore them with suspenders. The importance of jeans purchased during the war with Germany. They were sold exclusively to the military, that did not stop the hippies, which made jeans an integral part of their image. Later, a century after its inception, jeans have won and Europe. A couple of decades — and blue pants entered the world of high fashion and fell into the hands of designers, who immediately began to use them as a storehouse of different ideas. That only did not do with jeans! Bleached, sanded, soaked in acid solution, was shot with small shot, to get a kind of hole, tore. But a sharp rise denim industry began with the introduction in production of new colors. A large role was played by new technologies "stonewash" and "overdye", invented by the enterprising Japanese. Over the 130 years of its existence, jeans have gone from workwear laborers to the protagonists of fashion shows.

In 1990 Levi Strauss & Co. loses more than half its market share. As fashion changes, young people prefer loose-fitting jeans, while the company continues to manufacture the classic model. In only three years, volume sales are down by 28 per cent.

One of the first advertisements of the products of Levi Strauss & Co., which was mainly designed for cowboys and farmers

For a long 130 years of operation, the company has adopted its position on the market of quality clothing. Now there comes a time when Levi's became the symbol of not only quality but also style.

And Levi's Engineered Jean, and Girls Red Tab and Red Tab Guys are outstanding representatives of urban youth clothing.Designed for real guys that are passionate about extreme, seductive female figures — jeans for every taste.

A unique collection for the more affluent persons — Levi's Red and Levi's Vintage Clothing. First, a designer will satisfy romantics who love unusual clothes. The second repeats the same old technology, differing only in a few new elements.

The life of Levi Strauss, his path is a textbook story for emerging designers. Almost everyone knows that these jeans have copper rivets and the leather label, which depicts a striking experience, when in 1886 the pants tried to break a couple of horses. The Levi's 501 model, existing for 130 years, is considered a classic denim industry, and it is unlikely banknotes can brag of such quantity of protection, as these iconic pants.