Denim wars

In 1853, the California gold rush was in full swing, and everyday items were in short supply. Levi Strauss, a 24-year-old German immigrant, left New York for San Francisco with a small supply of dry goods with the intention of opening a branch of his brother's New York dry goods business. Shortly after his arrival, a prospector wanted to know what Mr. Levi Strauss was selling. When Strauss told him he had rough canvas to use for tents and wagon covers, the prospector said, "You should have brought pants!," saying he couldn’t find a pair of pants strong enough to last.

Levi Strauss had the canvas made into waist overalls. Miners liked the pants, but complained that they tended to chafe. Levi Strauss substituted a twilled cotton cloth from France called "serge de Nimes."The word ‘jeans’ comes from this French phrase ‘bleu de Genes’ meaning ‘the blue of Genoa’.  The denim fabric originated in the French town of Nimes and owes its name to the location, which was quickly known as ‘denim’ abroad.

Genoese Navy sailors first wore denim  in the 1500’s but it wasn’t until the 1870’s in the gold rush, This was when Levi Strauss – a name now synonymous with denim -  created a strong style of workers pants with rivets that was quickly adopted by Californian coal miners.  Originally made from this uncomfortable canvas trouser Strauss eventually discovered and started using the twilled cotton cloth that originated from the French town of Nimes and denim

Dry denim  has a dry rough texture raw denim is fabric that is un soiled  as organic as it seems Raw denim is denim that has be unwashed, untreated, untouched to the degree that it remains in its purist form .  The funny thing about this fabric at some point it had a wet process,  being dyed during its production. That wold be calculated as incorrect because of the production giving it the final product yes so I am wrong ,but valid in my efforts to say that denim has been trough a wet process before it becomes dry 

All this fuss and everyone is a denim guru studying the history YES we all should know this because to an American denim should be the apple pie of textile Americana ,but unfourtunately it is not.  Americans thought of it as outstandingly uncufed denim and a white tee is sonymous to American culture  right? Nope lack of words it appeared to look like you wore pajamas in public so to an American Denim has staying power now because it is an everyday staple piece of garment we wear but in the 30's and 40's it was lazy,poor,motor bike class of  young adults not your well to do white collar worker.  As I said American history is denim history it will be proven and shown to you in so many ways in the next few months of this blog I just hope it has positive outcome 

Enjoy this uploaded video 

Belt Loops from Rising Sun on Vimeo.