When we talk about the garments that have set the standard and have stayed forever, we must necessarily mention the famous and adored jeans. These pants, worn all over the world, are a garment that is in the closets of women and men from different cultures, and are currently used in different environments and events, from going to the movies with family or friends, to going to the work or an important social event.
So who said jeans can’t be stylish? Obviously the elegance of a garment like this will depend on several aspects and/or elements that we will explain in this article. However, before advancing on the subject, we are going to briefly tell the story of jeans, because we consider it necessary for you to know the details of a garment that you wear so frequently. Let’s start by explaining that its origin dates back to the 19th century, exactly in the year 1853, when the German Levi Strauss went to live in San Francisco in the United States, to found a company to sell tents to miners, in a time when the gold rush took hold of that region.
During his process of adaptation and installation in that city, he was able to observe that the workers of the gold mines preferred to sleep outdoors, due to the prevailing heat in the area, but they had the problem that the weak fabrics of their pants were easily torn. , so he decided to take advantage of the brown denim (a very resistant cotton fabric) from the tents that he intended to sell to the miners, to design high-waisted pants called overalls.
Subsequently, Jacob Davis, a tailor who was a client of Levi Strauss, proposed to Levi Strauss to join forces and patent the idea. In this way, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted them the patent on May 20, 1873 under number 139,121, thus giving birth to the famous and practical «jean».
Although it is true that its use for many years was almost exclusively for hard work, towards the fifties it began to be used informally by the youth of the time, because it had gone through several changes such as the characteristic indigo blue dyeing, which was from India, which the Genoese achieved. It should also be noted that for the Second World War, these denim pants were included in the list of provisions received by the allied troops, due to their great resistance and endurance during the operations of the war.
In this way, this garment that was born out of a need for some miners and that has been the only one that has united six generations, became a symbol of the rebellious youth of the sixties, and later in the decade of In the 1970s, it became a universal garment for men and women, regardless of race or social class, which is why designers of the time, such as Kenzo, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin, began to wear denim in their collections.
This is how, the arrival of the eighties brought with it important changes for this garment, when the most famous fashion houses began to design garments with this type of texture, while the fabric factories began to apply chemical washing techniques, that gave different shades that quickly caused a furor in youth, strengthening the position of the jean to this day, making it more versatile, elegant and multifunctional.
Obviously we find many historical data of a garment that today can be a symbol of elegance, despite having been created for hard work by Levi Strauss together with Jacob Davis, until imposing the classic 501 jean of the Levi’s brand. , which owes its name to the manufacturing batch number assigned at the time of its manufacture.
An important fact that we should all know is the origin of the term «jean», which comes from a fabric similar to denim (French material called «sourge de Nimes» or «De Nimes») and that was very popular in Genoa, Italy, where fabrics began to be dyed to innovate and diversify the fashion of this famous pants, whose use also extended to the manufacture of jackets, shirts, blouses and even footwear of different models.
Interestingly, the rise of jeans in the 1950s went hand in hand with the development of the film industry, from which renowned actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean emerged, who were called the «bad boys of Hollywood», and for Of course, they wore jeans in their movies and in their daily lives, increasing the fame of this garment, which gradually positioned itself as a garment capable of making anyone look good, for which it earned the recognition of famous designers. , artists and personalities from all fields.
In general terms, jeans represent practicality, hard work, comfort, casual and elegant at the same time, depending on the occasion, the model, the combinations, accessories, footwear, and even the makeup and hairstyle that is worn. , in short, the outfit chosen for a certain occasion, which can have different trends according to the styles imposed by groups related to music, such as: punks, rockers, New Wave, break dance and hip hop, which have imposed more avant-garde aesthetics.
In this way, in the 21st century, the jean is still valid and its identity crosses borders, cultures, lifestyles and remains in the collections of famous designers, thus being a basic garment in the wonderful world of fashion, which is adapted with creativity to different styles and has made the designs more flexible so that it can be used in more refined and elegant environments.
In this way, designs such as the «Denim Block» arise, where a fusion of different textures and textiles is presented, which give the garments futuristic and architectural appearances, or the so-called «Utilitarian Jean 80», which is inspired by the decade from the 80s, in which oversized and utilitarian silhouettes are used with bellows-type pockets and covers that give a practical touch to the pieces.
There is also the «Taylor Denim», in which refinement is given to denim, through silhouettes, structures and textiles, mostly using blends of cotton with nylon, silk or linen, which give it an elegant and sophisticated touch. to garments with influence in the 80s and 90s that maintain a traditional and classic style.
On the other hand, the garments that are designed under the «Construction» style are made with fabrics with worn, destroyed and frayed appearances, which are achieved through special laundry processes where sandpaper and abrasive products are used to destroy fabrics and stains. seams, giving an appearance that in other times would have been considered in bad taste, a symbol of poverty and carelessness, and today, who does not have a jean with this aspect in his closet and uses it even to go to a party, combined with high heels, a handbag, a blouse, jewelry and magnificent makeup, which give modernity and elegance to the modern woman.
Therefore, wearing an outfit with jeans represents a practical, comfortable, modern and elegant alternative, depending on how, when and where you want to wear them. This gives the jean a versatility that can hardly be surpassed by another piece of clothing, in addition to being timeless, since it can be worn throughout the year, accepting an endless number of possible combinations, which makes the chosen outfits true creations where creativity and good taste play a fundamental role, uniting simplicity with striking colors, and making the personal touch prevail.
So, it is up to each person how to wear jeans, knowing how to combine them according to the occasion will give you the approval of the majority, and if you think that they are not elegant and/or formal enough to attend work or an important meeting, you should play at making different combinations with jackets, fine blouses, belts, scarves, handbags, eye-catching stone jewelry, which are key to being able to use them on any occasion. So your favorite jeans can make you look professional and elegant, which will attract everyone’s attention.
For example, you could give elegance to a jean if you combine it with blouses and shoes of the same color, adding a blazer or jacket in a contrasting tone, and allow the appropriate accessories to finish giving it that touch of distinction that you are looking for, without forgetting that a good purse, a long necklace and a metal bracelet, achieve spectacular effects that will make you look splendid.
Therefore, the jean is undoubtedly the star garment when we talk about the clothes that have come to stay in the lives of human beings, they have represented a far-reaching social phenomenon, which surely Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis never thought would come to be. position itself so deeply rooted not only in the fashion industry, but in the minds of people, in their lifestyles, in their cultures.
On the other hand, the creators of this piece would never have imagined that the jean would be used by millions of people from all strata around the world, going from being a piece designed as overalls for the hard work of mine workers. of gold from San Francisco, to represent such a versatile option when it comes to dressing, for men and women of the modern world, which provides practicality, comfort, modernity and elegance.