FOR THE LOVE OF DENIM

Words: Nhlanhla Masemola | Images: Supplied

Fashion, by its very definition, isn't known for being sturdy or reliable, so it's worth mentioning when a garment sashays its way into staple territory. There are many reasons why we repeatedly take a shine to denim jeans. The hard-wearing, long-lasting, versatile nature of the fabric makes it difficult to name a season or reason when jeans didn’t work. Thanks to their every-decade appeal, jeans quickly cue us to the cultural mindset of the time with a quick jog down denim memory lane. The 70s had bell-bottoms, the 80s discovered acid-washing and the 90s made the grungy delights of ripped jeans more mainstream. Let’s revisit denim through the decades, from workwear ingenuity to city-dweller essential.

Left to right: Levi Strauss; catalogue cover of Levi Strauss & Co

Jeans weren’t always modish must-haves, even if Yves Saint Laurent wishes he had invented them. Denim trousers, snazzily referred to as “waist overalls” and typically worn by men workers, were fairly common workwear. We have tailor Jacob W. Davis, in part, to thank for denim jeans. Davis initially approached businessman Levi Strauss for financial support to patent an idea. What was it? To add metal rivets to the button fly and pockets of denim trousers, making them more durable. Come 1873, the first pair of blue jeans was born. The word “jeans” also emerged around this time.

La Grange Mine crew in California

This is the era when jeans were popularised by workers in need of durable clothing. Famous Hollywood stars such as Gary Cooper and John Wayne acting as cowboy archetypes played a significant role in romanticising blue jeans, too. The rugged-meets-handsome aesthetic of the time spoke to consumers looking for off-duty leisurewear. In 1936, Strauss added his signature red tab to his jeans, making them one of the first pieces of clothing marked with a visible designer label. Also during this time, Vogue featured the first denim-wearing model on the cover, moving the item into fashionable spaces. Jeans were still a rare item to see worn by women, though.

The Westerner movie poster

Fewer jeans were manufactured during World War II. But American soldiers, who sometimes wore them off duty, helped introduce jeans to the rest of the world. After the war, Levi’s (the brand, that is) began selling its range beyond the US. Other rival companies, such as Wrangler and Lee, began competing with Levi’s for a share of the new market.

Left to right: A group of American teenagers wearing denim in 1955; James Dean

The youth started embracing blue jeans in the 1950s, with Hollywood movies adopting them as a fashionable symbol of rebellion against the status quo. Popular denim-clad teen idols and "bad boys" with sex appeal (think James Dean and Marlon Brando) glamourised jeans and rock ‘n’ roll stars helped cement the style, leading to a jeans ban in a few US public schools. Cuffed denim styles, light washes and black jeans were trendy for men and denim brands such as Levi’s, Lee and Wrangler grew in popularity.

Calvin Klein denim jeans with designer label

Hello hippies and a free-love movement that managed to capture American culture. Restrictive, corporate clothing made way for casual blue jeans, along with personalisation: embroidery, stone washing, rhinestones, bright colours and patches. Popular cuts included bell-bottoms and low-rise hip huggers. Double denim also made its first real appearance and denim jackets became standard gear. In the 70s, running alongside this sentiment was an “all-American” sexuality personified by women who were viewed as sex symbols of the time – Farrah Fawcett and Lauren Hutton. This decade saw denim skirts and vests become fashion essentials. And jeans became more political, used by women’s liberation organisers as a tool to demonstrate gender equity. In 1976, Calvin Klein sent blue jeans down the runway, making him the first designer to do so. Three years later, Gloria Vanderbilt launched her successful jeans line, with a racier image in mind.

Left to right: BMX cyclist in Lee Cooper jeans and T-shirt; Farrah Fawcett

The decade when designer denim took centre stage. Claudia Schiffer’s sultry ads for Guess gave jeans a new kind of seductive potential. Brooke Shields starring in Calvin Klein’s “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins” commercial brought denim to the forefront of many fashion designers’ minds. Designer jeans became a true status symbol in popular culture and brands including Calvin Klein, Jordache and Gloria Vanderbilt were among the most coveted by men and women. Stone wash, acid wash and ripped jeans were some of the most desired looks, along with new, skinnier cuts that tapered at the ankle.

Left to right: Naomi Campbell; Mark Wahlberg

By now, fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Dior had also entered the jeans market and styles changed again as the grunge era in fashion began. During this decade, jeans became more slouchy and less polished. Carpenter jeans, with multiple pockets and tabs, and head-to-toe denim ensembles, were among the trendier looks, as well as denim overalls. The rise of hip-hop brought along with it an increased popularity in baggy jeans. Although Calvin Klein almost faced bankruptcy in 1992, Mark Wahlberg (then known as Marky Mark) and Kate Moss posing for Calvin Klein print ads and commercials helped put the brand firmly on the map.

Left to right:  Hip-hop style jeans in 2005; Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake at the American Music Awards in 2001

Christina Aguilera, David Beckham and Britney Spears popularised low-rise jeans. Boot-cut and flare denim were among the popular cuts of the early noughties and soon became appropriate attire to wear in the office. The biggest gamechanger, however, emerged in the mid-to-late 2000s with the resurgence of the skinny jean, thanks to innovations in denim stretch technology. Interest in premium brands soared and boyfriend jeans for women were also a noteworthy trend.

Fashion Week street style 

Jeans reached their sartorial peak with oversized hip-hop styles of the early 90s making a comeback. Pop stars favoured sandblasted and whiskered styles and denimheads paid high prices for hand-dyed Japanese indigo and vintage Levi’s. Today, almost all luxury labels and designers have sent jeans down the runway, available at various price points across the spectrum, in a multiple styles. Skinny, wide, low, high-rise, light, dark or coloured.