Nobody denies America's love affair with jeans: the most adaptable clothing in our wardrobes. Learn more about its history and how to find a pair that will flatter your body type.
Jeans are the most versatile, lived-in, and best-loved item of clothing in history. Unless you don’t wear pants (and if not, I don’t even want to know why), chances are you have a favorite pair, and I bet you’ll stubbornly refuse to get rid of them until they’re threadbare. Whether they’re baggy or fit like a second skin, faded or acid-washed, beat-up or flawless, jeans are a wardrobe staple – and an American classic.
It’s in our “jeans:" a bit of history.
His name was Loeb Strauss, and he was born in Bavaria in 1829. When he was eighteen, he sailed to New York with his mother and sisters to meet his brothers, who ran a dry-goods store. He worked for them, selling bolts of cloth and linen, and by the time he was twenty-one he had changed his name to Levi. Three years later, after becoming an American citizen, Strauss moved to San Francisco. He felt there was a lot of opportunity for him there, largely because of the recent gold rush. Soon, he opened the West-coast branch of his brothers’ dry goods store and distributed clothing, bedding, and underwear to small stores all throughout the West.
In 1872, Strauss got a letter that shaped the history of fashion. The letter was from a tailor in Reno, Nevada, named Jacob Davis. Davis wrote that he’d come up with a great idea to improve the strength and durability of the work pants he sold, he had started attaching copper rivets to the points of strain, and customers loved it. The idea should be patented, Davis wrote to Strauss, but he didn’t have the money required to file the papers for obtaining a patent, so he made a proposal: if Strauss paid for the application, the two men could team up making riveted clothing and earn a great deal.
And that’s exactly what happened. The patent for an “Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings” was granted to Davis and Strauss on May 20, 1873, and they began manufacturing durable pants especially for use as work-wear: “waist overalls.” The waist overalls were made of denim because it was a tough and sturdy material.
Levi Strauss died in 1902, but his four nephews – Jacob, Louis, Abraham, and Sigmund Stern – took over the thriving business. Jacob Davis sold them his share of the company in 1907. By the 1920s, the company’s waist overalls were the top-selling men’s work pants in the Western states. Cowboys began wearing the pants, and during the 1930s, a “wild West” movie craze elevated their status; they were no longer associated solely with workers, but with rugged, swaggering cowboy types played by the likes of John Wayne. Because of this, they became more popular with young men. During World War II, they were taken overseas with young GIs and worn during leisure time; soldiers were the heroes of that era, so since they were wearing waist overalls, everyone else wanted to wear them too. It was during this time that the waist overalls got their new name: jeans.
In the 1950s, Levi Strauss & Company began distributing their jeans nationwide, no longer confined to selling them exclusively on the West coast. As in previous decades, cultural icons heavily influenced the popularity of jeans; actors such as James Dean and Marlon Brando wore them in their movies. Teenage boys aspiring to reach “rebel” status adopted jeans as everyday wear. By the 1970s, both men and women were wearing jeans and modifying them in fashionable ways: making cutoffs, embroidering designs, and of course, the beloved bellbottom. These days, jeans are one of the most adaptable items in the wardrobe of both sexes. They come in a larger-than-ever variety of washes, designs, and brands, and can be dressed up or down accordingly.
It’s a good thing that young Loeb Strauss decided to change his name to Levi. After all, can you imagine slipping into a pair of “Loeb 501s?”
How did they get to be called “jeans?”
Even though today’s jeans are made of denim, they’re named after a completely different fabric. A cotton, linen and/or wool blend was being manufactured in Genoa, Italy, first popularized in the sixteenth century – and that fabric was called “jean.” By the eighteenth century, jean cloth was made entirely of cotton, and was mostly used to make men’s clothing, as it was valued for its superior durability. Denim was also being manufactured at the time, and it eventually proved to outperform jean when used for work clothes. The working man’s “jean pants,” as they were called, were gradually replaced by denim pants – but old habits die hard, and people still referred to the clothing – no matter what fabric it was made of – as jean pants, or jeans.
How to find a great-fitting pair.
