Fun fact: Nevada is the true birthplace of blue jeans!
If you didn’t know, Nevada was the birthplace of many things that are considered commonplace items today, ranging from hard hats for construction workers to video slot machines (surprise, surprise!) But did you know that Nevada was the TRUE and ACTUAL birthplace of blue jeans, as well?
San Francisco’s, Levi Strauss & Co. are largely credited for creating denim jeans as we know them today. However, the history of blue jeans starts in the city of Reno, Nevada.
Most people think blue jeans started with Levi Strauss, and you’re not technically wrong. But the actual person responsible for the invention of denim jeans was none other than a Nevadan by the name of Jacob W. Davis.
Davis was an immigrant from Latvia. A tailor who lived in both Virginia City and Reno during the 1860s. He was extremely good at his craft and was known for making tents, horse blankets, and wagon covers using a heavy duty cotton and “denim” fabric that he bought from Levi Strauss in San Francisco.
The story goes: One of Davis’ customers came to him with a special request to create a pair of pants for her husband who was apparently too large for typical “ready-made” clothes. She asked him to make the pants as strong as possible so that they wouldn’t tear.
Because of that request, Davis used copper rivets that were typically used for horse blankets in order to fasten the pockets in a way that they wouldn’t tear easily. This was the first pair of what would become some of the most popular pants in the world!
Davis’ special pants were in high demand by workers who needed heavy duty clothing, and it got to a point that Davis thought his design would be stolen from him. He wanted to patent his design but didn’t have the money. THIS is where Levi Strauss comes in – he asked him to help him pay for the patent. The two were granted an official U.S. patent in 1873, and the rest is history!
Those Levi’s we love (the tag with our waist size on it, not so much…) are often associated with Strauss, but it was Davis who came up with the features that are so iconic to Levi’s blue jeans. Davis even made the decision to use a double orange thread—a design feature that is still in use by Levi Strauss and Company today.
So the next time you pull on your most comfortable Levi’s – or even any pair of jeans, for that matter – think of the great state of Nevada, and the “Biggest Little City in the World”: RENO!
Here’s some iconic denim:
-Carla Rea
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Denim has been around for a long time. Three teens from the mid 50's
Abba showing off their denim
Kevin Costner looking sharp in his Levi's
Christina Aguilera looking very "Christina" in her Levi's
Jay Leno looking bada** in his Levi's. Jay wore these almost all the time in his off hours
If only we could all look as good as Janet Jackson does in her jeans
Missy Elliot and Madonna wearing their denim
Marlene Dietrich: "I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men."
Tom Cruise in denim
Cher made her jeans fancier, like all little girls used to do!
