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Levi's for FIT GUYS

Levi's History

Levi's are produced by Levi Strauss & Co but ironically, Mr Strauss is not the man behind the concept that made the Levi Strauss brand the most famous name for denim jeans on the high street.

In 1853 Levi Strauss arrived in San Francisco and opened a wholesale dry goods business, selling clothing, blankets, handkerchiefs, etc. to three small general stores throughout the American West.

Then in 1872 Jacob Davis wrote to Levi Strauss, telling him about the process he invented to rivet the pocket corners on men's pants to make them stronger. He suggested that the two men take out a patent on the process together and Levi agrees. Basically, Mr Davis couldn't afford the patent and Levi Strauss saw a remarkable opportunity to make money.

Jeans where at this point called "waist overalls" and Levi's took traditional men's work pants and riveted them, creating the new category of workwear which we today call blue jeans. On the 20th of May 1873, the two gentlemen took out a 20 year patent on the design, sealing their fate as a name in the denim industry market.

In 1902 Levi Strauss died at the age of 73, leaving the business to his nephews. Since then the company has remained in the family.

A few interesting dates for Levi Strauss include:

1906 - The San Francisco earthquake and fire destroys the headquarters and factories of Levi Strauss & Co. A new factory was built at 250 Valencia Street in San Francisco and opened in November.

1936 - The standard Red Tab was first placed onto the right back pocket of the overalls. The word "Levi's" was stitched in white in all capital letters on one side only. The Tab was created to differentiate Levi's overalls from the many competitors in the marketplace who were using dark denim and an Arcuate stitch. They had not yet trademarked the Arcuate stitching style, so other companies were using it to create direct imitations.

1943 - Levi Strauss succeeded in trademarking the Arcuate stitching design.

Early 1950's - The word Levi's began to be stitched on both sides of the Red Tab.

1960 - The word "overalls" was beginning to be replaced by the word "jeans" in advertising and on packaging. Levi Strauss had made other products in the past which they had called "jeans" (specifically, denim pants for boys in the 1930s) but their top of the line "overalls" - 501 jeans - did not get this name until teenagers began calling the product "jeans" in the 1950s. No one really knows why the word became associated with the men's overalls, but teen culture at the time adopted the phrase and it became the term used by all manufacturers.

1961 - Pre-shrunk Levi's jeans are introduced.

1964 - The jeans became a part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

1966 - The first television commercial for Levi's jeans was aired.

1981 - 501 jeans for women were introduced, with the airing of the famous "Travis" television commercial.

1984 - The renowned "501 Blues" television advertising campaign is launched at the summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

1986 - The first in a series of innovative television commercials for the 501 jeans aired in Europe. These commercials featured classic American rock music mixed with nostalgia and romance.

1992 - Due to the interest in "vintage" Levi's jeans on the part of consumers worldwide, Levi Strauss & Co. introduces the "Capital E" jeans in the United States. This also followed on the success of the vintage model created earlier by Levi Strauss Japan.

1993 - By this point Levi Strauss & Co. decided to sponsor the "Send Them Home Search", a contest to find the oldest pair of Levi's jeans in the United States. The winning pair dates to the late 1920s.

1997 - Continuing on from the "Send Them Home Search" Levi Strauss & Co bought a pair of jeans manufactured in the 1890's for $25,000.

2008 - Levi Strauss & Co. celebrated the 135th anniversary of the invention of the blue jean!