Jeans is a universal clothing choice. On average, an American female has up to seven pairs of jeans in her wardrobe. However, looking at your pair of old jeans, you would never guess that the little buttons on the pocket of your jeans have historical significance.
These little buttons on the jeans were introduced by a San Francisco-based tailor named Jacob Davis. The workmen came to him with ripped clothes and Davis mended them expertly. However, he wanted to find a lasting solution to the problem of ripped jeans and torn pockets hanging open.
Davis found the perfect solution to the problem was using the copper rivets. Although he recognised the significance of his discovery, he had no money to patent his idea. The tailor approached Levi Strauss, the jeans supplier. Levi Strauss helped Davis to pay for the license and to set up a new business that sold custom pants for the workforce with riveted pockets.
The endurance of the riveted pockets became an instant hit with the working force of San Francisco. Soon, the rest of the country caught in the fever of the jeans with the riveted pockets.
The riveted pockets were thus, introduced for a very practical reason. Later, they became the signature Levi Strauss design. The small pocket of your jeans that you use to put in coins or thumb drives was originally meant to store the pocket watches.
The use of the orange thread in jeans is another Levi Strauss signature style. Legend says that Davis wanted to go for the matching thread, but the story could not be confirmed due to the non-availability of the historical records.
The ‘arcuate’ design on the rear pocket of a Levis Strauss denim was introduced in 1943. Even when the rationing during the wartime that did not allow them to sew in the pattern, the company continued to paint the arcuate pattern onto the denim.
