Fishboat sails and fashion craze: David Bergen of Levi Strauss on the history of jeans

David Bergen, having worked as the chief information officer and senior vice president of Levi Strauss, is aware of the popularity of jeans today. The timeless blue pants, however, were not always as esteemed as they are now. From ship sails to fashion classics, this post takes a look at the history of jeans.

David Bergen Levi Strauss Image Credit: gorrie.com

The word “jean” came from Genoa, Italy, and pertained to a heavyweight fabric made in the area and worn by its sailors. Weavers from the city of Nimes, France tried to imitate the fabric, but instead developed a different twill cloth that came to be known as denim, its name taken from “Serge de Nimes.”

David Bergen Levi Strauss Image Credit: t3.gstatic.com

It would take years before David Bergen’s former company, Levi Strauss, would be established. While Christopher Columbus was reported to have come to America in ships with denim sails, the fabric did not arrive and garner popularity until the late 18th century, when its durability made it an ideal attire for manual laborers like miners, railroad workers, and cowboys.

David Bergen Levi Strauss Image Credit: inorderforlife.wordpress.com

The prevalence of westerns and celebrity cowboys during the late 19th and early 20th centuries sealed the jeans’ role as an American symbol. The blue pants came to represent the American West, and the so-called rugged individualism that characterizes its culture.

The 1950s opened the greater public to the use of jeans, although at the time, wearing the garment was regarded as a symbol of rebellion. Growing acceptance ensured that by the 1970s, jeans were general fashion for casual wear in the U.S. During the last few decades, the popularity of jeans had gone beyond American boundaries, and the garment is now worn in almost every part of the world.

For more details about David Bergen and his work at Levi Strauss, visit this Facebook page.