As we all know, a terrific pair of jeans can work wonders for a person’s aesthetic appeal. But in most cases, the perfect pair can be elusive: they fit great in the waist, but they’re too short. Or the waist is too big, but the thighs are so tight they’re cutting off your circulation. The reason it’s so hard to find great-fitting jeans is because it isn’t just their size, but their shape, that matters. Just because you can easily button and/or zip a pair of jeans doesn’t mean they fit – they also have to be the right size in the butt, hips, thighs, and inseam. And there are as many varieties of jeans as there are varieties of body types, so finding a pair that really fits may take you a while.
A word of advice: if you’re going to splurge on one item of clothing, splurge on a pair of jeans. Since basic jeans are such a wardrobe staple, and never go out of fashion, you’re going to be wearing them for a while – so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. Go for quality construction and a great fit, even if they cost more than the brands you’re used to buying.
The first step in jeans-shopping is knowing what you’re looking for.
Although many brands have their own types of jean (like the “boyfriend” or “weekender” styles), there are three fits that are pretty much universal across brands.
Classic jeans fit higher on your waist, and have straight or slightly tapered legs.
Relaxed fit jeans are just as their name implies: roomier, lower-waisted jeans, usually with tapered legs.
Slim fit jeans ride low on the waist and hug your hips, thighs, and derrière; they’re best for those with narrow hips.
Next, choose the right cut for your body type.
If you are …
Petite – your perfect jeans will be straight-legged and long; not so long that they drag, of course, but the more length in the leg, the more elongated you’ll appear. Stay away from very low waistbands; not only will they appear to shorten the leg, they’ll also make your rear look flat. If you want your butt to appear rounder or perkier, choose jeans with small back pockets, positioned high.
Plus-sized – the jeans that will flatter you most are slightly flared at the bottom, to balance out any thickness in the hips and thighs. Make sure that the back pockets are big and set close together. And you can use the jeans’ color, or wash, to your advantage: the darker the denim, the skinnier you’ll look. Jeans that are darker on the outer thigh and lighter on the inner also have a slimming effect. Stay away from pleats, and choose jeans with lots of pockets in the front.
Tall and thin – straight-legged, close-fitting and low-rise is the recipe for your ideal jeans. You can show off that flat stomach!
Short-waisted – a low-rise pair is what you’ll need to give the illusion of a longer torso.
Last, try them on.
I’m guilty of running into a dressing room with a pair of jeans, trying them on in a fired-up hurry, and then buying them – only to discover later that when I sit down, they retract up my shins as if I’m preparing for a flood. To really ensure that you and your new jeans are going to have a long and happy life together, you must go to great lengths when trying them on.
Jeans-shop on a day when you have plenty of time and are in a shopping mood. Be prepared to try on pair after pair. Take along a friend who’ll tell you the brutal truth about how each pair looks (and who won’t get bored with all the shopping!).
Closely inspect all the seams, pockets, buttons, and rivets to make sure that everything is sewn tightly together. Pull the zipper up and down a few times to make sure it zips smoothly; if it catches, find another pair.
Look at yourself in the jeans from all angles – especially the back. Rotate slowly, and stand in poses you’d normally find yourself in.
Put on your shoes and see if you like how the legs fall around them. Typically, the right leg length should be at least touching the tops of your shoes (and preferably draped over them a bit), but should be short enough that they don’t drag or get stepped on in the backs. Consider how your other favorite pairs of shoes would look.
Bend over, crouch, and kneel. Make sure they’re comfortable and that they don’t look like they’re about to split a seam.
Sit down. Make sure that the zipper doesn’t come open, that the legs don’t suddenly become highwater (please, learn from my mistake!), and that the jeans don’t pinch or restrict you anywhere. You don’t want anybody seeing your undies, so while you’re seated, lean forward. See that the jeans don’t gap in the back, or hit you so low that your underwear peeks out above the waistband.
Run. March. Jump. Boogie down. See how well the jeans move with you. Sure, you might appear a little crazy to anyone who sees your feet under the dressing room door, but isn’t it worth it to find the perfect pair of jeans?
…Or you can just have a pair custom-designed.
Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? A pair of jeans made according to your individual, precise measurements and preferences. Clothing companies are calling it “mass customization” – and it’s a refreshing change for those of us with trouble finding our exact sizes. Not only will you get a flattering pair of jeans, you’ll get them for cheap. For designer jeans, you could easily find yourself forking over about $250, but you can score a pair of customized jeans starting at thirty-three bucks!
The designers of Harryfashion allow you to personalize your own pair at their website (www.makeyourownjeans.com). You choose from two basic styles – “Classic Heavy Denim” and “Crosshatch” – and then enter your measurements at checkout. It will cost you $33 plus shipping and handling.
With Target to a T, Target stores’ answer to the customization craze, you can design your own pair of Mossimo jeans online. Choose the fit, rise, number of pockets, and leg style, enter your measurements (height, weight, bra band size, bra cup size, waist, inseam, and pants size), then pay $36.99 and you’ve got your dream jeans.
Lands’ End also allows you to customize jeans online at their site. You select the color, fit, rise, pocket style, and leg shape. Then you go on to enter your measurements, which are the same as at the Target to a T website with one extra question – your shoe size. You’ll answer a few more questions about your body type, and then pay for your jeans. They start at $54, and $62 for plus sizes.
IC3D, or the Interactive Custom Clothes Company, gets into a bit more detail (believe it or not!) with their customization process. At their site, you choose the fabric, fit, leg style, ankle shape, waistband, number of belt loops, number and types of pockets, type of fly (button, zipper, exposed button, or lace-up), type of rivet, and color of thread. All in all, a pair of jeans from this company will cost you about $90 (but with free shipping if you're in the United States!). Another neat feature about this company is that if you already have the perfect jeans, and can’t find any more like them, IC3D will duplicate them for you.
At a few upscale department stores in the UK, there is a unique customization system called Bodymetrics. For £180, fashion-conscious Brits can have a pair of jeans that are very specific to their body types. When they step into the “3D-Bodyscanner,” sort of like a roomier phone booth, it takes two hundred measurements in about eight seconds. They are then prompted to choose the fit (“skinny” or “comfort”), rise (where the jeans fall on the waist – low, mid, or high), leg (bootleg, straight leg, or drainpipe), and wash (nine different denim looks to choose from). And in two to four weeks, a pair of jeans that the Bodymetrics people boast will be a “perfect fit first time.” Some stores in the US have such a system in place as well, called Intellifit, which is currently being tested.
Tips for a perfect fit:
If you’re buying low-rise jeans, consider buying a bigger waist size; if they’re even the tiniest bit snug, you’ll have a “roll” hanging over the sides no matter how slim you are.
Choose a pair of jeans from a line that advertises their superior fit – they’re often cut differently than ordinary jeans, and really do have a better fit. For example, Lee Jeans’ “One True Fit” line sits lower on the waist, and has no gap in the back.
More form-fitting jeans should have a little bit of stretch. In an interview with “Muscle & Fitness – Hers” magazine, Steven Jolna, president of Bella Dahl Jeans, says, “The most flattering jean has 1%-2% spandex in it because it just holds everything in."
Jeans with waistlines that are cut higher in the back, and lower in the front, are figure-flattering.
If you have to pull at the crotch area of the jeans at any time, they don’t fit (you wouldn’t want to have to do that in public, anyway!).
Keep your jeans from shrinking by washing them in cool water and either air-drying them or putting your dryer on the coolest setting.
And one final, interesting jeans tidbit …
Ever noticed that the majority of your jeans’ zippers say “YKK” on them? What is it supposed to mean? YKK technically stands for “Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha” (and I don’t think that would fit on a zipper) – translated from Japanese to English, it means “Yoshida Company Limited.” It’s a company formed in 1934 by a Japanese zipper manufacturer, Tadao Yoshida. These days the company makes much more than zippers: they make other kinds of metal fasteners and even aluminum building products. But it’s their zippers that they’re most famous for; there are even counterfeit YKKs floating around.
You can look urban chic in a pair of jeans and stilettos, or downright farm-girl in jeans and boots. They can be further personalized with embroidery, crystals, or rips and tears. Jeans are a timeless classic that will live in our hearts – and our closets – for generations to come. Show your favorite pair a little appreciation next time you wear them!
External Links:
How Jeans are Made - Find out how your favorite pair is made from scratch.