News Brief: The Enduring Legacy of Denim
Summary
The article traces the evolution of blue jeans from a practical workwear solution for 19th-century laborers to a ubiquitous global fashion staple, highlighting key moments in its 150-year history.
Key Points
- Humble Beginnings: In the 1870s, tailor Jacob Davis reinforced a miner’s denim pants with copper rivets to prevent tearing. This simple innovation created the first “riveted pants.”
- Business Partnership: Davis partnered with dry goods merchant Levi Strauss to patent the design (1873), marking the official birth of blue jeans as durable workwear for miners, cowboys, and farmers.
- From Work to Leisure: In the early 20th century, denim began transitioning from pure workwear to leisure attire, popularized by “dude ranch” vacations and marketed as “dude ranch duds.”
- Post-WWII Boom: The post-war economic surge and demand for casual “play clothes” for activities like backyard barbecues made jeans acceptable everyday attire for men and women.
- Cultural Icon: By the 1960s and 70s, denim became a symbol of counterculture (hippies) and high fashion (designer jeans from Calvin Klein, etc.), solidifying its place beyond work or western wear.
- Enduring Legacy: The core 1873 design remains recognizable today. Denim is now a $101 billion global market (2024), democratizing fashion and standing as a quintessential American export.
新闻简报：丹宁布的持久传奇
摘要
本文追溯了蓝色牛仔裤从一个为19世纪劳工设计的实用工作服解决方案，演变为无处不在的全球时尚单品的过程，重点介绍了其150年历史中的关键节点。
关键点
- 卑微起源：19世纪70年代，裁缝雅各布·戴维斯为一位矿工的丹宁裤加固了铜铆钉以防止撕裂。这项简单的创新创造了第一条”铆钉裤”。
- 商业合作：戴维斯与干货商李维·斯特劳斯合作，为设计申请了专利（1873年），标志着蓝色牛仔裤作为矿工、牛仔和农民耐用工作服的正式诞生。
- 从工作到休闲：20世纪初，丹宁布开始从纯粹的工作服向休闲服过渡，因”度假牧场”的流行而兴起，并被营销为”度假牧场行头”。
- 二战后的繁荣：战后的经济繁荣以及对后院烧烤等休闲活动”便服”的需求，使牛仔裤成为男女皆宜的日常着装。
- 文化标志：到20世纪60、70年代，丹宁布成为反主流文化（嬉皮士）和高端时尚（卡尔文·克莱恩等品牌的设计师牛仔裤）的象征，巩固了其超越工作服或西部服的定位。
- 持久遗产：1873年的核心设计至今仍可辨识。丹宁布现已成为一个价值1010亿美元的全球市场（2024年），它 democratizes 时尚，并成为典型的美国出口品。
Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/06/the-history-of-denim-and-how-jeans-were-created.html